Small Nuts

I'm looking to round out my rack with some brass nuts or something equivalent. I live in Alabama but climb frequently in Tennessee and North Carolina. What are you guys using? I'm thinking mostly thin free stuff, but I would also like to be able to get up some aid routes. Recommendations?

_ Brandon

Brandon.Phillips wrote:I'm looking to round out my rack with some brass nuts or something equivalent. I live in Alabama but climb frequently in Tennessee and North Carolina. What are you guys using? I'm thinking mostly thin free stuff, but I would also like to be able to get up some aid routes. Recommendations? _ Brandon

dmm offset hb brass just about the only nuts i personally carry round these parts

+1 DMM offset brass. I also carry the BD micro stoppers and trango ballnutz (1-3). The ballnutz are great for thin quartzite seams in the high country, although I have used them a few times on granite.

Offset brass are the shiznit for yosemite pin scars and shallow pods.

Remember that the weakness of a tiny brass or steel nut is typically the rock and not the nut when in the southern sandstone belt.
In bullet rock I really like BD copper-stell nuts, sicne the ration of nut dimension to wire is good and you get more opportunity for placement that way with no interference from the wire. But in the South and in sandstone here, I really like the old HB "Anchors" nuts and their more recent eqiv... wider for more surface of contact. The offsets work where nothing else will, but don't get much surface down unless the crack just happens to fit just right (rare). In softer stone, it is not rare that they would pull out on the first bit of contact unless you set them very well.

Best of luck!

Peanuts are my go to small stopper while free climbing. Because they are long and thin, peanuts fit narrow cracks but can still get a lot of rock contact. The placements usually feel bomber and have held several of my falls. I have also used BD micros and brass offsets, but IMO peanuts seem more secure.

Edit: err.. Peenuts

+1 for the DMM Peenuts. Works well on many different rock types/formations. even the smallest one ive taken a lead fall on, great product!

DMM nuts all around are my go to.

Tony B wrote:Remember that the weakness of a tiny brass or steel nut is typically the rock and not the nut when in the southern sandstone belt. In bullet rock I really like BD copper-stell nuts, sicne the ration of nut dimension to wire is good and you get more opportunity for placement that way with no interference from the wire. But in the South and in sandstone here, I really like the old HB "Anchors" nuts and their more recent eqiv... wider for more surface of contact. The offsets work where nothing else will, but don't get much surface down unless the crack just happens to fit just right (rare). In softer stone, it is not rare that they would pull out on the first bit of contact unless you set them very well. Best of luck!

Good advice, especially in regards to the fit of the HB brass (now DMM) offsets. My preference are the metolius astro nuts. They are not as extreme angled as the DMM brassies and thus can be used a wider variety of crack shapes and are not limited to just the extreme flares. If you can, try to get your hands on all the different brands at the store and you'll have a better idea of what people are talking about.

On a random note bonobo testicles are the size of grade A jumbo chicken eggs. Think about that next time you have to sack up

The wild country superlight rocks are really nice for small nuts. I usually carry a set of these with a set of the DMM offsets and it's a perfect combo.

wildcountry.co.uk/products/…

DMM brass offsets or Peanutz work well around here.
Also great in NC.

rock_fencer wrote:On a random note bonobo testicles are the size of grade A jumbo chicken eggs. Think about that next time you have to sack up

And the females run the show - metaphor upon metaphor here.

DMM IMPs are stronger in the smaller sizes than anything else. I was shopping a while back and made a comparison sheet.

imps v micros v astros

Noah Jordahl wrote:DMM IMPs are stronger in the smaller sizes than anything else. I was shopping a while back and made a comparison sheet.

OK But sometimes (not sure here) that means that the wire is almost as wide as the nut - which means you cant hardly place the F%$#ers. Have you used them a lot? I'm curoius as to if you fiund the unicorn yet? it has always been a trade off.

Tony B wrote: OK But sometimes (not sure here) that means that the wire is almost as wide as the nut - which means you cant hardly place the F%$#ers. Have you used them a lot? I'm curoius as to if you fiund the unicorn yet? it has always been a trade off.

I mean, the wires aren't huge, but you're probably right in that largely it is a case of the gauge of wire determining the kNs. I have not placed them a lot (thankfully...) I carry them on trad lines where I expect to be on my limit and may need to fiddle something scary in to protect a move or two until better gear. They work fine for that purpose. You may need to ask an aid climber how they work in regular use.

An advantage to the fatter wires I have seen though is they're less likely to fray. The first time I set an astronut a few of the strands of wire frayed. I haven't seen that with the DMMs in the admittedly less than 10 placements with them I've made.