Prototype	Version A	Version B	Key Chain

Overview

[ Top | Version A | Version B | Key Chain | Return to Belay Tubes ]

Prototype
(#715)

Front	Rear	Top
Left	Right	Bottom

Technical Details

I acquired my Smiley’s Atoga Prototype from Smiley’s in 1999.

The Smiley’s Atoga Prototype is forged from aluminum alloy. Mine is 55 mm. long, 47 mm. wide, 83 mm. high, and weighs 50 g. The slots are 31 mm. long and 15 mm. wide. The top of the Omega oval carabiner that I use for comparing belay tubes sits 15 mm. below the ends of the slots. The keeper is a 4.9 mm. aluminum rod.

There are no markings on the Atoga prototype.

Comments

Smiley’s donated this Atoga prototype to my collection. The prototype was unfinished, and the dimensions were slightly different than the production model. There were three holes drilled in each side of the prototype. These lightened the Atoga slightly, but really were more decorative than functional, and were dropped from the production model.

[ Top | Prototype | Version B | Key chain | Return to Belay Tubes ]

Version A
(#716)

Front	Rear	Top
Left	Right	Bottom

Technical Details

I acquired my Smiley’s Atoga from Smiley’s in 1999.

The Smiley’s Atoga is forged from aluminum alloy. Mine is 56 mm. long, 47 mm. wide, 84 mm. high, and weighs 50 g. The slots are 33 mm. long and 16 mm. wide. The top of the Omega oval carabiner that I use for comparing belay tubes sits 15 mm. below the ends of the slots. The keeper is a 4.9 mm. aluminum rod.

One side of my Smiley’s Atoga is marked "Smiley’s."

Comments

The production Atoga, Version A is similar to many other belay tubes. I like the solid aluminum keeper because it doesn't tend to get fouled in the rope like cable and accessory cord keepers do. Many people prefer solid rod keepers, but these seem to be disappearing from the market. Perhaps some lawyers were worried that their fellow idiots would hang from the keeper and thin the gene pool.

The Atoga is lighter than some other tubes, but this also means it heats faster and it has less metal to wear.

If you ordered your Atoga from the factory, they would etch your name (e.g.) on it for you. Unfortunately, Smiley’s disappeared before I decided to take advantage of that offer.

[ Top | Prototype | Version A | Key chain | Return to Belay Tubes ]

Version B
(#1608)

Front	Rear	Top
Left	Right	Bottom

Technical Details

I acquired my Smiley’s Atoga, Version B used on eBay in 2008.

Version B is essentially the same as Version A, except for the markings. One side is marked with a picture of a climber pulling a roof, and "Smiley’s climbing equipment." It also has a sticker saying "COSMETIC BLEM."

Comments

I wish that "COSMETIC BLEM" was not a sticker.

[ Top | Prototype | Version A | Version B | Return to Belay Tubes ]

Key Chain Atoga
(#1626)

Front	Rear	Top
Left	Right	Bottom

Technical Details

I acquired my Smiley’s Key Chain Atoga from Marty Karabin in 2009.

The Smiley’s Key Chain Atoga is 24 mm. tall, 20 mm. wide, 28 mm. thick, and weighs 4 g.

Comments

Marty is one of the world’s premier collectors of climbing anchors such as pitons, bolts, and nuts. There were less than ten key chain Atogas made, and I greatly appreciate him parting with one. Naturally, it is to valuable to test - and none of my friends are macho enough to take a screamer on 2 mm. accessory cord.

Marty also sent me the history behind why the Atoga disappeared, which involved some reprehensible behavior by another company, that I will not discuss here.

[ Top | Prototype | Version A | Version B | Key chain ]