Trango Offset Nuts vs. DMM Alloy Offsets

https://trango.com/collections/protection/products/offset-nuts

Has anyone tried these out yet?  They look to me like a blend of DMM and Wild Country’s offsets.  

I’m also curious to see if DMM’s offsets will remain the most popular now that a few more brands have similar offerings. I’d be willing to bet they’ll stay top dog, but I’m often wrong.

Edit: I added photo comparisons farther down. 

I've used the BD stoppers and own the DMM offsets and can confirm DMM's are better for sure.  The geometry of the stopper is just designed better and the wires aren't as floppy.  BD's will become more used just because they are sold at REI and DMM isn't.

Trango only really competes with BD and DMM in terms of price, so for a difference of $5 I do not see why anyone would buy these.  Also if you look at the range for each stopper, the gap between min and max is way larger than the BD or DMM stoppers, so they obviously changed the geometry a lot to make the flare way more pronounced which makes me think they won't get as much surface contact to fit as well as the others in typical placements.

How are they only 10g lighter in total than the DMM offsets but rated 5kn less for every stopper?  That one fact alone would be a deal breaker for me.

Bryan K wrote:

I've used the BD stoppers and own the DMM offsets and can confirm DMM's are better for sure.  The geometry of the stopper is just designed better and the wires aren't as floppy.  BD's will become more used just because they are sold at REI and DMM isn't.

Trango only really competes with BD and DMM in terms of price, so for a difference of $5 I do not see why anyone would buy these.  Also if you look at the range for each stopper, the gap between min and max is way larger than the BD or DMM stoppers, so they obviously changed the geometry a lot to make the flare way more pronounced which makes me think they won't get as much surface contact to fit as well as the others in typical placements.

How are they only 10g lighter in total than the DMM offsets but rated 5kn less for every stopper?  That one fact alone would be a deal breaker for me.

I’ve got the DMM and Wild Country offsets and prefer DMM’s as well but I’m not picky, both have their place.

I’ll be interested to see some comparison pictures of Trango’s and DMM’s to see the difference in flair, from the photos they look the same.  It’s possible Trango is just being a bit more generous than BD with their range ratings for each piece.  I’m half tempted to get a set just to see... It’s not like I already have way too much passive pro or anything.  

I haven't used or seen these in person, but I'd bet they are worse based simply on the fact that the angles/corners are squared off. Nature isn't built at 90degree angles.

I strongly suspect if you took this same design but made the corners and edges rounded, they would work better. But then you'd end up with something closer to the versions that already exist.

blakeherrington wrote:

I haven't used or seen these in person, but I'd bet they are worse based simply on the fact that the angles/corners are squared off. Nature isn't built at 90degree angles.

I strongly suspect if you took this same design but made the corners and edges rounded, they would work better. But then you'd end up with something closer to the versions that already exist.

The corners and edges will wear down with use, just as with BD Stoppers. If you think it’s important (it’s not), you could sand down the edges. 

They look like HB's (DMM) with a hole in the middle to get around design patent.  I'm betting they place pretty well, but as was mentioned the strength sacrifice is huge.  I'm sure they would be stronger if they hadn't removed all that metal.

I really enjoy my HB's, the sharp corners are great because they prevent the head of the nut from tipping backward - those top outside corners are where the magic happens. Or if you can slot the nut's huge scallops between some protrusions you are golden.  BD's version never appealed to me because of the shallow scallops and rounded corners.  

I don't understand why REI carries such limited gear.  I miss Eastern Mountain Sports more every year.

I was just reading Advanced Rock Climbing by Long & Luebben, he says to go for biners with 9+kn open gate strength.  It's an older book, but I'm wondering what the Stone Masters know that modern climbers don't, because the modern take seems to be that it's virtually impossible to generate more than 7kn.

For anyone interested, I went ahead and picked up a set of the Trango offset nuts to compare them to the DMM alloy offsets.  The difference in shape to me seems very slight, the Trangos have slightly less rounded edges, have a slightly shallower taper in the standard offset direction, a slightly more aggressive taper in the second offset placement option, have a slightly more aggressive taper in the standard direction, and might barely be a tad smaller in the 7-9 sizes.  The wire on the Trangos feels significantly stiffer than the DMMs and it looks like they put a dab of hot glue to stabilize the wires to the heads, but you can still pop the wire through for a makeshift QuickDraw.  

