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Double Rope Prototype, Version A
Double Rope Prototype, Version B
Double Rope Prototype, Version C
Double Rope Prototype, Version D
Double Rope Prototype, Version E
Pro Guide Prototype
Pro Guide Lite Prototype
Single Rope Prototype
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| Double Rope Prototype, Version A |
Double Rope Prototype, Version B |
Double Rope Prototype, Version C |
Double Rope Prototype, Version D |
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| Double Rope Prototype, Version E |
Pro Guide Prototype |
Pro Guide Lite Prototype |
Single Rope Prototype |
Miles Bradshaw provided the following information about the devices on this page:
I have acquired some Wild Country belay devices, which I believe are product development prototypes. They are incomplete, and there some subtle differences between some of them.
I don't know the original source for these, but I believe they must have at some point been utilised by Wild Country in bringing new products to market. This is a reasonable assumption to make.
[ Top
| 2-Rope Proto., v. B
| 2-Rope Proto., v. C
| 2-Rope Proto., v. D
| 2-Rope Proto., v. E
]
[ Pro Guide Proto.
| Pro Guide Lite Proto.
| 1-Rope Proto.
| Return to Belay Tubes
]
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| Front | Rear |
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| Top | Bottom |
I acquired this Wild Country Double Rope Prototype, Version A from Miles Bradshaw in 2023.
The Wild Country Double Rope Prototype, Version A is forged and milled from aluminum alloy. It is 100 mm. long, 44 mm. wide, 31 mm. high, and weighs 104 g.
A notable feature is the transverse slot running perpendicular to the rope slots and angled away from the eye. The inner diameter of the eye is 19 8 mm.
The rope slots are 14 mm. wide. The front slot is 34 mm. long. The distal end (opposite the eye) is relieved on both the top and the bottom, leaving a 12-mm. rounded surface for the rope to run over. The rear slot is 30 mm. long. Its distal end is vertical, with the side of the slot to the rear being relieved by 8 m. The proximal ends of the slots have a rounded surface near the base, with the top 16 mm. relieved by13 mm. The underside of the slots are rounded, with the long slot surface relieved further by hand filing.
The top of the Omega oval carabiner that I use for comparing belay tubes sits 30 mm. below the upper ends of the short slot, 28 mm. below the top of the long slot, and 7 mm. below the base of the transverse slot.
There are no markings on this device.
This is a curious prototype and I'm not sure what the designer was thinking. These are some of the more puzzling aspects:
Perhaps the most likely idea is that this device went through several iterations as they tried various new ideas.
I tried using a carabiner in the transverse slot as a brake bar. Standard carabiners cannot be clipped across the device, but they can be maneuvered into position, When the carabiner is in place, the gap for the rope on the proximal ends of the slots is only about 5 or 6 mm. The wedging action provides considerably more friction than when the device is used as a standard belay tube.
[ Top
| 2-Rope Proto., v. A
| 2-Rope Proto., v. C
| 2-Rope Proto., v. D
| 2-Rope Proto., v. E
]
[ Pro Guide Proto.
| Pro Guide Lite Proto.
| 1-Rope Proto.
| Return to Belay Tubes
]
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| Front | Rear |
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| Top | Bottom |
I acquired this Wild Country Double Rope Prototype, Version B from Miles Bradshaw in 2023.
The Wild Country Double Rope Prototype, Version B is a notched belay tube. It is forged from aluminum alloy. Mine is 106 mm. long, 40 mm. wide, 31 mm. high, and weighs 80 g. The slots are 35 mm. long and 14 mm. wide. The top of the Omega oval carabiner that I use for comparing belay tubes sits 24 mm. below the ends of the slots. The elliptical hole is 30 mm. wide and 20 mm. high.
The front and rear sides are stamped with the Wild Country logo.
The body is based on the Wild Country Pro Guide Lite, but replaces the latter's carabiner hole with an elliptical hole and extension most likely based on the one on the AlpTech Mascott. Refer to the Mascott. page for details and warnings.
The elliptical hole on this prototype is 30 by 20 mm. compared to 25.6 by 14.5 mm. for the Mascott. This allows using ropes larger than the 7.5 to 8.6 mm half ropes and 9 to 10 mm. single ropes that AlpTech recommends for the Mascott.
I found that a standard oval carabiner does not rest evenly on the top of this prototype, but invariably slides sideways. This made controlling my speed with the carabiner difficult. Versions D and E addressed this annoying tendency.
