Marking C4/C3's with paint

I am wondering if anyone has experience marking C4/C3'3 with paint. I'm looking for a permanent method of marking my gear so if it is ever stolen(knock on wood), I have a way of looking for it, in addition to all my friends and other helpful climbers. I recently returned from a non-climbing trip and thought my rack was stolen from my apartment, it was a terribly helpless feeling I want to avoid in the future. Even after calling the cops I thought about how easy it would be to peel off my yellow tape and replace it with another color. At that point the gear is gone, it could be right under my nose and I wouldn't know it. So I am thinking a quick blast of spray paint, something that will last or at least be difficult to remove.

I know most climbers would never steal gear but if someone is breaking into an apartment anything is up for grabs. Not sure it would make a difference but it might give me a little hope in the event of stolen goods.

What do you guys think? I looked around the forum and only found a post about marking nuts(not a problem), I am thinking about painting the cables and stem just below the trigger. I could shield the actual cam from paint by cutting a hole in cardboard and sticking the stem through. The paint would be very difficult to remove in the tightly wound cables. I wouldn't drown the cam in paint. . . just a quick spray.

Good idea or am I just paranoid? . . . Well I know I'm paranoid but is it a good idea?

Just use a pattern of neon nail polish or something. No need to drown it in paint. The mess is not worth the hassle imo given the likely hood of your rack being stolen, recovered and THEN needing ID marks.

I have marked my gear like this for years. I use an enamel paint marker I get from hobby stores. I mark the very top of the cam where the stem mounts in-between the lobes. I like this spot because there is no contact with the rock. I've tried all types of paint and none last forever but if you sneak it in between the lobes it helps.

So, you are worried about tape being taken off and the color changed, you don't think you can paint over paint?

Take care of your gear. Store it out of sight, preferably in a locked closet if you aren't going to be around for a while. Problem solved.

One suggestion I read was to lay out all your gear and hit it with a spritzing of spray paint - maybe even two colors. Don't coat the whole thing, but just imagine tons of little dots. Won't wear off as fast as a stripe of nail polish and makes your gear even more distinguishable and less likely to be stolen in the first place.
One downside could be resale, but if you don't sell your stuff often, give it a try...

Have you heard of this? mycarabinerkeychain.com/Mar…

s.price wrote:Paint is never hard to remove, engraving is the way to go.

We have the same name and the same idea. I have all my cams engraved. A cheap engraving tool costs $15 at harbor freight.

Price wrote: We have the same name and the same idea. I have all my cams engraved. A cheap engraving tool costs $15 at harbor freight.

Unless one wants to engrave fancy fonts on one's camalots ;) engraversstudio.com/apps/we…

WOW! You could really get fancy with engraving. . . belt buckles, knives, guns, and cams?? A whole new genera of engraved goods. Thanks for all the input. I really appreciate it.

Jake Jones wrote:I would think for aluminum, engraving wouldn't be that big of a deal.

Especially if one wants to engrave just the initials

Small engraver, best method, pretty cheap, has applications in other arenas in life.

FWIW, I spray paint my cams, just a quick squirt right on the stem. Works fine, I usually touch them up when I have a gob of new gear that needs painting. If you decide to do this, don't use orange, that's my color ;)

Word! I was considering using florescent orange but I went with watermelon pink. Don't judge let me explain. . . I was trying to get a color that is not already associated with cams/climbing gear. At first I was going to do yellow (my tape color), but I thought it might be confusing for a brief second as #2 C4's are yellow. And the last thing I need is to be confused while reaching for a cam! So I went with pink as one of the only bright-non-climbing-colors the store had, and as a bonus this choice was cheaper than the florescents.

However I haven't committed to it yet, the engraving of initials is a good idea as are the paint dots. This is why I asked MP, I knew you would have quality ideas. Cheers

Josh Olson wrote:Store it out of sight, preferably in a locked closet if you aren't going to be around for a while. Problem solved.

"Damn kids! Here I went through all the hassle of breaking into this apartment just to find out all the good stuff is locked in this stupid closet. Guess I'll go find another apartment."

Sorry, couldn't resist. :p

Daryl Allan wrote: "Damn kids! Here I went through all the hassle of breaking into this apartment just to find out all the good stuff is locked in this stupid closet. Guess I'll go find another apartment." Sorry, couldn't resist. :p

My locked closet doesn't look nearly as good as the rest of my apartment. All I'm saying is marking your gear is a tiny sliver of hope that you can get it back in the case of something getting stolen. Seems ridiculous to me. Now, marking it to save time when you are separating your gear from your partner's is a different story.

I prefer having my male cat pissing all over my gear! To hell with painting and taping!

Rob Selter wrote:I prefer having my male cat pissing all over my gear! To hell with painting and taping!

Have him mark the middle of your rope while he's at it-lasts forever and you don't need a headlamp at night.

jbird wrote:I am wondering if anyone has experience marking C4/C3'3 with paint. I'm looking for a permanent method of marking my gear so if it is ever stolen(knock on wood), I have a way of looking for it, in addition to all my friends and other helpful climbers. I recently returned from a non-climbing trip and thought my rack was stolen from my apartment, it was a terribly helpless feeling I want to avoid in the future. Even after calling the cops I thought about how easy it would be to peel off my yellow tape and replace it with another color. At that point the gear is gone, it could be right under my nose and I wouldn't know it. So I am thinking a quick blast of spray paint, something that will last or at least be difficult to remove. I know most climbers would never steal gear but if someone is breaking into an apartment anything is up for grabs. Not sure it would make a difference but it might give me a little hope in the event of stolen goods. What do you guys think? I looked around the forum and only found a post about marking nuts(not a problem), I am thinking about painting the cables and stem just below the trigger. I could shield the actual cam from paint by cutting a hole in cardboard and sticking the stem through. The paint would be very difficult to remove in the tightly wound cables. I wouldn't drown the cam in paint. . . just a quick spray. Good idea or am I just paranoid? . . . Well I know I'm paranoid but is it a good idea?

I don't think you're being paranoid at all and I think it's a good idea! Better safe than sorry! It will also avoid confusion in case someone accidentally grabs yours instead of theirs. If you are looking for a brand of marking tape abatix.com has a variety of colors that come in 20oz cans. Here's a link to one: ["http://www.abatix.com/default.aspx?page=item+detail&itemcode=RUS203027&catlist=53" Paint, Marking, Flourescent Orange (SB)]