I ordered a set of BD’s offsets to compare as well but got sent a set of regular nuts and didn’t feel like paying for return shipping to get it corrected.  Eventually I’ll pick them up and can do a photo comparison of each kind.  

Here’s the lineup with DMM Offsets, Trango Offsets, Wild Country’s Offsets, DMM Halfnuts, DMM Peenuts, DMM Brass Offsets, and BD Offset Micros.  

-And yes, I know most of this is way too shiny and if I wasn’t a gear whore I would sell off sets that I don’t use, but I’m working on beating it all up, I’ll get there eventually.

-Edited to add DMM Brass, and BD Offset Micros.  

Ryan Never climbs wrote:

What does the WC set weight? 

caughtinside wrote:

EDIT: I actually have doubles in C4 and the rest are Dragon II's. 

Buck Rio wrote:

So if I buy another set of cams I could be considered a gear whore? (14 shoes, 7+ ropes, triples from .4 to 4 C4)

EDIT: I actually have doubles in C4 and the rest are Dragon II's. 

Set 4 needs to be totems to be properly considered for gear whore status.

Jacob Butler wrote:

The WC set also has 6 nuts vs. the 5 in every other brand’s version.  

I've taken to folding in the smallest two WC offset nuts onto the DMM set, and carrying those 7 nuts. The smallest WC def is a bit smaller than the little gold dmm, though there is overlap w/ the 2nd smallest WC and smallest DMM.

and yes, 4 sets of totems, minimum, for gear whore status.

Christian Hesch wrote:

I've taken to folding in the smallest two WC offset nuts onto the DMM set, and carrying those 7 nuts. The smallest WC def is a bit smaller than the little gold dmm, though there is overlap w/ the 2nd smallest WC and smallest DMM.

and yes, 4 sets of totems, minimum, for gear whore status.

What if I'm considered "Old School"? Does the double set of Hexcentric's (BD & DMM) make up for the lack of Totems? Cuz' I'm OG.

Buck Rio wrote:

What if I'm considered "Old School"? Does the double set of Hexcentric's (BD & DMM) make up for the lack of Totems? Cuz' I'm OG.

Are you racking both?  Talk about some cowbell.  

Jacob Butler wrote:

Are you racking both?  Talk about some cowbell.  

Ha! Haven't carried them since the Clinton administration...use mainly for top anchors when I rope solo. 

Jacob Butler wrote:

For anyone interested, I went ahead and picked up a set of the Trango offset nuts to compare them to the DMM alloy offsets.  The difference in shape to me seems very slight, the Trangos have slightly less rounded edges, have a slightly shallower taper in the standard offset direction, a slightly more aggressive taper in the second offset placement option, have a slightly more aggressive taper in the standard direction, and might barely be a tad smaller in the 7-9 sizes.  The wire on the Trangos feels significantly stiffer than the DMMs and it looks like they put a dab of hot glue to stabilize the wires to the heads, but you can still pop the wire through for a makeshift QuickDraw.  

I ordered a set of BD’s offsets to compare as well but got sent a set of regular nuts and didn’t feel like paying for return shipping to get it corrected.  Eventually I’ll pick them up and can do a photo comparison of each kind.  

Mind if I repost these images, with credit, on a gear blog I'm starting?

Nathan wrote:

Mind if I repost these images, with credit, on a gear blog I'm starting?

Absolutely!  I could also send them to you in higher quality if you want.  What’s the name of the blog?  I’d love to check it out.  

Jacob Butler wrote:

Absolutely!  I could also send them to you in higher quality if you want.  What’s the name of the blog?  I’d love to check it out.  

https://gearnotes.substack.com/ - it only has two posts so far, it's to go along with instagram.com/gearnote , since I keep hitting the character limit for Instagram. 

Jacob Butler wrote:

Here’s the lineup with DMM Offsets, Trango Offsets, Wild Country’s Offsets, DMM Halfnuts, DMM Peenuts, DMM Brass Offsets, and BD Offset Micros.  

I would love to see these images in high resolution.  Do you still have the originals?

Jacob Butler wrote:

Here’s the lineup with DMM Offsets, Trango Offsets, Wild Country’s Offsets, DMM Halfnuts, DMM Peenuts, DMM Brass Offsets, and BD Offset Micros.  

-And yes, I know most of this is way too shiny and if I wasn’t a gear whore I would sell off sets that I don’t use, but I’m working on beating it all up, I’ll get there eventually.

-Edited to add DMM Brass, and BD Offset Micros.  

What a legend