Blank Slate Slim Climbing Trainer

I'd give this 3.5 stars but that's not an option. Here's the short of it:The Good....+Functional and not a bad price for what I got+Strong enough to support a 220 lb guy plus the weight of a hang board+Not terribly difficult to assembleThe Bad....+No directions at all. I had to go onto the website which was fine but slightly annoying.+Bolts even when fully torqued tend to move and slightly bent frame. It is still highly functional but took a few tries to get them to stay.+Flexes a fair amount which can make people a little nervous.+Had to screw the hangboard into the wood. I wish they had one that was not drilled and didn't have t-nuts, just a board for mounting. I would have bought that.Overall I'd get it again and it is nice knowing that I can unscrew my fingerboard and still have the function to add holds as I see fit and get stronger.

I've been a renter for all of my adult life. A renter that is terrified of losing his deposit. I go out of my way to avoid mounting things to my walls just so I don't find out that I have an irrational landlord who's just looking for a reason to take my deposit.Although I've wanted a hangboard for some time, I could never justify the possibility of losing my deposit. Also, I'm living in an ooooold building that is most definitely not up to code. I searched for hours on end for the studs over my door only to realize that there is only one, off-center and doused in plaster. Even now I'm not sure if its a stud or if its just a thick spot in the plaster.This has been a great option. I slapped on a Beastmaker wood grip and was off to the races. There is a bit of flex, and you really shouldn't be doing any huge dynos, but for getting your crimp on, it's very nice to have. Pull ups and lock outs have been no problem. I've put some random chairs down so I can make some controlled steps and that's been really nice too.I will say that it is quite large, making it difficult to store. I use mine in my bedroom door, so I have to pull it down so I can close my door when I hit the hay. Not too big of a deal though.If you're here, looking at this product, it's probably because you are in a situation very similar to me. I definitely recommend this product if your looking for a removable hangboard option.

The board and bar are solid and fit really well in my doorway, although the opposite way I was expecting.What really made this product amazing was the customer service from Blank Slate Climbing. I tried taking the package with me on a plane and TSA confiscated the bolt pack by directly cutting through the box. I was moving abroad and didn't have a very good idea as to what hardware I would need to replace. I reached out to Blank Slate and within a few weeks they mailed me a replacement bolt package and a beer cozy too!Definitely recommend the product for climbers on the go, but what made it for me was that the customer service was above and beyond.

This is a great, lightweight and adjustable tool for climbing training. I bought a Metalious finger board as well (had to drill new holes, unfortunately).Once assembled and weighted, things shifted. Honestly, though, it was no big deal. A few extra washers and some scrap metal or wood to block the board from sliding and it was good to go. Also, add some padding (duct tape works just fine) around the wood parts that touch the walls. If you've a tool box and are generally handy then this should be no problem for you.Measure your door width and frame-to-ceiling height before you buy, though.

See updated update below.I don't like to leave a less than stellar review, because this seems like a nice company, and the construction and design of this are very good. However, it isn't really suiting my purposes because the doorways I would like to use it on are close to a corner, and the cross bar on the unit is too wide, and hits the adjacent wall of the corner, so that it won't fit in place. Only works on doors with about 5 1/2 to 6 inches lateral clearance beyond the door opening. I have only one door like that in my apartment, and it isn't the one where I want to use this. I'll go buy a length of oak 2 x 2, drill some holes, and use it instead of the metal tube cross piece.Note: I have one of those common, inexpensive pull up bars of similar doorway hang design to this. The cross bar for that isn't as wide, and works in every door of the house. Blank Slate-- change the length of your cross bar!Update. Rather surprised to have experienced continued frustration. Got a 2 x 2 wooden cross piece narrow enough to fit in the doorway (clears the adjacent corner wall), replaced the manufacturer's metal crosspiece with it, and discovered that the torque on this thing (when used with a Metolius hang board) is high enough that no matter how hard I tighten the bolts on the crosspiece, they slip under pressure. Multiple hours into this thing, and I still don't have it working. I suppose plan C is to get a hack saw and shorten the metal crosspiece, but this will be a serious pain.Update to update: The BlankSlate company, upon seeing this review, contacted me and arranged at their expense to send a 36 inch cross bar. They are seriously cool, I would urge anyone to do business with them. I understand they will consider changing to a 36 inch cross bar as standard for their product. You maybe should check with them if you are hoping to use this in a corner doorway.Update to update: While I still commend the company for their customer service, after an extended time I'm unhappy with the thing. As was stated by other reviewers, it just isn't stable, and the torque on the thing is very high when you hang from it, causing the bolts to slip no matter how hard you tighten them. Also the cross bar destroys the door frame, again due to the high forces. Nice try, but this thing really isn't suitably functional. I took it down and mounted my hang board directly on the wall.

This thing is perfect equipment. The only problem with it is that you overtrain...it's there all the time, tucked seductively just above the bathroom and I can't pass it up!

The holes are kind of in the way of the training board. It also ships with only 6 screws, leaving only two for the board.