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Trango Ultratape Review

Trango 24" Ultratape
Editors' Choice Award
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Price:  $4 List
Pros:  Highly Durable, Extra Strength, Smooth Handling
Cons:  Expensive
Manufacturer:   Trango
By Robert Beno ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  Aug 27, 2010
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81
OVERALL
SCORE
  • Knot undo test - 25% 8
  • Alpine Quickdraw test - 10% 8
  • Durability - 35% 8
  • Overall Feel - 10% 9
  • weight - 20% 8

The Skinny

Discontinued Sling
The Ultratape slings were discontinued by Trango. Head over to our Climbing Slings Review for our top recommendations available today.

Trango's Ultratape slings proved to be a top performing climbing slings in every way throughout our testing. These slings are highly durable, have an extra high strength rating, and we found them to be pleasantly easy to untie after weighting a knot. At 12mm wide they aren't as thin as some of the other slings, but we found them to be far superior to other 12mm slings such as the Petzl St'Anneau Sling, and with a higher strength rating and greater durability than an 18mm Black Diamond Nylon sling, how can you go wrong? Though more expensive than nylon, these slings are about the same price as all other Dyneema sling out there. If you're looking for a super skinny sling try the Mammut Crocodile Sling. But if strength, durability, and smooth handling are your priorities, Trango's Ultratape slings are your best bet.


Our Analysis and Test Results

From Trango USA:

"Our Low Bulk slings are made of Dyneema while Ultratape was a dyneema/nylon blend. We discontinued the Ultratape and replaced it with a pure nylon sling for superior durability.

The nylon vs. Dyneema debate goes back and forth. While both are full spec and highly durable some climbers just prefer the beefy nylon slings while many weight conscious climbers go Dyneema."

Likes


Trango Ultratape proved to be a top performer in all regards. As with all Dyneema slings, these are significantly less bulky than a traditional nylon sewn runners. At 12mm it is not the skinniest sling that we tested, but runs about the middle of the pack. Though it is slightly bulkier than a super skinny sling, we found that the extra bulk of the sling made it far easier to work loose a weighted knot.

Our durability tests also revealed that Trango's weave of both nylon and Dyneema produces some of the most durable slings on the market. In our tests we observed the extremely minimal fraying, ensuring a quality, long lasting product. In addition to being highly durable, these slings offer an increased strength rating over standard full strength slings. At certified 25kn strength, these are the strongest slings that we tested.

Dislikes


As with all Dyneema slings, there is quite a price jump from traditional nylon to a newer material. The 12-inch version of these slings runs at about the same price as the 24-inch version of standard nylon slings. We also found these slings to be a little bulkier, and simultaneously heavier than other 12mm Dyneema slings.


— Robert Beno

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