The world's most in-depth and scientific reviews of outdoor gear

Trango Antidote Review

The Trango Antidote is a basic run of the mill rope bag that is a little cheaper than other options you'll find in our reviews.
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Price:  $34 List | $25.46 at Backcountry
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
By Graham Williams ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  Feb 23, 2018
  • Share this article:
71
OVERALL
SCORE

RANKED
#8 of 8
  • Rope Cleanliness - 25% 8
  • Ease of Packing the Rope - 20% 6
  • Ease of Unpacking the Rope - 15% 7
  • Packability - 15% 6
  • Ease of Transportation - 10% 7
  • Features - 15% 8

Our Verdict

The Trango Antidote is your basic rope bag, very much in line with the Metolius ropemaster HC or the Black Diamond Super Chute. However, it does run a couple of dollars cheaper than those for almost the same product. This might make it a little better option for those trying to cut costs. 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.


Compare to Similar Products

(change comparison)
 
This Product
Trango Antidote
Awards     Top Pick Award 
Price $25.46 at Backcountry
Compare at 2 sellers		$29.96 at Amazon
Compare at 2 sellers		Check Price at Amazon
Compare at 2 sellers		$49.95 at Backcountry
Compare at 2 sellers		$29.95 at REI
Compare at 2 sellers
Overall Score Sort Icon
100
0
71
100
0
90
100
0
88
100
0
88
100
0
85
Star Rating
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Pros Large tarp, plenty of space within the bag to pack extras, tarp windowEasy to roll up rope, big tarp, compressibleEasy and quick to pack away rope, functions as a crag pack, tarp lays flat and is spaciousFits a ton of stuff, easy to roll up rope, big tarpRidiculously easy to pack your rope, large volume, super light, easily packed into larger packs
Cons Outer nylon not as heavy duty as other bagsNo smaller pockets, not as nice to carry for long distancesRope isn't as easy to take out as other models, rope doesn't always pay out as nicely once it's taken back outNo small pocketsFabric is not as durable, no extra features
Bottom Line The Trango Antidote is a basic run of the mill rope bag that is a little cheaper than other options you'll find in our reviews.The Ropemaster HC is a new and improved version of an older version of a rope bag, with a much larger tarp.The Bolsa is a funnel style bag that we found great as either a half-day cragging pack, or as a follower bag on big multi-pitch routes where you need to bring extra cord for rappels.The Super Chute features a large usable tarp that is easy to roll and pack into the bag.The Full Rope Burrito is a fantastic lightweight option for those that like to pack their rope in their cragging pack.
Rating Categories Trango Antidote Metolius Ropemaster HC Petzl Bolsa Black Diamond Super Chute Full Rope Burrito
Rope Cleanliness (25%)
10
0
8
10
0
9
10
0
10
10
0
8
10
0
8
Ease Of Packing The Rope (20%)
10
0
6
10
0
9
10
0
10
10
0
9
10
0
10
Ease Of Unpacking The Rope (15%)
10
0
7
10
0
9
10
0
7
10
0
10
10
0
10
Packability (15%)
10
0
6
10
0
10
10
0
7
10
0
10
10
0
10
Ease Of Transportation (10%)
10
0
7
10
0
9
10
0
10
10
0
9
10
0
6
Features (15%)
10
0
8
10
0
8
10
0
8
10
0
7
10
0
6
Specs Trango Antidote Metolius... Petzl Bolsa Black Diamond... Full Rope Burrito
Bag Design Burrito Burrito Funnel Burrito Burrito
Tarp size (inches) 48x60" 52x58" 55x55" 48x57" 40x40"
Pocket 1 0 0 0 0
# of shoulder straps 2 1 2 1 0
Compression Straps Yes Yes No Yes No
Metal or plastic buckles Metal Metal None Metal None

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Trango Antidote is a standard rope bag for anyone looking for a dependable, easy to use bag. We found it to be very similar to the Metolius line up like the Dirt Bag II and the Ropemaster HC. It features a large tarp, a tarp window, and a small outer zippered pocket for small easily lost items. 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.

Performance Comparison


Trango Antidote fully packed
Trango Antidote fully packed

Rope Cleanliness


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 Packing the Rope


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. We thought that the Antidote was very much in line with the Metolius Ropemaster HC.

Ease of Packing the Bag


The Trango Antidote is slightly easier to pack into a larger pack comparative to the Petzl Kab as the nylon it's constructed out of isn't nearly as stiff, but not as easy as the Black Diamond Full Rope Burrito. Although it might require a bit more shoving, it packs relatively easily.

Ease of Transport


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, allowing it to be worn as a backpack, the Trango Antidote is great for both long (25-30 minutes) and short (<5 minutes) distance approaches. We do think that the Metolius Speedster is more comfortable as it is made to be an actual backpack. However, any kind of approach over 30 minutes, we'd suggest packing the Antidote into a larger pack.

Extra Features and Usability


The Trango Antidote features an outer zippered pocket for your small items, metal buckles on the 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 the award-winning Petzl Kab but our testers found that the Antidote held up just fine to regular wear and tear.

Trango Antidote Tarp Window
Trango Antidote Tarp Window

Best Application


The Antidote is a basic rope bag for those looking for an affordable, yet solid option.

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 slightly lower price than the Metolius Ropemaster HC and Black Diamond Super Chute 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 needing 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 a two padded shoulder straps for carrying over longer distances. A rope window and zippered outer pocket make for great, usable extras.


— Graham Williams