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Trango Antidote Review

The Trango Antidote is a basic rope bag that is a little cheaper than other options you'll find in our review.
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Price:  $34 List | $25.46 at Backcountry
Compare prices at 3 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
By Graham Williams and Steven Tata  ⋅  Sep 30, 2019
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51
OVERALL
SCORE

RANKED
#7 of 9
  • Packability - 30% 5
  • Carrying Comfort - 25% 4
  • Rope Protection - 25% 7
  • Ease of Use - 20% 4

Our Verdict

The Trango Antidote is a basic rope bag and is very comparable to other burrito-style models that we tested. The Antidote features a large tarp at 48"x60" (121cm x 152cm), a tarp window to see what cord you have within, color-coded tie in points, and ample space within the bag to pack extras like draws, shoes, or harness. For those seeking a simple model to keep a rope off the ground, it is a good option, but there are some more innovative designs out there.


Compare to Similar Products

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This Product
Trango Antidote
Awards  Editors' Choice Award    
Price $25.46 at Backcountry
Compare at 3 sellers		$55 List$52.46 at Backcountry
Compare at 2 sellers		$35.21 at Backcountry
Compare at 3 sellers		$29.96 at Amazon
Compare at 2 sellers
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Pros Large tarp, plenty of space within the bag to pack extras, tarp windowLarge removable tarp, comfortable backpack straps, useful compression strapsLarge carrying capacity, comfortable backpack straps, padded back panelWorks as a cragging pack, padded shoulder straps are suprisingly comfortable, big tarp, nice zippered pocketEasy to roll up rope, big tarp, compressible
Cons Outer nylon not as heavy duty as other bagsThin fabric, not as durable as other modelsAwkward to pack with too little or too much gear, lacks adjustabilityPackabilityNo smaller pockets, not as nice to carry for long distances
Bottom Line The Trango Antidote is a basic rope bag that is a little cheaper than other options you'll find in our review.A top-notch model that is comfortable to carry and easy to pack.A spacious and comfortable backpack-style model.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.
Rating Categories Trango Antidote DMM Classic Mammut Crag Metolius Speedster Metolius Ropemaster HC
Packability (30%)
10
0
5
10
0
8
10
0
8
10
0
5
10
0
5
Carrying Comfort (25%)
10
0
4
10
0
8
10
0
8
10
0
6
10
0
4
Rope Protection (25%)
10
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7
10
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8
10
0
7
10
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8
10
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8
Ease Of Use (20%)
10
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4
10
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9
10
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8
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7
10
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6
Specs Trango Antidote DMM Classic Mammut Crag Metolius Speedster Metolius...
Bag Design Burrito Burrito Burrito Funnel Burrito
Tarp size (inches) 48" x 60" 43" x 51" 60" x 48" 52" x 58" 52" x 58"
Pockets 1 1 1 1 0
# of shoulder straps 2 2 2 2 1
Compression Straps Yes Yes No No Yes
Metal or plastic buckles Metal Plastic Plastic None Metal

Our Analysis and Test Results

Performance Comparison


Trango Antidote fully packed
Trango Antidote fully packed

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.

Trango Antidote unpacked
Trango Antidote unpacked

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.

Trango Antidote Tarp Window
Trango Antidote Tarp Window

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