Best nuts climbing gear Since trad is often learned by climbing second, you won’t need an extensive rack initially, but make sure you have a Nut Key clipped to your harness with a loop sling for removing gear. R. Get comfortable leading sport climbs. They are comprised of two halves: one half is a paddle and the other is a flat ball which tracks up and down a central groove on the paddle when the trigger is pulled or released. Jun 21, 2024 · Climbing nuts (also called chocks) are like a cheaper, simpler and lighter version of cams and are also used in trad climbing (Image credit: gubernat) Climbing nuts (also called chocks) are also used in trad climbing. Jun 15, 2012 · The Friend camming device, introduced way back in 1977, has been completely revamped for the third time in its illustrious history to create Wild Country Helium Friends ($65 to $75, wildcountry. But for those that have used them for free climbing, especially on less traveled granite, and in the alpine, they tend to become an invaluable addition to the rack for many climbs. Most of the force is transferred in the direction it is being pulled (in most cases, down and slightly May 6, 2025 · The lightest carabiners tend to be the smallest ones, and these are best reserved for use while alpine climbing or on long multi-pitch routes, or when you need to carry your gear a long distance. Nuts, also called stoppers or chocks, are essential for narrow cracks and constrictions where cams may not fit. Here at The Adventure Junkies, we will help you determine the best carabiner for your needs. . At a Glance. 9mm which makes it similar in size to some of the smallest brass soldered nuts available. They are cheap, light and durable. Technically, racking carabiners can be any carabiner you have – they become a racking carabiner when they start holding, or “racking” your gear. That’s not a bad thing, but make sure that you’re excited to use your gear. Think of micro-nuts as a last resort—you need a piece of gear and the only option is the tiniest crack where only a micro-nut fits. Sean McNally May 7, 2014 · In reply to Rick Graham: Agree - i'm probably counting on friction from the immobile cam (an unmeasured quantity) rather than any camming action. DMM manufacture a range of nuts to fit all occasions, but for starting out we recommend a full 1-11 set of Wallnuts, which are designed to fit into tapered cracks, and a set of Alloy Offsets which are an irregular shape to fit into flared cracks. Dec 17, 2024 · As opposed to sport climbing, there are no pre-drilled holes or fixed anchor points in trad climbing. May 21, 2020 · Here, we will give a short list of trad climbing essentials, and then offer our simplified buyers guide to traditional rock climbing gear. Jun 29, 2021 · Excited to be buying the first bits of lead gear to build your trad rack? So are we! Our climbing gear walls have been described as some of the best in Europe (by our International Reps who know a thing or two) and as boulderers, sport climbers, trad climbers and mountaineers ourselves we LOVE to talk about gear. May 19, 2023 · Check out our picks in our best climbing harness review. It's designed to wedge into the narrowest part of that crack. Ultimately, the best way to truly know what the right nut set for you is to go out and try them for yourself at your local outdoor store or by sampling your friends’ gear. No article or video can replace proper instruction and experience. We scour the internet for new awards quarterly. 100% Satisfaction Guarantee Apr 29, 2024 · Still, climbing hardware continues to evolve, from refinements on classic gear like belay devices, to more-ergonomic iterations of staples like quickdraws, to more compact and lighter designs. Standard nuts are the backbone of any traditional climbers rack. So, with that out of the way, here are some of our top trad climbing essentials for the fall of 2024. They are made of a flexible wire which is threaded through a hard 'nut' of metal. co. Learn more about How to Choose Climbing Gear. Let our team of climbing experts help you find the best climbing shoes, top climbing harnesses, and climbing ropes for your needs and budget. We've worn these brain buckets in all manners of conditions, from multi-pitch trad to single-pitch sport. They are a more difficult to clean than most of the nuts we tested. Oct 31, 2024 · Our climbing experts have been testing the best climbing nuts and stoppers for over 10 years and over 15 different sets. The nuts are inserted into cracks in the rock, a carabiner is attached to the nut and the rope is then pased through the carabiner Photo: boesgaard / getty images Oct 29, 2021 · We field tested 7 of the best climbing nut tools in 2025 from top brands like Metolius and Black Diamond. Nuts Buying Guide. In this update, we purchased 7 of the best sets and slid them into cracks of all sizes across the United States. A nut works best in tapering narrow- to medium-width cracks. Design and Function: Nuts are wedge-shaped metal pieces Oct 25, 2024 · This is because offset nuts are at their best where cams don't work at all, namely in pin scars, less parallel-sided cracks, and small flaring pots. Climbing Nuts 101 will help you make that decision when you're getting your