Pantin or CMI?

[Widow Shooter]

I want to get a foot ascender to make climbing with my hitch-climber rig easier when there are long stretches between work-points.

The pantin or the CMI? the CMI is a bit bulkier looking, but I have some CMI stuff and it is well-made, that being said, I have some Petzl stuff, quality as well.

Do you guys leave it on all the time? or do you take it off and put it in a stuff sack? which one is worth my dough, I want tough and reliable

thanks all.

 

[Blinky]

Neither one... footlock it.

 

[RIVERRAT]

Been using the Pantin for some time. Love it!
Since we dont have to many monster
trees here. I use it mainly for going up hangers & such. When my tie in is out a ways from the trunk.

 

[Widow Shooter]

I do footlock it but I'm talking about moving from spot to the next while already in the tree.

Can you even footlock with a hitch-climber set-up? never tried it, maybe with my groundie pulling the slack out?

 

[thattreeguy]

hc set up
cant ya just hand over hand it and have you groundie tail it up for ya?

i use 1 ascender as a handhold sometimes with a petzl and my b line just walk up, i want to try the walker system

 

[lumberjack]

Pantin, I leave mine on. You can footlock the tail of your climbing setup, but it's alot of moving for little gain.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Pantin here also... Never comes off unless gaffs are involved. I use it to pull me over to the other side of the tree on traversing, srt.. and just that extra foot up when I need it. Great assist for the HC too.

 

[wiley_p]

CMI. Much higher quality, for roughly the same price.

 

[lumberjack]

I don't like that you can kick off the rope. Never had a problem with the Pantin.

 

[stig]

Do you guys leave it on all the time? or do you take it off and put it in a stuff sack? .

I use the Pantin. Takes a little practise to learn how to avoid kicking it off the rope, but once you get there, it works great.


I usually take it off before going to bed.
Unlike riding boots and spurs, it doesn't turn the females on!

 

[brendonv]

Pantin here.

 

[SkwerI]

Pantin here as well, never had the opportunity to try the CMI version. I like being able to kick it off the rope or put it back on the rope without using my hands. Just angle your foot up to remove it, keep your foot flat or toes pointed slightly down in order to stay on the rope.

Back when I climbed full time, I would get funny looks walking into Wendy's for lunch with the Pantin clacking on every step. I would remove it after finishing the last climb for the day.

 

[pantheraba]

Pantin here, use it every climb...have used it with spurs, too.

I haven't seen or tried the CMI but the pantin works well for me.

 

[Tom_Scheller]

CMI here, but there are certainly times I wish it was easier to get off the rope.

 

[No_Bivy]

Neither one... footlock it.

Wraptor when you get tired ....

 

[arborworks1]

Wraptor when you get tired ....

I agree.

 

[Blinky]

In the tree you can footlock the tail or just hand over hand. Unless I'm going a long way straight up, I pull up hand over hand and tend my slack every few feet.

 

[thattreeguy]

i like to take the pantin off in the tree

 

[rangerdanger]

Pantin here. Love it for those short reaches. Long hauls with just the pantin, not so much.

 

[emr]

I am pretty sure I have forgotten how to footlock after getting a Pantin and learning SRT. When using the Pantin in DRT, I can seem to kick it off. I really think that I am so used to trying not to kick it off, that I cant do it when I actually want to. When I first got the Pantin, I seemed to kick out of it fairly regularly but now it never happens. Great tool.

 

[Widow Shooter]

anybody have probs with the Pantin ripping ropes up with the teeth? the CMI has a cam like the micrograbs, seems more rope friendly?

 

[brendonv]

Nope, my zubat and spikes do a better job at that.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Nope, my zubat and spikes do a better job at that.

No chit huh?

 

[Burnham]

anybody have probs with the Pantin ripping ropes up with the teeth? the CMI has a cam like the micrograbs, seems more rope friendly?

The CMI has a toothed cam, much like the Pantin...maybe a smidge less aggressive, but not a smooth faced cam like the micro/macro grabs.

I agree with Dave, the CMI is better built, much stronger, and has a better strap system, easier to the adjust mounting position, and stays put. Petzl has improved the Pantin straps, but CMI still is better, I think.

I may be a bit prejudiced, as I've always considered the Petzl ascenders, no matter which model, to be inferior to others on the market. It always seemed odd that Petzl only made the Pantin for the right foot...soon as CMI came out with right and left, Petzl followed suit. For an old guy with a crappy right hip, that was a big issue .

If you have any trouble keeping the Pantin on the rope, the CMI cures that issue. Though care in technique with the Pantin is fairly easy to learn for most climbers.

I have both, but only because the Pantin was the only game in town for so many years. Just recently got the CMI and I think I will leave the Pantin in the gear bag from now on.

But either way, I think lots of climbers would find that use of a foot ascender can ease their everyday labors.

 

[lumberjack]

I think you have underlying issues with the French.