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And unlike Petzl, they make a left and a right version. Imagine that!

While I didn't try it on rope, I played with one of CMI's foot ascenders this weekend, comparing it to my Petzl Pantin.

The CMI is heavy! At 320g, it weighs as much as two and a half Pantins (125g). It is also larger and bulkier. It is constructed just like their Ultrascender, and seems like you could hammer nails with it. I would not be afraid to walk distances in cave with the CMI strapped to my foot, while I remove the Pantin for anything more than a few tens of feet for fear of destroying it. I'm not sure if the weight and size are worth having a bulletproof foot ascender.

The cam spring is more stiff, and the cam teeth more "aggressive" than the Pantin. The cam has a safety lock, which the Pantin does not. While I have not tried this on rope, I'm fairly certain that I prefer the ability to kick my leg off the rope when needed rather than having to reach down and fumble with a thumb latch (though I frequently still must do this with my Pantin as well).

The one thing that the CMI foot ascender impressed me with is the strap. The webbing is wider and more "solid" against twisting under force. The strap buckles actually grip and hold the webbing in place with teeth so it cannot loosen itself from your foot while climbing. This is my number one complaint with the Pantin.

I'd like to graft the CMI's foot webbing onto the Pantin's body for the ideal foot ascender!

NZcaver wrote:And unlike Petzl, they make a left and a right version. Imagine that!

Yep, the reason for Pantins being right footed confused me a little, given most people(I know of) seem to use right handed ascenders a left footed foot ascender would seem appropriate.
That said I found a bit of a way around it and it may be better than if I'd a left footed Pantin from the start.

I was wondering the other day whether it would be possible if you wanted a catch on your Pantin to remove(drill out the rivet) the catch from a worn out Croll or Ascension and put it on the Pantin? I suspect the cam is exactly the same so it should fit.

Myself I like the ability to kick off the Pantin, but I still have to do some getting used to it.

All other things being equal, I guess with a right-foot ascender, the rope is pulled in a slightly better direction though the chest ascender - in the direction of cam opening rather than rubbing against the frame bottom.

Usually, the foot is going to be basically central, but with a little rightward bias, but if stepping off uneven walls, etc, the right foot may end up somewhere right of centre.

Even though I use a [right] handled hand ascender, I only use the handle a fraction of the time, and frequently change grip. To the extent my arms pull, they do so pretty equally.
Having a hand ascender safety cord attached towards the left of my harness, to keep it away from the Croll, and using a chicken-loop on my hand-jammer's footloop, using a right-foot foot ascender works out a little more convenient for me in terms of path of the rope through my gear, but that is a marginal issue.

The cam has a safety lock, which the Pantin does not. While I have not tried this on rope, I'm fairly certain that I prefer the ability to kick my leg off the rope when needed rather than having to reach down and fumble with a thumb latch (though I frequently still must do this with my Pantin as well).

The beauty of the design is that you don't have to reach down to unlock it. Use the inside edge of your other foot to kick it open! Very easy and quick. And when placing the rope in the ascender, the rope will pull the cam closed. Again, no hands needed.

Cheryl

I was really impressed with the guarantee on the cam for the cmi foot ascender. A lifetime guarantee!!! Other than that I think I like the features of the Pantin better although I have not tried the CMI. When I bought my Pantin a few years ago it cost $42. I saw now that they are over $20 more now... bummer. When I first got mine I tried it and hated it and just threw it in my gear bag. Last year at the TAG Cave in we did Ellisons Fantastic Pit and Adam Shearer showed me how to keep it on the rope and I have been lovin it ever since.

Wouldn't it be nice if Petzel made their cams more wear resistant to compete with CMI?

Happy ascending!
Ron Adams

Ronaldo wrote:Wouldn't it be nice if Petzel made their cams more wear resistant to compete with CMI?

Is it the cam itself that's more wear resistant, or the ascender housing?

I've had my Pantin a few years too - and like you I tried it, dumped it back in my gear bag as a "spare" for a while, then tried it again. Now sometimes I use it, sometimes I don't.

I've also noticed that the Petzl gear suddenly got more expensive in the past few years. I guess prices have gone up on CMIs and most other things, but it seems like one minute the Petzl Ascensions were $49, and the next they were $59. Crolls used to be $40 not so long ago.

Check out the link to the CMI at the top of this thread, and then click the link to the guarantee , It is specifically for the cams. It says lifetime!!!

I don't know for sure but I am suspecting that the strength of the US dollar plays a part in the equation for the cost of Petzel gear. Since corporate America (who basically runs our government) seems intent on outsourcing the US to other countries this may be a continuing trend.

Ron

Ronaldo wrote:I don't know for sure but I am suspecting that the strength of the US dollar plays a part in the equation for the cost of Petzel gear.

yep, in this case the weakness of the American dollar.

http://tinyurl.com/2lqcdc

So Hank,

Can you tell us why Petzl doesn't offer a left-footed Pantin? Could it be that the French cavers only Frog to the right? Or is it because Nicolas Sarkozy is from a right-wing party? ;-)

Bill

I have eyed the pantin for a while now, and find it odd that it costs more than say the Petzl Ascensions.

Bill Putnam wrote:Can you tell us why Petzl doesn't offer a left-footed Pantin? Could it be that the French cavers only Frog to the right? Or is it because Nicolas Sarkozy is from a right-wing party? ;-)

Hey, Sarko came after the Pantin!

Left Pantin not offered b/c need isn't clear. Why a left Pantin?

To go on the left foot, I presume...

Amazingracer wrote:I have eyed the pantin for a while now, and find it odd that it costs more than say the Petzl Ascensions.

ez explanation for that one!

Much smaller market for Pantin than Ascension. Amortizing cost takes longer, etc. Niche product is (or logically should be) always more $$$.