SE Trad Rack - What do you really need?
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New trad climber looking for some info on necessary gear for climbing around the southeast. I live in Athens, GA and the closest crag to me is Mt. Yonah (less pocketed than Looking Glass) but will definitely make trips to N. Alabama and Tennessee to climb on the sandstone there. I've already gotten a decent amount of gear and would like some advice on how to proceed. |
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I wouldn't buy master cams as you already have doubles in the smaller sizes. Personally I double up on camalots if you feel the need to buy something. Offsets won't be needed on 99% of trad routes so I'd hold off for a bit. A #4 c4 would probably be useful and some point. But with you current rack I'd just go climb a bunch and see what you wish you had more of. |
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General rack thoughts (not specific to SE): |
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Long time SE climber....specializing in TAG sandstone and WNC granite.... |
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doubles of .4-.75 C4's I found very useful on those routes you mentioned (nose,sundial,daddy) |
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Personally, I've found tricams to be invaluable at Yonah and western NC (namely LG and Table Rock). They lock into those horizontal pockets in places that can can be awkward or too narrow for a cam. It's glorious when you can pop a pink or red tricam into a two-finger pocket. |
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Seems like a great base rack. I'm sure you're aware that you are close to Tallulah Gorge as well. I'd be game to get on Digital Delight, The Diagonal, or Mescaline Daydream with you to test it out. Weekends this month are aesthetic water releases but weekdays are fair game. |
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Brandon Bell wrote:Personally, I've found tricams to be invaluable at Yonah and western NC (namely LG and Table Rock).this goes for the rock in chattanooga too. get pink and red tri-cam and consider the small black one and brown one. also consider getting DMM alloy offset nuts. although it's only anecdotal, I found my partner's offsets to be more confidence inspiring than my equivalent sized BD stoppers, especially at T-wall and Leda. Additionally, i found the orange and yellow mastercams/tcus to be the most useful cam at T-wall Also, keep in mind that, at T-wall, the first 10 feet don't count for the grade and be wary of the grade 5.9+ ;) |
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Harrison Laird wrote:New trad climber looking for some info on necessary gear for climbing around the southeast. I live in Athens, GA and the closest crag to me is Mt. Yonah (less pocketed than Looking Glass) but will definitely make trips to N. Alabama and Tennessee to climb on the sandstone there. I've already gotten a decent amount of gear and would like some advice on how to proceed. I'll be doing moderate routes as I'm new to the trad game (The Nose, Sundial, The Daddy, etc.) So far my rack consists of 1x Set BD Camalot: #0.3-3 2x Sets Fixe Aliens: Black to Red BD Stoppers: # 4-13 BD Hexes (Slung): #5-10 Should I double up on camalots or invest some mastercams to mix up the camming ranges? Are tricams a must? Offset cams? Any input greatly appreciatedYou already have a decent rack for most moderate climbs. If you really want to get a good rack buy some C4s #.75, #1, #2, & #4 plus a set of alloy offset nuts. With this rack you'll be able to climb 95% of the lines anywhere. Except IC. |
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Sounds like a great rack for those climbs. It is only when you get into 5.10 and harder that things may start to get more specific. Personally, I would get rid of the hexes and get evo tricams from black to brown and get the purple and maybe light blue. It isn't mandatory, but they work well in flares and trad belays. |
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I 100% agree with Tom, which is quite rare. :P |
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Thanks for the replies. Based on what's been said I think I've got a pretty good idea of what my most pressing needs are. |
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You should take Will up on that offer. It's just about Tallulah weather and Will knows his way around up there. I predict an awesome day. |
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Chris Whisenhunt wrote:I 100% agree with Tom, which is quite rare. :PNice! Hopefully I can keep it up. The tri-cam question, nylon versus dyneema. The EVO is only made in nylon, problem solved. Don't buy non-EVO tri-cams! Seriously, they are just a better tri-cam with no con's compared to non-EVO. Same sizes, one-handed placements, better setting, and lighter. Don't double your rack in the same brand. Climbing in the SE, I have realized doubles in the same brand will not help you fill the gaps in sizes. The camalots are a great cam, but there are many unique placements due to width of placement or size that a BD may not work or be ideal. Personally, I like the metolius sizes as they fit right in between the BD sizes. The metolius sizes are actually very similar to tri-cam sizes. It may not matter yet, but the granite and quartzite around here can be very unique. Sometimes you need a specific size and brand to protect a spot on a climb where nothing else will fit or fit well enough that you would feel comfortable falling on. I'll be glad to name several climbs that fit into this realm. The hexes work in the alpine, because the placements are often very large. It is rare on the SE faces that you will need anything bigger than a 3 camalot. The really small hexes can be good in the SE, but nuts and tri-cams are almost always more versatile. If you do carry hexes, make sure you hang them off the back of your pack when hiking in. I always get a chuckle hearing the cow bells coming up the trail. "I need more cow bell". |
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Well that definitely makes the tricam decision an easy one. |
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From #.75 C4 and up you want the C4's not the Metolius, unless your buying them specifically for the narrower head. In these larger ranges the narrow heads just add to instability than to usefulness. But there is always this one special case someone will mention. |
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I still get a little thrill every time I wiggle in a Tricam. Does that make me weird? |
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Mark O'Neal wrote:I still get a little thrill every time I wiggle in a Tricam. Does that make me weird?Same here. I don't care if it's weird I LOVE my tricams. After using them to aid my way out of a sticky situation while sport climbing, I almost always keep em on my harness |
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Mark O'Neal wrote:I still get a little thrill every time I wiggle in a Tricam. Does that make me weird?No way Mark. I like the feeling when they bite after a hard tug. As it has been said, there aren't too many big gaps in BD from .75 and up. I would suggest the black MC and purple 8 power cam. It is still worth having doubles of 1 and 2, with those metolius cams also. You don't need a second 3 or bigger. Most of the noticeable gaps in BD are from purple c3 to .75. That chart isn't my favorite representation of the gaps, because who wants to fall on a near tipped out cam. When I am placing a save my butt piece, it is typically closer to the overcammed position. This should be mandatory on softer/flakey stone. |
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Ah, yes....rack salad. |
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Metolius IS life though. |