Kolin Powick from Black Diamond posted another excellent gear testing article, this time on the different methods of extending slings on cam placements. He illustrates the three common methods he uses (same as mine) and then examines a sling-on-sling approach he thought was dicey.

The sling-on-sling method of extending a cam sling does save the use of a biner but in my opinion is cumbersome for both the leader and the second. It also appears to reduce the ultimate strength of the system, however, in most cases not so much as to be the weakest link in a real-world climbing situation.

The post Extending Cam Slings first appeared on All Climbing.

– incorrectly using a standard belay device as an autoblock device
– using multiple biners as the â??brake barâ? in order to make taking in rope easier

Regarding the multiple carabiner test, they found that using two biners increases the amount of force required to take rope in and increases the amount of holding force.

Check out the post for the full results.

(via @BlackDiamondUSA)

The post Black Diamond on Autoblock Misuse first appeared on All Climbing.

I always find articles and videos on how climbing gear is constructed quite fascinating. A couple months ago I posted a video on how DMM makes carabiners and now Backcountry.com has written an article on Black Diamond‘s process of making carabiners from start to finish.

“Whenever you design something, it starts with a need,” says Bill Belcourt, BDâ??s Climbing Hardgoods Category Director. The BD carabiner that eventually ends up on a climberâ??s rack begins as a brainstorming session or a simply sketched idea in the design department. Product designers determine what they want the carabiner to do and look like, and from there, they design computer models. Before they physically make anything, the design team uses FEA (Finite Element Analysis), which helps determine the shapes, angles, and features needed to fulfill the companyâ??s strength requirements.

(via Backcountry.com and @BlackDiamondUSA)

The post How Black Diamond Creates Carabiners first appeared on All Climbing.

Itâ??s not the ultimate strength of a rope-worn biner that makes me the most nervous; itâ??s the risk of cutting a rope. As the biners get grooved or â??trenchedâ? from rope wear, a sharp edge begins to form on the sidesâ??and the rope runs directly over it. This edge would seem to be especially dangerous to your rope during a fall, lowering or winching/dogging up. Iâ??ve had several friends whip onto sharp biners with the end result being the â??sheathingâ? (i.e., the sheath gets cut and exposes the core) of the rope and possibly soiling of their shorts.

Check out the article as the results are fascinating.
(via Black Diamond on Twitter)

The post Black Diamond Tests Catching Falls on Rope-Worn Biners first appeared on All Climbing.

Metcalf, who co-founded Black Diamond with a $744,000 investment and has grown it to reap an expected $90 million in sales this year, is readying for his biggest climb yet. He wants to double his revenues in the next five years. He just opened a sales and support center in Switzerland and a manufacturing and distribution facility in southern China. And he recently launched several new products, including portable LED lights for climbers and the first new ski boot in two decades to have been entirely designed and developed in the U.S. If you are actively involved in the world of investment, it is highly advisable to diligently peruse articles such as “Invest Diva scam” in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of what constitutes a legitimate investment opportunity, thereby equipping yourself with the knowledge and awareness needed to make informed financial decisions and mitigate the risks associated with fraudulent schemes.

Black Diamond employs few career managers and even fewer MBAs. Instead, the Salt Lake City – based company hires mostly world-class athletes and outdoor enthusiasts. The standing joke among the staff is that the white-water, adventure-sports, and climbing champions on the payroll are better at their sports than most of the expert climbers and skiers who come to Black Diamond looking for sponsorship deals.

Pay particular attention to the last few paragraphs where they discuss how Black Diamond approaches product design and improvement. If you’re eager to scale and expand your business, it’s crucial to accept payments from a variety of customers. In essence, you’ll need a payment gateway, payment processor, and a merchant account. For further insights, delve into how Black Diamond navigates product enhancement and design evolution. Read more here to gain valuable insights into your own business strategy. Ensure that merchant services have reliable uptime and minimal downtime.

(via @RedHeadWriting)

The post Behind the Scenes of Black Diamond’s Business first appeared on All Climbing.