Imlay Critr3 Rappel Device
Imlay Critr3 Rappel Device
CRITR3 !!!
New shipment coming in, about Feb 1, 2025 with all colors.
An innovative rappel device from Todd and Desi at Climbing Sutra, now an Imlay Canyon Gear product. Lots of options allow careful adjustment of friction while on rappel. Symmetry allows flipping that extends the life of the device. Part of the new wave of rappel devices that allow changes in friction while rapping. Lots of options has made this a popular rappel device especially for full-size (>170 lbs) canyoneers.
I have moved production to a quality shop in Taiwan, and made a few minor tweaks to the design to help it rappel smoothly right out of the box…
Weight: 4.33 ounces (123 grams) Milled and finished in Taiwan from Australian aluminium 7075-T6.
I have added order options for our friends in Canada. The CA version included First Class International postage, and hopefully runs through the system adding the $8.50 shipping charge to get it up to actual. Note: this only works if you do not order anything else on the same order… and if you do, then the shipping charge is messed up and… okay, shipping to Canada is always messed up. Email me.
EUROPE: Critrs are available at CanyonZone.com in The Netherlands.
AUSTRALIA: Critrs are available from Adventure Base in Katoomba.
NEW ZEALAND: available from Aspiring Safety
CARABINER CHOICE: Some older Black Diamond carabiners have a bit of a lump above the top of the gate. Newer ones do not. There are very few climbing carabiners now that do not work with device holes... on the website I recommend the two carabiners I sell that fit that - BD Rocklock and the Cypher Iris.
I have also noticed that some people do not try very hard, or expect it to be entirely easy. It can help to lube the carabiner with a bit of spit, a bit of soap or a bit of oil (I use olive oil) to get it there.
It is important to use a round(ish) stock carabiner, 12mm, for rappel devices, as the rope in some configurations runs across the carabiner and can abrade it. Worst case scenario, damp rope + sand long rappel can cut 1/3 of the way through a carabiner in one rap, so it is a good idea to have plenty of material there.
Jeremy @Desert Rat said:
"CRITR: A good choice. I own far too many different types of rappelling devices, but these days I really only use a CRITR, and have encouraged many folks to switch to it. I own an ATC, but I usually only carry it as a lightweight backup device for the group. I descended Englestead the day after the fatality that started this thread, and being the first down had no belay. Just before the freehanging section I added some friction and the whole operation went smoothly with no concerns whatsoever. Yes, I can add friction with an ATC, but the ease at which one can do that with a CRITR or Sqwurel can't be beat. Complexity is not desirable when rappelling, especially when the people doing the rappelling may not be hardcore canyoneers with thousands of rappels completed. On my first trip through Englestead several years back I had a friend, a bigger guy loaded with gear, lose control of the initial rappel and it was only my belay that slowed him down. He was a big climber-type using an ATC, who simply was confident and hadn't given much thought to needing extra friction, and by the time he realized that he definitely really needed it, he didn't have enough control to stop and rig a Z-rig or anything of the sort. I have seen a couple of situations made worse by an ATC, and have never seen anything that would have been solved by it. Love the CRITR, great device."