first gear for trad climbing. Curved nuts have a concave face on one side and a convex face on the other. These Alloy Offsets are tapered perfectly to fit into old pin scared pods and other similar flares where a cam or more traditionally tapered nut would be marginal at best. Value DMM Wallnuts are in the middle with respect to price. Editor’s Choice: Metolius Roll Up Stick Clip Kit ($225) Jan 7, 2019 · Nuts are still an essential part of any climber's rack. To get the best possible placement, strive to maximize the surface area of the wedge that's in contact with the rock. Jun 24, 2024 · Best for Technical Alpine Climbing: Blue Ice Choucas Pro; Best for Mountaineering: Petzl Altitude; Best for Projecting: Arc’teryx AR-395a; Best For Multi-Pitch: Petzl Sitta; How I Tested the Best Climbing Harnesses The author climbed and performed crevasse rescue training in the best climbing harnesses. Mar 22, 2021 · The first is: make sure you really want to build a trad rack. Great prices and free UK shipping on orders over £60. They protect your head from things falling on you (rocks, equipment, etc. Your climbing safety is your responsibility. Open navigation menu Open search Nuts. They place easily and placements are average to assess. Oct 19, 2021 · They're an essential part of any climber's trad rack, but what makes the best climbing nuts? There's many different styles and brands to choose from when deciding on which ones you're going to buy. If you'd like to narrow down your search by what others consider to be, "The Best Gear" this is your filter. Climbing nuts exert very little outwards force on the rock, unlike cams. At GearLab, we've tested a wide variety of climbing gear over the past decade+ and have recommendations for every climber, from beginner to expert. Buying gear that sits in your closet is like buying a Ferrari that never leaves the garage. This protection, also called pro, is placed in cracks and fissures as you climb up, and then removed, or cleaned, when you’re done, so all you leave on the rock is a few chalk marks. Aug 8, 2022 · Four nuts. Shop for Climbing Protection at REI - Browse our extensive selection of trusted outdoor brands and high-quality recreation gear. Less versatile than cams and nuts. Feb 2, 2024 · By following the selection we outlined in this article, you can be sure of finding the best climbing nuts for trad climbing. Cramming all your nuts onto one carabiner makes it hard to find the one you want, and if you drop this carabiner, you'll have no nuts. Shop climbing gear, helmets, mountain equipment, and boots at Backcountry. The initials are iconic. In an ideal world, the second can just grab the nut by its wire and gently maneuver it out of the placement, clip it to their harness and continue free climbing (the best style). Ball nuts are a seldom used type of climbing gear which offer protection in thin cracks, filling the void where even the smallest cams are too big to fit. ) and also from your head hitting the rock if you fall. Apr 4, 2025 · The Black Diamond Camalot Ultralights are everything we love about the original Camalot C4s with a weight reduction of 25%. No one tests climbing gear as extensively and thoughtfully as we do, and our review What gear to carry, where to carry it and how to rack it are key considerations as you progress in your skills as a lead trad climber. Because of their wedged shape, nuts are not well suited to parallel-sided cracks. I personally use straight-gate Spirits to rack nuts, because I find the smooth shape and keylock nose make for easy handling on-route. Below, you’ll find the best climbing hardware available in 2024. Find the latest clothing and bouldering essentials from top climbing brands. I suppose all gear has a place on the scale from crap to bomber and its a calculation balancing the difficulty of the climbing against the quality and quantity of available pro that propels us upwards or on occasion send me scuttling back to the ground Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Lowe Camp TriCam Chock, Nuts Only, Trad Rock Climbing Gear, Lot of 4, VTG 1990's at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products! Posted by u/deadphish1 - 9 votes and 35 comments Nuts are an essential for every trad climber. Trad climbing to me is all about moving over gorgeous stretches of stone, leaving only a bit of chalk and boot rubber Location of gear test on Mt Hood. There are unlimited options and a lot of trad climbing equipment so it can be a challenge to create your first set of gear. 2. Wallnuts are expensive but very durable. Size: Fluke - 11 x 6-¾ in (Large) Color: aluminum Weight: Fluke 8- ¾ oz (Large) Suggested price: Fluke - $50 for version tested (L), $40 for small Warranty: standard Cascades Designs Limited Warranty Background: Over the years, I have used a variety of commercially and homemade pickets and flukes, almost exclusively for practicing crevasse rescues Dec 19, 2012 · A dynamic climbing rope to hang on your anchor. This will build confidence and a good “lead head,” meaning your ability to deal with fear and the mental challenge of climbing above gear. Nov 23, 2021 · Nut Cleaning. Read on for discussion of these gear groups or head straight to the pricing example. Apr 