Best Passive Pro for the Buck

Tricams are considered both active and passive pro as I believe. Tricams have made me a believer.

To clarify I never recomended tri cams as a replacemennt for traditional nuts. I simply used them as an example of specialized gear that locals in some areas may carry. Additionally the advice I have given as a look at the whole spectrum of building a rack. If it is that that hard to see, use your imagination and replace the word tricam with whitchever piece YOU feel is a better example, and you may see that the advice isnt all that unsound.
-Mackley

I've heard mixed reviews about tricams.

Recently I was told by one partner that they have a tendency to walk out of the rock frequently, and that in Colorado they're not especially usable.

I've never placed a tricam myself, but am intrigued by them after reading upn on them a bit.

For those people who are experienced with them, what do you see as their major pros & cons?

Tri-cams are solid.

Just takes practice to get them dialed one-handed. I wouldn't say they are poor for Colorado -- I challenge anyone to go out and climb stuff with only nuts, hexes, & tri-cams. It's probably more that people reporting problems with tri-cams, need more work with them.

One thing I've found, when they get stuck, they are good and stuck.

shoo wrote: Seriously???? Tricams are NOT a replacement for traditional nuts. Not only that, they are FAR more expensive per piece than nuts. This is awful advice.

Well it was a bit tongue in cheek. However since you took the bait...

Tricams are only about twice as expensive as your average medium to large nut, and they are about 4 times as useful in my opinion. You can place a tricam in either a passive or active placement. This means they can go in a parallel sided crack and not-fall-out, like a nut would. Also they are much more robust in a horizontal crack.

You have horrible advice, clearly.

As for them falling out... EVERYTHING will fall out if you place it incorrectly. To prevent walking just slap a shoulder length runner on them. And yes, they can be considered active. And that is why they are the bomb(esp. the smaller sizes)

CONS: they are a little tough to fiddle in once you start using them. practice makes perfect.

sorry about the thread drift :P

WSue wrote:I've heard mixed reviews about tricams. Recently I was told by one partner that they have a tendency to walk out of the rock frequently, and that in Colorado they're not especially usable. I've never placed a tricam myself, but am intrigued by them after reading upn on them a bit. For those people who are experienced with them, what do you see as their major pros & cons?

I climbed with a guy a few years back who is pushing 60 and leads 5.11. He primarily uses tricams and spring loaded cams are his backup or extra pieces. Claims he can place them quicker than most can place an SLCD.

On the front range sandstone, you run across big run outs where the only pro is a pocket from a dislodge pebble/rock. You gotta have at least the pink and the red. Cams are too wide to fit.

For your initial question though, ABC Huevos is the answer, I have a set, they work great and I am not afraid to bail on them if required.

Heh. I agree with basically everything that Phil wrote. For the record, I am a frequent tricam user. However, they just aren't as well suited for general use passive gear as traditional nuts. They should be considered specialized gear. Don't get them unless you know you need them. Obviously, this is area / route dependent.

Just because they can be placed passively doesn't make them equally useful as normal nuts. The fact is that their shape just isn't as well suited to the kinds of constrictions most people are apt to come across. Furthermore, they are typically more difficult to place, due largely to the fact that they hinge and have a floppy sling.

Other specialized passive pro that you should probably not get unless you know you need:
Hexes
Offset nuts
Brass nuts

WSue wrote:I've heard mixed reviews about tricams. Recently I was told by one partner that they have a tendency to walk out of the rock frequently, and that in Colorado they're not especially usable. I've never placed a tricam myself, but am intrigued by them after reading upn on them a bit. For those people who are experienced with them, what do you see as their major pros & cons?

This isn't directed at you, but to say they aren't usuable in Colorado is the silliest thing I've heard all week. They are awesome here...yeh sure they have a rep as an east coast thing, but I use them every climb. Flatirons...extremely shallow, flaring finger + size cracks. A cam will pop right out with any upward pull and a nut is fricken useless. And those pockets?? What fits better in a typical flatiron pocket than anything? Answer? Tri-cam.

Lumpy...same thing..shallow finger size cracks that peter out. If it wasn't for tri-cams you wouldn't get anything in at all as the camming action of the tri-cam holds it in place.

Horizontals...my Lord they are made for them!!

Basically...put a long trad runner on it..make sure it's set as well as possible (ie camming), use the right size, and try to make sure you use the crack features properly to help keep it set and you'll be fine.

Nuts are great, but not unless its a more parallel sided constiction. Nuts only have one range and the crack HAS to be sized to accept them..there's no fiddling or camming to make it work.

shoo wrote:Heh. Other specialized passive pro that you should probably not get unless you know you need: Hexes Offset nuts Brass nuts

Obviously it depends on the rock you are climbing on, but around here in the North East on granite, I think offset nuts are extremely usefully. I actually use them more then my regular rocks. They can be a little harder to remove, but usually are more stable and secure placements.

For cheapest, how about knotted slings and threads? : )

Tri-cams are the best pieces I've ever used. In the passive mode they even cam a little making the placement absolutely solid.

In active mode they are just as good as a cam IF you set them well, which does take practice.

They could use a stiffer neck though, why hasn't this happened yet?!?!?

They are not a total replacement for other gear but they are the closest thing to it. I carry them as the doubles for my most used pieces.

Anyone climb exclusively with Tri-Cams?

Nick Rhoads wrote: They could use a stiffer neck though, why hasn't this happened yet?!?!?

Part of the reason for not stiffening the neck is that it reduces the tricams ability to resist walking. Even a well set tricam can and will walk with a stiffened neck. I own a double set of tricams from white to Navy Blue. One set is stiffened and the other is not.

Tricams are the bees knees, haha! When I want a quick placement or when I'm feeling kind to my second I'll reach for a cam. But when the piece absolutely must not fail I always reach for tricams.