Testing the Alfifi & Skots Wall Gear
NOTE: We were not paid or sponsored. The gear was provided by Skot's Wall Gear. We like to support small companies with free exposure. Donations allow us to do these types of videos.
Skots Wall Gear is a small company that makes niche gear for the Big Wall community. Skot created the Alfifi, a tool that has revolutionized hard aid. Skot makes a plethora of high quality gear. He can retrofit portaledges, add sewn slings to hooks, or make high quality custom gear. Check out the Skot's Wall Gear website for all his options.
We tested Skot's alfifi, rivet hangers, adjustable daisies, and sleeping swami belt.
Results
The Alfifi is essentially a fifi hook welded to a yates style adjustable daisy. The A3 can be shortened or lengthened to just the right setting and it releases easily under tension. The alfifi is super strong enough. Two of these tests were conducted after hammering and bending the Alfifi back into shape after breaking it in the previous test. The webbing consistently breaks at the buckle around 10kn, more force than you will ever want on your back. The webbing itself broke right around MBS at 14kn. The weld quality is excellent and the welds appear to be the strongest part of the entire unit. No surprises here, just high quality equipment.
There is a new version of the Alfifi, the A4, made out of a single piece of stainless steel. The hook bent at 5.2Kn on the SlackSnap right around the results for the A3. We expect the A4 to perform similarly to the A3 in all uses. The A4 is lighter, shorter, and sleeker. If you want the best, this is the one to get. The A4 is batch produced in small quantities and availability is very limited. If you find them in stock you better hurry before they are gone.
Skot can make a left handed version of the Alfifi for all the southpaws out there. Inquire on his site.
Skots Adjustable Daisies function very similarly to Metolius Easy Daisies. Like the Metolius they do not release easily under tension. Skot's version broke around 10kn just like Metolius' Easy Daisy (see this episode) on the SlackSnap or the Drop Tower. Yates adjustable daisies release easily under tension which is what you need if you're style is to 2:1 your body up the cliff but they are heavier and bulkier. If you are using the Alfifi to position yourself and not changing the length of your PAS at every piece, Skot's adjustable anchor is perfect, otherwise the Yates adjustable daisy is what you need.
Rivet hanger are used to place on bolt studs where no hanger is present. We learned a valuable lesson in this test. Clipping both eyes of a butterfly rivet hanger essentially doubles their strength. All of the rivet hangers failed at the cable. 1/16" rivets, whether cinch or butterfly, break just over 3kn*. 3/32" rivet hangers broke between 6 and 8 kN*. 1/8" break around 10kn and 5/32" Swage Cables, usually used for funkness devices, break around 13kn and funking only generates 8kn.
*If we deduct the tests where only one eye of a butterfly rivet hanger is clipped.
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