Hangers, Bolts

Although this topic only applies to developers; it affects each of us directly, each and every clip we make. There needs to be some dialogue about what is safe (UIAA approved), and what is working practically and monetarily.

Hanger Recommendations:
Everyone is in search of cheap stainless steel hangers; that being said, not all hangers are created equal, some thoughts?
Fusion
Pagan
Acme
Fixe
Petzl
Metolius

Bolt Recommendations:

From the ASCA Website (You should always place the fattest and longest bolt that's practical. When you're using a power drill or bolting by hand on rappel there's no excuse for placing a flimsy bolt, and at a minimum you should use a 3/8inch by 2 1/2inch bolt in hard rock, 3/8inch by 3 1/2inches in medium rock, and a 1/2inch by 4 1/2inch glue-in bolt in soft rock.)

Andy Busse wrote:Fusion Pagan Acme Fixe Petzl Metolius Bolt Recommendations: From the ASCA Website (You should always place the fattest and longest bolt that's practical. When you're using a power drill or bolting by hand on rappel there's no excuse for placing a flimsy bolt, and at a minimum you should use a 3/8inch by 2 1/2inch bolt in hard rock, 3/8inch by 3 1/2inches in medium rock, and a 1/2inch by 4 1/2inch glue-in bolt in soft rock.)

Couple of comments:

Pagan are Lucky? Seem to be pretty nice. Well tumbled. Hole is too small for anything but 10mm or smaller?

Fixe are ok, but, tend to have kinda sharp edges and seem to eat biners a bit. Can be had in 12mm hole, which is nice for 1/2" studs/bolts.

Metolious are probably my favorite. Well finished and lightweight. Hole too small for a large stud?

Mad Rock seem to be finished nicely, but their hole is small too.

Raumer makes nice hangers.

Faders has nice hangers, really shiny, but, they seem to take paint just fine.

I picked up some 400 series stainless hangers in Italy, but, can't recall their make (prezil or some such?).

As far as bolts sizes, for super hard rock, like some of the quartzite in BCC, Uintas, etc, the shortest powerbolts in stainless are 3/8" by 2 1/4" and these seem to work better than the longer stainless, as they tend to not end up spinning.

Cheers.

I like using the Fixe hangers and Powers 1/2" bolts

Good questions:

All the aforementioned hangers meet UIAA approval (22kn I believe). In my opinion:

Hangers:

Petzl -- 25kn, shiny and sharp (small size; washer doesn't lying flat against the hanger w/ 1/2" powers sleeve bolt), 300 series ss, needs an update, doesn't come in camo, France

Metolius -- great hanger/finish, only rated to 22kn but breaks around 6000 lbs.; 304 ss, probably the best, good camo finish, made in Bend, OR (I took a tour of the facility and watched them being made -- really cool process, and great folks work there), made in USA

Fixe -- beefy, advestised as strongest, said 40kn, then 30kn, not sure if 300 series stainless, eye sits far from bolt hole which may or may not lever bolt w/ upsidedown placements, 3 dimples on back questionable if they help eliminate spinners due to less contact w/ rock, Spain

Bolts:

Powers sleeve (aka 5 piece) in 1/2" (plated or ss) are truly the best in most medium/hard rock applications

Slightly different topic but what about rap stations/top anchors?

There are a number of good options but some sure are pricy. I seem to be getting more and more biased towards 2 Fixe hangars w/2 ea quick links/mailons on each to ensure the only part of the setup that gets worn is easily replaceable. Metolius rap hangars seem to the the least expensive way to go and still set a quality anchor and the Fixe hangars w/2 welded rings are pretty convenient on multi pitch routes.

Obviously the situation has some bearing but as a general rule, that is what I do. Any other thoughts?

If using standard hangers for anchors I prefer a single quicklink and a rap ring. They will last a lot longer as the ring will spin and spread out the wear.

There are many viable anchor options to choose from: chain, Fixe rings, metolius rap hangers, glue-in eye bolts, etc. I prefer chains with a biner at the end, which eliminates the deadly un-tie/re-tie step, which although rote in nature has proven to be a deadly step that can be fatal. People make mistakes.

Yes, biners do wear out/groove and can be easily stolen; however they can easily be replaced, and most people have many to spare.

i agree 100% with kevin for rap/belay stations. especially an EVEN number of links in the chain. odd number will twist/snarl ropes.

i agree with dan for one pitch sport routes. however, why is it that when i replace the biners, they are worn about halfway through? are dan and i the only ones that actually replace biners? i replaced over a dozen anchors biners and about the same number fixed draws at rifle this season.

Daren,Dan, I applaud your civic mindedness regarding biners. I just don't see that being worth while at anything but remote areas or on really hard climbs. Most people just aren't responsible enough to operate at that level from what Ive seen. Wish it were otherwise of course.

Dan Levison wrote: Bolts: Powers sleeve (aka 5 piece) in 1/2" (plated or ss) are truly the best in most medium/hard rock applications

Seems like 3/8" or 1/2"x 2 1/2" powerstud or fixe single wedge are more than adequate for hard rock like granite and gneiss- and corrosion can be assessed easily. No removing the bolt from the sleeve.

Andrew Temple wrote: Seems like 3/8" or 1/2"x 2 1/2" powerstud or fixe single wedge are more than adequate for hard rock like granite and gneiss- and corrosion can be assessed easily. No removing the bolt from the sleeve.

No doubt you are right that they are more than adequate. Corrosion in the hole is always worse than at the surface. The hole holds moisture and the bolt comes into contact with minerals. So, being able to remove the bolt and inspect is actually an advantage. The removability of sleeve bolts is another advantage when it comes time to replace them.