The parent company of search-and-rescue outfitter Rock-N-Rescue has bought Omega Pacific, ushering back in the workhorse climbing gear.
Climbers far and wide know Omega Pacific gear for two reasons: its utilitarian carabiners and its one-of-a-kind link cam. Now, both offerings might reappear on the market.
Rock-N-Rescue’s parent company, The Weinel Group, announced it acquired Omega Pacific in June. Per the transaction terms, The Weinel Group will handle all manufacturing of products marketed under the Omega Pacific name, which will remain unchanged.
Omega Pacific manufactured climbing gear for 38 years until it shuttered in 2020. The offerings it may now bring back include quickdraws, pulleys, rappel rings, and screw gate carabiners.
The Weinel Group said the new acquisition helps it continue to position itself as a one-stop shop for “rescue and safety professionals working at height.” Omega Pacific joins Rock-N-Rescue and the recently formed Rock-N-Arbor in the company’s portfolio.
“Both of our companies started around the same time and came up in this industry together, so it only felt right for the Weinel family to take over the brand after we ceased operations two years ago,” said Bert Atwater, former owner of Omega Pacific. “They’re one of the only companies we’d trust to carry on the Omega Pacific brand since we know they’ll put the customers’ safety first.”
Omega Pacific: A Classic Returns
The brand established itself as one of America’s first climbing equipment manufacturers, alongside Chouinard Equipment and SMC. It won notoriety for engineering the innovative link cam, which incorporated hinges in the lobes to increase its range dramatically.
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It also attracted some attention for utilizing prison labor to manufacture its carabiners. (Officials in Washington state, where Omega Pacific was headquartered, reportedly stopped the program in the 2000s after roughly a decade.)
The brand’s equipment also earned renown as being reliable but cheap. As of this writing, you can’t buy a six-pack of its “Dirtbag Dash” quickdraws on the internet anymore. But if you could, it would cost $64 on Walmart.com, including a bonus locker.
When Omega Pacific gear becomes commercially available again remains unknown.
“Our customers are hardworking individuals who cannot risk nor afford an injury on the job, so it’s our job to identify and provide them with trusted brands like Omega Pacific — a brand that’s known for its reliability and durability,” said John Weinel, owner and CEO of The Weinel Group. “We’re honored to keep this trusted brand alive.”
