BASIC Compact Ascender

The lower attachment hole is plenty wide for a beefy locking biner, which made clipping the footlooop feel secure instead of finicky. It’s also surprisingly comfortable in the palm for such a small unit, and the whole thing just feels solid on the rope.

Used it on a long multipitch this weekend and the grip feels just right in my palm, even with gloves on. The lower hole swallowed my locking carabiner without any awkward angling, which made clipping the footloop a breeze. Solid little tool for the price.

The lower attachment hole is a game changer—I can clip both my footloop and lanyard without fighting for space. It's small enough to palm during long pitches, and the grip feels solid even with sweaty hands.