Trango Antidote Review
Compare prices at 2 resellers Pros: Large tarp, plenty of space within the bag to pack extras, tarp window
Cons: Outer nylon not as heavy duty as other bags
Manufacturer: Trango
Our Verdict
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 This Product
Trango Antidote | |||||
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| Awards |  | ||||
| Price | $27.97 at Backcountry Compare at 2 sellers | $45 List Check Price at Backcountry | $47 List Check Price at REI | $40 List $39.95 at REI | $30 List $29.95 at REI |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Pros | Large tarp, plenty of space within the bag to pack extras, tarp window | Simple, lightweight, two backpack straps for easier carrying, tie-in points function as handles, two compression straps | Works as a cragging pack, padded shoulder straps are suprisingly comfortable, big tarp, nice zippered pocket | Easy to roll up rope, big tarp, compressible | Inexpensive, easy to pack inside anotherpack, durable, single shoulder strap is surprisingly comfortable |
| Cons | Outer nylon not as heavy duty as other bags | Small tarp, modest capacity for other gear, rope tarp isn't removable | Packability | No smaller pockets, not as nice to carry for long distances | Not as easy to pack the rope into |
| Bottom Line | The Trango Antidote is a basic rope bag that is a little cheaper than other options you'll find in our review | An excellent rope bag with a classic design that integrates a few subtle yet innovative features | The Speedster is a great single day cragging pack for fast and light days where you don't need a ton of extra equipment or layers | An upgraded version of the original Ropemaster, that we found to be much more useable than the older version | Incredibly functional and offered at a fantastic price |
| Rating Categories | Trango Antidote | Edelrid Drone II | Metolius Speedster | Metolius Ropemaster HC | Metolius Dirt Bag II |
| Packability (30%) | |||||
| Carrying Comfort (25%) | |||||
| Rope Protection (25%) | |||||
| Ease of Use (20%) | |||||
| Specs | Trango Antidote | Edelrid Drone II | Metolius Speedster | Metolius Ropemaster HC | Metolius Dirt Bag II |
| Bag Design | Burrito | Burrito | Funnel | Burrito | Burrito |
| Tarp size (inches) | 48" x 60" | 46" x 40" | 52" x 58" | 52" x 58" | 52" x 58" |
| Accessory Pockets | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Number Shoulder Straps | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Compression Straps | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Metal or Plastic Buckles | Metal | Plastic | None | Metal | Plastic |
Our Analysis and Test Results
Performance Comparison
Packability
The Trango Antidote packs much like any other standard burrito style rope bag on the market. Once the tarp is rolled and stuffed into the bag, an elastic cord is cinched around the opening of the bag, and then finally secured with two compression straps. The Antidote can be packed into a larger backpack if it doesn't have enough space for all of the gear that you'd like to bring. Although it might require some shoving, it packs relatively easily and two compression straps help to reduce extra volume.
Carrying Comfort
The Antidote features two adjustable backpack style straps that can either be worn sling-style or as a backpack. It also features a single reinforced grab handle on one end of the bag for shorter moves. Thanks to the backpack style straps, the Trango Antidote is great for both long (25-30 minutes) and short (<5 minutes) distance approaches. For any kind of approach over 30 minutes, we preferred to pack the Antidote into a larger pack.
Rope Protection
With a large rectangular 48" x 60" tarp, the Antidote had no problem keeping our rope out of the dirt. Although not as large as some of the other rope bags we tested, we did not find it to be detrimental to the overall usage of the bag. The design of the tarp is rectangular in nature, and the longest comparative to the width of all the bags we tested, which didn't impact the performance either positively or negatively.
Ease of Use
The Trango Antidote features an outer zippered pocket for your small items, metal buckles on its compression straps, and a tarp window to see what cord you have stored inside. The fabric used to construct the Antidote is not as burly as some of the competing models, but our testers found that the Antidote held up just fine to regular wear and tear. Although tarp windows may seem a bit odd, we found it extremely useful when looking through our gear closets to try and find a specific rope.
Value
The Antidote is standard burrito style rope bag. It has some basic extra features such as a zippered outer pocket and tarp window, but nothing groundbreaking. At a comparable price to the other burrito-style options, it serves its purpose as a solid choice for anyone looking for a basic rope bag.
Conclusion
The Trango Antidote is a great choice for climbers seeking a solid, dependable rope bag. It has a large tarp that does a great job keeping the rope clean and an easy burrito style system to load the rope into. It has a grab handle on one end for short moves, and two padded shoulder straps for carrying over longer distances. A rope window and zippered outer pocket make for great, functional features.
— Graham Williams and Steven Tata
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