Starting a Trad Rack
|
I will echo the call for certain essential gear. |
|
i think everyone can agree you need at least a single rack of c4s up to #3 |
|
What you are looking at is a good choice. I'd double up on the mid-range cams (.5-2) when you get the money and can find sales. I recently retired all my small Metolius Mastercams for BD X4s as they have better range. I also did a unplanned test of the X4 .2 with a 20 foot fall in Yosemite. I'd get extra cams before the tri-cams. Tri-cams, as mentioned, are "fiddley" to place and the harder you climb they less time you have to hang out and fiddle one in. They also fiddle themselves out if they get wiggled by the rope so they should usually be placed on long runners. There are some decent routes at Ross Pond (1/2 hour from Providence) where you can place gear. I'll maybe see you out there if it ever warms up and stops snowing. |
|
Brian wrote:What you are looking at is a good choice. I'd double up on the mid-range cams (.5-2) when you get the money and can find sales. I recently retired all my small Metolius Mastercams for BD X4s as they have better range. I also did a unplanned test of the X4 .2 with a 20 foot fall in Yosemite. I'd get extra cams before the tri-cams. Tri-cams, as mentioned, are "fiddley" to place and the harder you climb they less time you have to hang out and fiddle one in. They also fiddle themselves out if they get wiggled by the rope so they should usually be placed on long runners. There are some decent routes at Ross Pond (1/2 hour from Providence) where you can place gear. I'll maybe see you out there if it ever warms up and stops snowing. climbri.com/ross.htmI'd disagree with one point you make, tricams are less likely to walk than sldcs because you can set them in their placement. if a tricam moves at all, it's a shit placement... |
|
LCC-Climber wrote:Tricams are a waste of money.Disregard that and buy atleast a pink & brown. They are great for the Gunks and other places in the Northeast. Especially when dealing with anchor building. They aren't hard to place and you should learn to be solid in gear placement and not "opt" out and be lazy about climbing. |
|
Jackxc925 wrote: I'd disagree with one point you make, tricams are less likely to walk than sldcs because you can set them in their placement. if a tricam moves at all, it's a shit placement...Yep. I'll add to the opinion on getting the tri-cams. I know I've placed the black one a few times, but the most used one is definitely the pink. I honestly don't think I placed any of the others at all last year. Despite the opinion that they are a waste of money, they work well for small pockets where a cam simply won't fit and there is no constriction for a nut. At this stage, assuming you are buying new, I would go with the new Evo tri-cam- it can be slotted passively in 2 directions as well as cammed, plus it has a stiffer sling. Get the black, pink and red, and it's likely you won't need any others. Be open to used hardware as well. I've put together most of a second rack by buying used. Someone mentioned using the Nano's for racking biners. Yes, they are the lightest biner on the market (last I checked anyway), but those small biners can be a major PITA to get off the harness or a gear sling. For a few more grams of weight, the Oz biners are a hell of a lot easier to use (especially if you don't have small hands) and nearly as light. Plus the new ones have the "hood" to prevent snagging.... |
|
PosiDave wrote: Disregard that and buy atleast a pink & brown. They are great for the Gunks and other places in the Northeast. Especially when dealing with anchor building. They aren't hard to place and you should learn to be solid in gear placement and not "opt" out and be lazy about climbing.Great advice. Tricams quite good, makes up most of my rack. I ended up up getting cams as doubles to the tricams (don't spend too much time thinking about that). Buy the cams you want and add one of the sets of tricams. |
|
if you really want to dial in you rack, a good source in the ne is bayard russell. he owns cathedal mountain guides....super smart guy & could probably give you the best set up. |
|
anyone who claims that tri cams are esentual probobly is not nearly as good a climber as they think they are;) personaly i carry the pink and red but certainly could easily do without them. I would not be a happy camper without my cams... |
|
Nick Goldsmith wrote:anyone who claims that tri cams are esentual probobly is not nearly as good a climber as they think they are;) personaly i carry the pink and red but certainly could easily do without them. I would not be a happy camper without my cams... I have had a full rack of tricams and hexes in the past but got over that silly wankery in the eightys..Haha! I feel like I should join a support group: "Hi my name is Jackson and I have active pro but never use it." ;] Carry on... |
|
Heres what I started out with
|
|
Single rack as you describe in your original post should do you well. When I first started out, I'd buy pieces to supplement my more experienced buddy's rack, then racked up to a single rack of cams: blue tcu and .3-#3 c4s, set of nuts, and a few tricams. |
|
Regarding tricams.... |
|
LCC-Climber wrote:Tricams are a waste of money.Agreed..i climbed quite a bit in the NE and never placed one ..ever...I threw one away once. you do need a lot of biners, lots more than you think |
|
I seem to remember carrying doubbles on small cams @ the gunks up to green camalot. singles on red through blue camalots. the bulk of your pieces should be stoppers. they are the cheapest,lightest and often most secure. It's fun dissing tricams because of the cult like following that seems to think tricams are the best thing ever invented... NOT :) seriously if you are just starting out don't wast the$$$ on tricams. put that money twords stoppers and real cams. |
|
You need a set of nuts! |
|
you won't go wrong with a double set of wires..Given the recent issues with X4's ...metolius tcu's work pretty good as well as tech Friends |
|
I think your first post was best, and you've been led astray - mostly, it seems, by non northeast climbers. |
|
Its funny how every "buying a rack" post heavily features disagreements about tricams in the replies. |
|
Brassmonkey wrote:I climb at the gunks, now getting into 11's there for some reference. When I first started climbing there on the easier routes I had maybe 7 or 8 tricams and enjoyed using them. After a couple of years I sold half of them due to lack of use and kept pink, red, and brown. I carried them racked with my stoppers for quite some time and then realized I never placed them either. Never. So why carry the extra weight? Sold, and I dont miss them one bit.+1 Yup, exactly my experience with tri-cams. |