Early Jul devices had weak cable attachment I sent all four of them back to the Edelrid distributor, and they eventually replaced them with new ones that have improved connection between the device and the cable. However, I was somewhat disappointed and worried when the thumb cables failed, first on my Micro Jul, and then on a Mega Jul. They seemed like they would replace all my other belay devices. My first impressions using these devices were so good that I bought 2 Mega Juls and 2 Micro Jules. These devices are identical in design, but the Mega Jul is designed for ropes of diameter from 7.8mm to 10.5mm, while the smaller Micro Jul is made for skinny ropes from 6.9 to 8.5mm. My next trial of an assisted braking device was the Mega Jul and Micro Jul by Edelrid. I put up with these issues because of the enhanced safety of the assisted braking, but these flaws made me interested in trying out other assisted braking options.Įnter the Edelrid Mega Jul and Micro Jul: It also had a habit of allowing thinner ropes to migrate under the separator bar, causing the ropes to get stuck, and a somewhat jerky rappel mode when in auto-lock configuration. The Smart Alpine is a pretty good design, but it has a few flaws that have led me to abandon it in favor of some newer devices: First, the Smart Alpine tends to lock up too easily when feeding out rope. My first assisted braking device was the Mammut Smart Alpine (see my initial review of that device HERE.) Mammut Smart Alpine in belay mode In most circumstances, this eliminates the need for a prussik back up when rappelling. Generally, you can just take your hand off the device, and it stops itself. Similarly, when rappelling, it’s very easy to stop yourself while on rappel. When catching lead fall, the effort needed to control the rope running through the device is minimal, and there is very little rope slippage. I really like the added security of the braking assist. ![]() I am becoming more and more convinced that belay/rappel devices with assisted braking are a big improvement over traditional ATC or Reverso type belay/rappel devices.Īssisted braking devices are not fully auto-locking like a Gri Gri, but provide significant extra friction when catching a falling leader or rappelling, when compared with an ATC or Reverso.
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