We have started out in our climbing career and find it difficult to choose from all the different brands,makes models (designs).

My question to you is we have purchased the Fader Fly quick draws, are these any good?

Many thanks

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Don't wish upon a star, reach out and grab it !

Anything with CE certification will be great. I have faders and they are fine.

There is some difference though with comfort and useability with gear. Some stuff is just smoother, or more comfortable but not any safer. I have some great trad gear and some that is as strong, but simply not as smooth or easy to use...so there is that issue.

But safety wise everything I have seen locally supplied is CE certified and will be fine.

Enjoy the climbing!
Brent

Don't buy second hand gear, unless you know its full history. Even then rather buy new.
Spend as much as you can afford, better gear lasts longer and works better. When I'm hanging 100m off the deck and I look at my screwgate the last thing I think is \"thank god I bought the cheap one!\" Not that the cheap one would fail, just peace of mind I guess.

It all depends on how much you have to spend, better quality will definitely last a bit longer and work better. Top names would include Black Diamond, Petzl, DMM, Wild Country, Mammut to name a few.

However if youre on a budget then buying cheaper makes a huge amount of sense. Rather save the money and spend it on road trips instead. Having fancy gear wont make you a better climber, climbing at lots of different locations will. Names such as Faders, Rocca, Trango etc can save you a bundle if you are kitting out for the first time. Things not to skimp on would be the harness and your belay device and locking biner. Get the most comfortable harness for your body shape and size. Try them all on and hang in them. A good belay device will work smoothly and a strong biner will give you peace of mind.

Gri gri, you mention belay devices, I have a \"reverso\" and a \"cardiac arrest\", the reverso is supposedly better because it doesnt twist the rope, but it doesnt feed the rope out very smoothly, which can be an irritation for whoever is climbing lead and trying to clip in. When I belay I obviously try to feed it out by hand but its not the smoothest of operations. Any suggestions

I havent used the reverso much but its cool coz it can lock off, also its great for multipitch where it can be set up to belay directly off the belay anchors when bringing up the second. The locking action helps here too if you are multi-tasking, such as hauling a bag whilst belaying. A buddy of mine swears by them although they do take quite a bit of getting used too.

Im not familiar with the cardiac arrest. I use an ATC (I like simplicity), which like the Bug and similar devices offers ease of use and smooth operation, and is probably the best set up for everyday sinlgle pitch use.