Black Diamond Stubby Review

Likes

This bag is great for its simplicity. It is easy to get in and out quickly and to tuck and stow the straps. It stands up on its own when resting, which makes it a great crag pack. It's hard to overstate how nice this free-standing feature is until you use it. Instead of always reaching down for your pack and digging through it, you just peer down and can see just about everything in your bag. For multi-day big walls, it is the perfect size to store the extra rack in. As a crag pack, it is the perfect size for a skinny rope, light rack, harness, and shoes.

Dislikes

The closure is not watertight. It if rains, you will have to rig a garbage bag or some other seal to keep the water out.

It is a little hard to clip stuff under the bag on big walls — it would be nice if the straps were a little more separated from the material. I noticed when leaning way under the bag to clip or unclip the poop tube that you have to be much more precise than with the Metolius clip-in points.

Best Application

This is ideally a crag pack or an extra bag on the wall for rack. This bag is too small to be considered a second haul bag like the Touchstone. We would typically use it on a five-plus day nailing route where you have two other medium sized bags like the Metolius Half Dome Haul Bag and this one as a third bag for extra rack.

Value

This less expensive than some similar-sized bags. It is not a bad deal for a mini haul bag. However, if you spend a bit more, you can get a much bigger and more versatile Black Diamond Touchstone. It all comes down to how many big walls you will do and how much you will use it as a crag pack. I use a bag this size all the time but some people may find it better just to buy a really light and solid crag pack plus a big haul bag.

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