REASONS TO BUY
Lightweight
Can haul outside of haulbag
No assembly required
REASONS TO AVOID
Expensive
Not completely air-tight
Metolius Waste Case Review
The best off-the-shelf poop tube we know of
Metolius Waste Case
Credit: Metolius
Price: $70 List
Manufacturer:
Metolius Climbing
By Chris McNamara ⋅ Founder and Editor-in-Chief ⋅ Jan 17, 2010
RELATED: Best Haul Bags for Big Wall Climbing
Our Verdict
This is our favorite option for a poop tube if you don't mind spending a little money. It is bomber, convenient, and a good size for most big walls. While there are more than a dozen options (and even more names), this is the best waste storage option for most big wall climbers. If you have the time and want to make your own you will save money. But you can't beat the convenience and bomberness of the Waste Case.
View more on making your own poop tube.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Metolius Waste Case | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  |  | | | |
| Price | $70 List $69.95 at Amazon | $279.95 at Backcountry Compare at 2 sellers | $190 List Check Price at Backcountry | $250 List $279.95 at Amazon | $189.95 at Backcountry Compare at 2 sellers |
Overall Score  |
|||||
| Star Rating | |||||
| Pros | Lightweight, can haul outside of haulbag, no assembly required | Bomber, great size, comfy, one of the most waterproof | Great closure, bomber, great as a crag pack | Durable, comfortable, water-tight closure, lots of volume | Great closure, bomber, great as a crag pack |
| Cons | Expensive, not completely air-tight | Takes some time to get in and out of top | Expensive | Hard to access the bottom, takes some time to get in and out of the top of the bag | Expensive, not the most useful size for most walls |
| Bottom Line | The best off-the-shelf poop tube we know of | 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 big, burly bag is one of our favorites for carrying large loads | This is an exceptional model, though its small size is a bit restrictive on the wall |
| Rating Categories | Metolius Waste Case | Metolius Half Dome... | Metolius Quarter Dome | Metolius El Cap Hau... | Metolius Sentinel |
| Durability/Material (40%) | |||||
| Capacity (10%) | |||||
| Waterproofness (10%) | |||||
| Closure systems/Ease of Access (20%) | |||||
| Carrying/Suspension System (20%) | |||||
| Specs | Metolius Waste Case | Metolius Half Dome... | Metolius Quarter Dome | Metolius El Cap Hau... | Metolius Sentinel |
| Volume (cu inches) | 500 | 7600 | 4200 | 9600 | 2800 |
| Weight | 10.6 oz | 7 lb 7 oz | 5 lb 1 oz | 8 lb | 4 lb 11 oz |
| Main container material | Durathane | Durathane | Durathane | Durathane | Durathane |
| Closure material | Ballistic nylon | Ballistic nylon | Ballistic nylon | Ballistic nylon | Ballistic nylon |
| Sewn or welded seam | Welded | Welded | Welded | Welded | Welded |
Show full specification detailsHide full specification details
Our Analysis and Test Results
Likes
The Metolius Waste Case is the most convenient option for a big wall turd cage. You get the whole container and the wag bags in one purchase. The bag is bomber, can easily be clipped under the haul bag and, best of all, you don't have to worry about losing the lid as you do with a standard poop tube. For gear junkies, it's also kinda cool to have another mini haul bag.
Dislikes
Other than being a little expensive, the main drawback of this device is it is not perfectly air-tight. The river bag closure does contain most of the odor but as temps heat up in the Valley on day four of your wall, you will probably get a whiff of yesterday's business. Also, the size of this bag is good for most big wall ascents but if you have a team of three and are going to be on the wall for days, you will want either a bigger bag or two of these.
Value
While this is one of the more expensive options, it is a good value if you consider its durability and the time you save not making your own poop tube. Sure you can make your own for $10 in parts. But if you have to make a trip or two to the hardware store and don't get it right the first time, you could end up spending hours making your own. Most importantly, unless you have some supervision from an experienced poop-tube maker, you will be taking a gamble on making a device that might let you down on the wall…eeooouuwww.
Conclusion
This bag is ideal for a two-person big wall team that will be on the wall for one to four nights or a three-person team for two to three nights. If you are going to spend more time than that, bring another poop tube or a river bag for backup.
—
Chris McNamara
You Might Also Like
Ad-free. Influence-free. Powered by Testing.
GearLab is founded on the principle of honest, objective, reviews. Our experts test thousands of products each year using thoughtful test plans that bring out key performance differences between competing products. And, to assure complete independence, we buy all the products we test ourselves. No cherry-picked units sent by manufacturers. No sponsored content. No ads. Just real, honest, side-by-side testing and comparison.
Learn More