[ Top
| 2-Rope Proto., v. A
| 2-Rope Proto., v. B
| 2-Rope Proto., v. D
| 2-Rope Proto., v. E
]
[ Pro Guide Proto.
| Pro Guide Lite Proto.
| 1-Rope Proto.
| Return to Belay Tubes
]
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| Front | Rear |
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| Top | Bottom |
I acquired this Wild Country Double Rope Prototype, Version C from Miles Bradshaw in 2023.
The Wild Country Double Rope Prototype, Version C is a notched belay tube. It is forged from aluminum alloy. Mine is 106 mm. long, 40 mm. wide, 32 mm. high, and weighs 82 g. The slots are 35 mm. long and 14 mm. wide. The top of the Omega oval carabiner that I use for comparing belay tubes sits 24 mm. below the ends of the slots. The elliptical hole is 30 mm. wide and 20 mm. high.
Version C is identical to Version B except the ears on the bottom have been widened with body filler.
The front and rear sides are stamped with the Wild Country logo.
The reason for adding the body filler is not immediately obvious; indeed, the purpose of the ears is not readily apparent either. I think that the ears were there to guide the rope, with a secondary function to allow one to use an oval carabiner in an alternative position on the bottom side of the device. In this position, reducing friction might be accomplished by pushing the carabiner away from the eye and upward. In Version B, the ears fail to guide the carabiner well and the pivoting action is not smooth. Version C provides a smoother surface for the carabiner to rotate against, albeit without providing any guidance like the ears on Version B attempted.
[ Top
| 2-Rope Proto., v. A
| 2-Rope Proto., v. B
| 2-Rope Proto., v. C
| 2-Rope Proto., v. E
]
[ Pro Guide Proto.
| Pro Guide Lite Proto.
| 1-Rope Proto.
| Return to Belay Tubes
]
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| Front | Rear |
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| Top | Bottom |
I acquired this Wild Country Double Rope Prototype, Version D from Miles Bradshaw in 2023.
The Wild Country Double Rope Prototype, Version D is a notched belay tube. It is forged from aluminum alloy. Mine is 107 mm. long, 55 mm. wide, 33 mm. high, and weighs 85 g. The slots are 35 mm. long and 14 mm. wide. The top of the Omega oval carabiner that I use for comparing belay tubes sits 24 mm. below the ends of the slots. The elliptical hole is 30 mm. wide and 20 mm. high.
The front and rear sides are stamped with the Wild Country logo.
The body is based on the Wild Country Pro Guide Lite, but replaces the latter's carabiner hole with an elliptical hole and extension most likely based on the one on the AlpTech Mascott. Refer to the Mascott. page for details and warnings.
The elliptical hole on this prototype is 30 by 20 mm. compared to 25.6 by 14.5 mm. for the Mascott. This allows using ropes larger than the 7.5 to 8.6 mm half ropes and 9 to 10 mm. single ropes that AlpTech recommends for the Mascott.
Version D has a larger rim around the elliptical hole and a redesigned area underneath the end opposite the eye. In both cases, the Version D design provides much better carabiner guidance than the Version B or C designs.
[ Top
| 2-Rope Proto., v. A
| 2-Rope Proto., v. B
| 2-Rope Proto., v. C
| 2-Rope Proto., v. D
]
[ Pro Guide Proto.
| Pro Guide Lite Proto.
| 1-Rope Proto.
| Return to Belay Tubes
]
|
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| Front | Rear |
 |
 |
| Top | Bottom |
I acquired this Wild Country Double Rope Prototype, Version E from Miles Bradshaw in 2023.
The Wild Country Double Rope Prototype, Version E is a notched belay tube. It is forged from aluminum alloy. Mine is 107 mm. long, 55 mm. wide, 33 mm. high, and weighs 85 g. The slots are 35 mm. long and 14 mm. wide. The top of the Omega oval carabiner that I use for comparing belay tubes sits 24 mm. below the ends of the slots. The elliptical hole is 30 mm. wide and 20 mm. high.
The front and rear sides are stamped with the Wild Country logo.
Version E is identical to Version D except Version E has an additional rope channel filed on the underside between the elliptical hole and the belay slots. This channel helps guide the rope when the device is used in its descender mode.
[ Top
| 2-Rope Proto., v. A
| 2-Rope Proto., v. B
| 2-Rope Proto., v. C
| 2-Rope Proto., v. D
| 2-Rope Proto., v. E
]
| Pro Guide Lite Proto.
| 1-Rope Proto.
| Return to Belay Tubes
]
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| Front | Rear |
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| Top | Bottom |
I acquired this Wild Country Pro Guide Prototype from Miles Bradshaw in 2023.
