this post was submitted on 15 Jul 2023
8 points (90.0% liked)
Climbing
403 readers
1 users here now
Rules
- Be Respectful. Respect instance rules.
- Stay on Topic: Keep discussions and posts related to climbing and topics relevant to the climbing community.
Please note that these moderation rules serve as a general framework and can be tailored and expanded upon based on the specific needs and nature of the climbing community.
Disclaimer
Rock climbing is an inherently risky and dangerous activity. Participants engage in climbing at their own risk and should ensure they possess the necessary skills, experience, and equipment to mitigate potential hazards.
Related communities
founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
Oh yeah, I was abroad for years and have been in decathlons all over the place. There's a decathlon in Beijing with two not-quite but pretty close to full-sized tennis courts near the entrance, and another with a basketball court, besides each also having the regular giant warehouse store as well.
I'm visiting the states longer than I thought and realized I could ship over decathlon products, and my original hiking pants were reaching their limit.
That's interesting about the rubber, do you know about the with it the metal in the crampons and pegs/carabiners whatnot vs. specialty stores?
Well, I do believe that all safety gear purchased from Decathlon is fully certified and rated for the application. So that's good! & it's not the same as buying sketchy uncertified gear from Amazon, or AliExpress (or whatever).
But sure, there may be differences in the function between Decathlon's own brand Simond and (for e.g.) Petzl, or Black Diamond, or DMM, or Edelrid.
Weight is usually a big one. Some of the top manufacturers of climbing hardware really have put it a tonne of engineering to shave off weight in their designs. A few grams on 1 carabiner can add up over a full rack. Other things are like gate design & gate action. Top of the range carabiners often have a nice gate action, and it's not uncommon for people to have a preferred style of gate (i.e. wiregate, Vs solid gate) to make clipping the rope more fluid.
If you are mostly sport climbing, saving weight might not be a big factor, and in that case maybe there's less to differentiate. However if you're trad climbing, or multi-pitch climbing, or even big walling, saving weight might be a huge consideration.
So all in all, it depends ๐ it can really help to get out with friends and try their gear to see if it makes sense for you. I also watch a fair amount of gear reviews on YouTube, or read gear reviews online.
But yeah, all in all, I do think Decathlon is great for certain items. But I also think it's worth paying extra for those items which you want to function really well (and this can be pretty subjective).