small stoppers for free climbing?
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so latley ive been running into instances where i would like to have more smaller stoppers, currently i only have a 4-13 set of bd stoppers along with some boody but none the less a standard set. my question is for free climbing, is it necessary to have anything smaller than what i have (#4 bd stopper) i hear alot about Rp's and im not quite sure if thats what im in for? but i climb mostly in the Adirondacks and the gunks where gear can be finicky. also i dont know the differance between rp's and micro stoppers from say black diamond or dmm and ive alse herd of brassies? anyways id jsut like to be educated on the smaller passive pro thatd be great. i rock a set of c3's that im comfortable with up to the purple if that changes anything. |
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DMM I.M.P.s!!!! |
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Been climbing with RP's since I bought two sets in 1978. They go in thin shallow cracks where little else will. Because they are brass they stick in places where a steel nut might not. |
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Brassies and RP's are very similar - they are very small stoppers and made of brass. Of course there are variations in shape in each model, but that's the basic gist of things. Brass is softer than aluminum (and steel like Eric said, but I don't know of any steel stoppers on the market) and so the rock will "bite" into it the same way that gritty rock "bites" into your shoe rubber. |
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Ha I was passing an outdoors retailer in a small one stop sign town a week ago and picked up to full sets (black diamond) for 80. Dude said he just wanted them gone.....I'm still baffled at the luck... |
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jaysen, we have a few things in at ems (exit 15) we have the BD stoppers 1,2,3 as well as the BD micro stopper set. stop in and check them out. -Todd |
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Just to add on here to the OP's question and follow-up on the Gunks observations above. How do the various options for small nuts compare specifically for use at the Gunks? Peanuts vs. IMPs vs. RPs vs. BD 1-3 vs. BD micro-stoppers, etc? |
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jaysen wrote:so latley ive been running into instances where i would like to have more smaller stoppers, currently i only have a 4-13 set of bd stoppers along with some boody but none the less a standard set. my question is for free climbing, is it necessary to have anything smaller than what i have (#4 bd stopper) i hear alot about Rp's and im not quite sure if thats what im in for? but i climb mostly in the Adirondacks and the gunks where gear can be finicky. also i dont know the differance between rp's and micro stoppers from say black diamond or dmm and ive alse herd of brassies? anyways id jsut like to be educated on the smaller passive pro thatd be great. i rock a set of c3's that im comfortable with up to the purple if that changes anything. thanks for any imput im jsut a bit confused on all the stuff out there and which is the most reasonable. im 16 with very limited cash, what i do get from my terrible job all goes into climbing and gas. thanks so muchAll need to know right here: Micro Nut Tech Info With limited $$ I'd look for a sale on BD micros (steel) and a set of DMM Peanuts and call it good for a while. The brass stuff is VERY pricey. That review will point out that there are only really two sizes of brassies you WANT so save $$ and avoid buying a set. Micros are LIGHT. You can cary a lot of them and when you need them, YOU NEED THEM. Depends on the route but I've also found you need to have a "micro mind set" to a certain degree. They can go in more places than you'd think. That said, most moderate routes have ample gear so micros won't get used as much. They're good to have but examine you're rack first. That $100+ might be better spent doubling up on cam sizes first. |
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The Kn force on many RPs (regardless of material) is usually below what is recommended for lead climbing. Same way the C3 #000 is "not intended for lead climbing". With that said, I rarely leave the ground w/o them. I place them when nothing bigger will work. I would rather have something crappy then nothing. I have even taken a 10' fall on the smallest BD micro stopper and it held. When I use them (a common practice in Eldo) I try not to run it out above them. Instead, I place it and put in something more comforting as soon as the opportunity arises. |
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I've concluded that all the curves and fancy architecture are just gimmicks.Tom Frost makes the best wired stoppers,with extra long cables-marketed as Sentinal nuts.I think every other wire pales in comparison;and,a tiny one held me on a twenty footer. I've hit the deck when RPs that seemed bomber sheared right through the rock,no sir...I don't like 'em. |
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Brass RP's rule. I took a 20 foot lead fall onto a #2 once and it held fine--good thing or I'd of gone another 25 feet to the ground! |
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Sergio P wrote:The Kn force on many RPs (regardless of material) is usually below what is recommended for lead climbing. Same way the C3 #000 is "not intended for lead climbing". With that said, I rarely leave the ground w/o them. I place them when nothing bigger will work. I would rather have something crappy then nothing. I have even taken a 10' fall on the smallest BD micro stopper and it held. When I use them (a common practice in Eldo) I try not to run it out above them. Instead, I place it and put in something more comforting as soon as the opportunity arises. If you are consistently running into situations where nothing else will fit then you should totally buy a set. I have a mix of the Metolius brass RPs and the BD micro stoppers. I like them both.Because of the low kN strengths, I'm a big fan of micro "nesting" when I can. Plug in two or more and equalize then go. The brits have this down to a science it seems. |
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mattm wrote: Because of the low kN strengths, I'm a big fan of micro "nesting" when I can. Plug in two or more and equalize then go. The brits have this down to a science it seems.+1, really good idea. |
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mattm wrote: Because of the low kN strengths, I'm a big fan of micro "nesting" when I can. Plug in two or more and equalize then go. The brits have this down to a science it seems.That trick has saved my bacon more than once. I like to carry a sling with three biners set up as a magic ex to save time in those situations. |
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Just about everything mattm said is pretty legit. I bought a set of DMM peenuts on a whim and they quickly became an integral part of my rack. For 50 bucks you can easily pick up a set of peenuts and some BD micro stoppers, although the DMM IMP's are pretty fucking awesome if you can afford them. |
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+1 on both the Peenuts and Ball nuts. |
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+1 Peenuts! I'm not a big fan of the BD micro's. They have a shape that will bite well when set, but the overall design of the stopper is not as good as Peenuts. Peenuts fit more placements, and are easier to place. |
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Greg G wrote:+1 Peenuts! I'm not a big fan of the BD micro's. They have a shape that will bite well when set, but the overall design of the stopper is not as good as Peenuts. Peenuts fit more placements, and are easier to place.Yeah, peanuts are awesome. The BD Micros less so. I'm working on a mix of stuff ala that article but with a full set of Peanuts. Micro Variety TAKES the spice OUT OF Trad! Ball Nutz are the same way. When you need them, you REALLY want them. Again, if there's a need for micro pro, Ball Nutz don't weigh much and are STRONG for their size. The #1 hits 8kN I think. I've had some luck with tiny, pinned out seams where I couldn't get stable micro placements. Not enough taper in the scar/crack so the nuts just wouldn't sit right. Ball Nut worked well there. YMMV |
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I prefer the DMM IMP's to the BD micronuts, in the smaller sizes the DMM's are rated for higher forces! |
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anyone have any thoughts on metolius astro nuts? |
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Astro nuts are ok, i have a few and sometimes they fit where no others seem to seat. |