The Wild Country Pro Guide Prototype is a notched belay tube. It is forged from aluminum alloy and hard anodized. Mine is 100 mm. long, 40 mm. wide, 31 mm. high, and weighs 82 g. The slots are 35 mm. long and 14 mm. wide. The top of the Omega oval carabiner that I use for comparing belay tubes sits 23 mm. below the ends of the slots.
There are no markings on this prototype.
Here are the main differences between this prototype and the production Pro Guide in my collection:
[ Top
| 2-Rope Proto., v. A
| 2-Rope Proto., v. B
| 2-Rope Proto., v. C
| 2-Rope Proto., v. D
| 2-Rope Proto., v. E
]
[ Pro Guide Proto.
| 1-Rope Proto.
| Return to Belay Tubes
]
|
|
 |
| Front | Rear |
 |
 |
| Top | Bottom |
I acquired this Wild Country Pro Guide Lite Prototype from Miles Bradshaw in 2023.
The Wild Country Pro Guide Lite Prototype is a notched belay tube. It is forged from aluminum alloy and hard anodized. Mine is 100 mm. long, 39 mm. wide, 31 mm. high, and weighs 70 g. The slots are 35 mm. long and 14 mm. wide. The top of the Omega oval carabiner that I use for comparing belay tubes sits 23 mm. below the ends of the slots.
There are no markings on this prototype.
Here are the main differences between this prototype and the production Pro Guide Lite in my collection:
[ Top
| 2-Rope Proto., v. A
| 2-Rope Proto., v. B
| 2-Rope Proto., v. C
| 2-Rope Proto., v. D
| 2-Rope Proto., v. E
]
[ Pro Guide Proto.
| Pro Guide Lite Proto.
| Return to Belay Tubes
]
|
|
 |
 |
| Front | Rear | Top |
 |
 |
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| Left | Right | Bottom |
I acquired this Wild Country Single Rope Prototype from Miles Bradshaw in 2023.
The Wild Country Single Rope Prototype is a notched belay tube. It is forged from aluminum alloy and then soft anodized. Mine is 57 mm. long, 26 mm. wide, 118 mm. high, and weighs 55 g. The slot is 32 mm. long and 15 mm. wide. The top of the Omega oval carabiner that I use for comparing belay tubes sits 24 mm. below the ends of the slot.
This prototype has one slot with a ribbed V-groove at one end. It also has a stiff, plastic-covered cable keeper.
There are no markings on this device.
The Wild Country Single Rope Prototype is a single-rope notched belay tube. I have these similar ones in my collection:
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Each of these is 58±1 mm. long, 25±1 mm. wide, and weigh 56±3 g.
The Rock Empire Gym's name implies that it is designed for gym climbing, and if you restrict the use of these three to use in gyms, they should work fine in the hands of a competent user. In the gym, most of my remaining comments become moot. If you should consider taking any of these into the "real world," read on:
These are all designed for single-rope belaying only. Although this saves a tiny amount of weight, it does not compensate for losing the ability to do double-rope rappels. Weight is not normally a factor when belaying "sport climbs," and the Wild Country VC Pro (for example) has two slots while only adding 6 g.
These each have a V-slots that provide additional friction for belaying or rappelling. Each side of the trailing groove has three V-shaped slots, giving the grooves "teeth" to grip the rope more effectively. The teeth do not have the narrow angle found on the Salewa Tubus, Singing Rock, or Trango Jaws, so they do not create the same wedging action. For this reason, their friction is lower and I find them less effective.
These are rigged rigged like the ATC, with the V-slots on the brake hand end of the rope. Alternately, they may be reversed to disable the V-slots, but the braking friction in a fall will be less.
All of these have thick walls and considerable depth, which helps them stay cooler than they would if they had been designed for minimum weight.
Although there is nothing "wrong" with any of these, they are too specialized for my taste. They are fine for the gym, but in the field I would rather carry a few more grams and have the capability to do double-rope rappels. I also prefer the additional grip provided by the Trango Jaws and its equivalents.
[ Top
| 2-Rope Proto., v. A
| 2-Rope Proto., v. B
| 2-Rope Proto., v. C
| 2-Rope Proto., v. D
| 2-Rope Proto., v. E
]
[ Pro Guide Proto.
| Pro Guide Lite Proto.
| 1-Rope Proto.
]
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