Underrated climbing gear

TCUs are awesome.

Scott O wrote: TCUs are awesome.

They were awesome when they came out. Now they are still an OK cam but there are better cams available.

Now someone will undoubtedly post how this orange TCU is the only cam that fits into some obscure crack/pocket.

I'm with ya on that, I dont care what the internet experts say.

Those metolius tcu's are time-tested classics.

Are any other cams designed in that era still so popular?

JohnnyG wrote:Those metolius tcu's are time-tested classics. Are any other cams designed in that era still so popular?

Aliens predate them and still have a cult like following.

nicelegs wrote: Aliens predate them and still have a cult like following.

Is this true? I remember owning a set of TCU's when I first got my hands on the "new" CCH Aliens and I had to have a set.

I don't think they got popular until the early 90's. Well after Wired Bliss was established.

Dave definitely had designed and was selling Aliens in the mid 80's. It just took a while to catch on.

Agree that aliens are awesome, but I don't think they predate tcu's.

needlesports.com/NeedleSpor…

of course there are several subsequent iterations on tcu's, and aliens too for that matter

we need a master of climbing history to chime in. Maybe some of those crusties from supertopo could chime in

I'd be really interested in learning how the engineering in the cams has changed. Double axle and single stem things are obvious. But in other parts of the cam things have obviously changed. Camming angle, lobe size, even axle size has changed. I'd love to read a write up on cam history.

Also my friend has 3-4 of these in his rack. They're used almost every climb.

I thought this was underrated gear ? aliens ????why bother........

The most underrated "gear" is the carabiner brake rappel set up you already carry it and it works great.

Duh!

^^^^ That's some good beer.

I vote for metolius curved hexes. More and more I am going with single cams and curved hexes instead of double cams on the long trad routes.

+1 on the Sierra Nevada... their Kellerweis is amazing, probably in my top 5.

DMM 3CUs are really good. Especially at the price (they are about $34 each when on sale).

Seriously, weed and one hitters. Most underated, but totally necessary.

csproul wrote: Is this true? I remember owning a set of TCU's when I first got my hands on the "new" CCH Aliens and I had to have a set.

I'm pretty confident that Metolius brand TCUs came out after Aliens, but I've climbed on Lowe TCUs that predate aliens, so yes and no?

I think i remember Wired Bliss TCU's in '84/85 followed right after by metolius

P.A.S.

Wild Country rockcentrics. The silver one is my "pink tricam".

john strand wrote:I thought this was underrated gear ? aliens ????why bother........

Which is why I nominate dynamic rope for most underrated gear :D

john strand wrote:I thought this was underrated gear ? aliens ????why bother........ The most underrated "gear" is the carabiner brake rappel set up you already carry it and it works great.

I was specifically commenting on the part of his post that asked if there was another cam from that era that is so popular. I never considered Aliens underrated. The fact that they are functionally unchanged since probably 1988 and have spawned todays crop of "modern" cams, speaks to this.

I am actually struggling to think of underrated gear. I can pop off 10 overrated pieces without having to think much.

Maybe a single 1" wide two foot runner? It works better than a gear sling as a gear sling.