Black Diamond Stubby Review
Our Verdict
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Black Diamond Stubby | |||||
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Awards | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ||
Price | $180 List Check Price at REI | $209.96 at Backcountry Compare at 2 sellers | $190 List Check Price at Backcountry | $142.46 at Backcountry Compare at 2 sellers | $70 List $69.95 at Amazon |
Overall Score ![]() |
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Star Rating | |||||
Pros | Free-standing, easy to get in and out of, comfy to carry | Bomber, great size, comfy, one of the most waterproof | Great closure, bomber, great as a crag pack | Great closure, bomber, great as a crag pack | Lightweight, can haul outside of haulbag, no assembly required |
Cons | No waterproof closure, hard to clip stuff underneath | Takes some time to get in and out of top | Expensive | Expensive, not the most useful size for most walls | Expensive, not completely air-tight |
Bottom Line | Compact and bomber, this bag comes in a variety of sizes and is a decent price | Our favorite haul bag for any climbing adventure you can dream up | One of the best haul bags that can be purchased in this volume | This is an exceptional model, though its small size is a bit restrictive on the wall | The best off-the-shelf poop tube we know of |
Rating Categories | Black Diamond Stubby | Metolius Half Dome... | Metolius Quarter Dome | Metolius Sentinel | Metolius Waste Case |
Durability/Material (40%) | |||||
Capacity (10%) | |||||
Waterproofness (10%) | |||||
Closure systems/Ease of Access (20%) | |||||
Carrying/Suspension System (20%) | |||||
Specs | Black Diamond Stubby | Metolius Half Dome... | Metolius Quarter Dome | Metolius Sentinel | Metolius Waste Case |
Volume (cu inches) | 2136 | 7600 | 4200 | 2800 | 500 |
Weight | 3 lb 15 oz | 7 lb 7 oz | 5 lb 1 oz | 4 lb 11 oz | 10.6 oz |
Main container material | 37 oz vinyl-laminated nylon | Durathane | Durathane | Durathane | Durathane |
Closure material | 840 Denier ripstop | Ballistic nylon | Ballistic nylon | Ballistic nylon | Ballistic nylon |
Sewn or welded seam | Sewn | Welded | Welded | Welded | Welded |
Our Analysis and Test Results
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. We 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.
Value
This is 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.
Conclusion
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 an extra rack.
Other Versions
There are three sizes in the Black Diamond Haul Bag Family:
Black Diamond Stubby - Tiny - 2136 cu in
Black Diamond Touchstone - Small - 4272 cu in
Black Diamond Zion Haul Bag - Big - 8848 cu in
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