top of page
1.png

Reach 12

OUTMōRE | June 2024

Overview

The Reach 12 is collapsible stick clip that extends out to 12.4 feet and packs down to 30.5 inches, making it incredibly portable without compromising functionality. The metal reinforced, patent pending, nylon head unit is compatible with wire gate, straight gate, and other D- shaped carabiner quickdraws. The pole is made from durable yet lightweight aluminum with 3mm cord for an attachment point, and a walking stick foot that lets you use the stick clip as a trekking pole to and from the crag.

The Origin Story

A stick clip is a tool used by climbers to affix their first piece of protection on a sport climb (a style of climbing where there are predrilled bolts in the rock) before they ever leave the ground. This reduces the risk of a ground fall if the climber were to fall before reaching this point in the climb. They are a very common piece of equipment particularly in climbing areas like Red River Gorge, where the first bolts may be fairly high off the ground.

However, existing stick clips usually involve a massive painters pole that's cumbersome to travel with and a head unit that can be difficult to use. These poles are generally good a getting a quickdraw (two carabiners attached together by a piece of webbing) up to the first bolt on a climb but lack in the other functions of a stick clip like removing that quick draw or fixing the rope to a quickdraw that's already been hung. I began work on developing a new stick clip design to address these shortcomings.

IMG_1464.jpeg

The head unit was a challenging engineering problem to solve. I went through hundreds of different iterations, ranging from flexible rubberized wire arms to hold the carabiner and rope to horizontal layouts that would make clipping the bolt easier. However, I landed on a 3-prong design that maximized functionality in the three main tasks a stick clip is expected to perform.

While the size of the standard painters pole makes it difficult to travel with, it can also prove useful as a hiking stick when navigating loose or steep terrain to and from the base of a climb. So for my design I wanted to lean into that and incorporated a walking stick foot into the bottom of the pole. For one prototype, I even incorporated a cork handle for increasing the comfort for this use case. After testing I found that the combination of a compact and simple pole, with the addition of walking stick foot was the right mixture of portability and usefulness as a walking stick.

Copy for instructions v3.png

Scaling & Manufacturing

After reaching a design that met the initial project goals, I began looking for funding options to help purchase initial inventory and manufacture the head unit. I applied for and won a "Launch Grant" from Mainstreet Ventures to purchase an initial batch of collapsible poles and acquire the equipment to injection mold the head unit in-house.

IMG_2031.jpeg

With a resin 3D printer, high temperature resistant resin, and a desktop injection molder I began developing molds that would allow me to construct the head unit myself. However, due to limitations in the shot volume of my machine and the geometry of my design the mold required wound up being quite complex. After testing, the high temperate resin also proved to be less durable than I was hoping, breaking or chipping after a few cycles.

Due to the challenges with in-house injection molding, I pivoted to outsourcing the head unit manufacturing to commercial 3D printing operations using the HP MJF. This move sped up production volume and increased quality, with the added benefit of not having to pay for outsourced injection molding tooling. I launched the Reach 12 stick clip on Amazon, and although sales began coming in I received some early feedback from customers that the head units of their stick clip was arriving broken.

3.png

I quickly recalled all the units I had shipped out and investigated the problem. It turns out that the combination of the material I was using for the head unit (PA11) with the exposed nature of the top prong of my design was leading to the unit breaking in transit. I taught myself the basics of finite element analysis so I could optimize the strength of the previously weak points in my design and tested new materials that would flex rather than break with impacts. With the improved head design and a new TPU material I relaunched the Reach 12 and have had no problems with durability since.

The Outcome

I continue to sell the Reach 12 stick clip under my outdoor gear brand, OUTMōRE. Throughout the process of developing this product, I deepened my knowledge of 3D printing and injection molding, and acquired new skills like FEA. It also taught me the importance of soliciting feedback from users throughout the prototyping process, and the importance of quality control testing.

Skills & Tools

  • Fusion 360

  • Outsourced Manufacturing

  • Finite element analysis

  • Resin & Commerical 3D printing

  • E-Commerce

  • Desktop Injection Molding

  • Packaging Design

bottom of page