14, 2025 · As someone who has spent countless hours fiddling with gear and testing gear on the rock, I’ve got a few favorites that have earned a permanent spot in my rack. This is pieces of climbing gear, that a climber will use to protect the climb. We were initially skeptical that these lightweight climbing cams wouldn't hold up as well as their predecessors, but after a couple of years of use at this point, they've held many falls, been up quite a few large walls, and are in just as good a shape as when we bought them. Apr 27, 2022 · A wave of articles followed: Robbins’ “Nuts to You” in the Californiabased climbing magazine Summit; Tom Frost’s “Preserving the Cracks” in the 1972 American Alpine Journal; and perhaps most eloquently, Doug Robinson’s “The Whole Natural Art of Protection” in one of clean climbing’s holy scripts, the 1972 Chouinard Equipment 4 days ago · Trigger keeper in action on the Black Diamond #4 Quick Review. May 6, 2025 · Helmets and Harnesses. A close-up of a climber’s harness loaded with various trad climbing gear, including carabiners, cams, and quickdraws, essential for traditional climbing setups. Specialized small crack protection. If it's on the market, we've most surely gotten our mitts on it. We’re here to help you choose the best climbing cams so you can jam your way up that next crack Find great deals on Climbing nuts Mountain Climbing Gear, including discounts on the Metolius 4 Step 1" Aider Ladder Green 1IN. His 1972 Chouinard Equipment catalog manifesto on clean climbing is just as relevant today as it was back then. For climbers they conjure up all kinds of memories: tiny brass wires sitting new on your rack, shiny and angular and coated in a light sheen of oil; contemplating a runout above the small comforts of a green #3 RP, its scratched, dull head buried deep in a crack. Nuts are a versatile piece of rock protection and the foundation of any trad rack. Even “old school” climbers who learned to climb when passive protection reigned supreme have now mostly switched over to placing more cams than nuts on any given pitch. The Spirit’s talents aren’t limited to sport climbing, however. Sep 8, 2022 · Rock climbing nuts may not provide the same level of versatile, multi-directional protection as cams, but they are still essential gear for any trad climber. Oct 23, 2021 · With one at each end, the Spirit Express quickdraw is the BMW of the sport-climbing world — pricey, but so nice to drive. From belaying to rappelling, clipping bolts to racking trad gear, every climber’s kit includes a variety of carabiners, and different ones are better for different applications. Aug 22, 2024 · Then consider that trad climbing allows you to explore some of the most beautiful climbing areas in the world while also avoiding the crowds that now seem to be the norm at most sport crags. In this article, we'll discuss some best practices for assembling your "rack" — all your nuts, cams, carabiners, 'draws, etc. We noted the overall design of each stopper, especially the groove design that could offer a better “ bite ” in textured stone. They aren’t quite as strong as standard nuts, but they’re certainly strong enough to hold some if not most climbing falls. Feb 8, 2020 · The Best Campsites Around Big Bear California - February 26, 2021; Hiking to the Hollywood Sign Via the Brush Canyon Trail - July 13, 2020; Dirt Cheap Hiking and Backpacking Gear: The Most Affordable Gear on the Internet - July 4, 2020 A climbing helmet is the first thing you should buy when you start trad climbing. Some climbing gear isn’t too expensive, but even with good deals, you’ll be dropping some dough. Instead of clipping bolts, you are looking for natural features, cracks, or constrictions to place traditional climbing equipment like nuts and cams. Nov 18, 2016 · My best advice is to take notes from the clean-climbing pioneers like Doug Robinson and strive to minimize impact. They are most necessary while trad climbing as a way to hold all the cams and nuts on your harness or gear sling. Here are our in-depth reviews! Climbing Technology 'Carved Chocks' are standard anodised curved nuts that come in a 11 sizes although that does include three sizes which most would consider as micro-nuts. Huge range of rock climbing and mountaineering gear, clothing and shoes from all the best brands. As per their original purpose, all the tools we looked at do an adequate job of cleaning nuts. Jan 6, 2020 · Even now, after several updates and a lot more fierce competition, they remain one of the very best nuts for the tiniest of fissures and are our Top Pick for a Micro Nut. Compared to cams, they’re lighter and considerably cheaper, so it makes a lot of sense to have a good set of nuts clipped to your climbing harness, especially for longer routes. Dec 13, 2009 · Wallnuts were among the best performing nuts in parallel sided cracks. If you need to add some new climbing protection to your rack, check out our comprehensive climbing nuts review and climbing cam review. Typically when May 17, 2024 · Micro-nuts, as you might expect, are smaller nuts. It's common to have 10-15 nuts split onto 2-3 carabiners for a typical climb. Nuts are available in different shapes to help the climber find the best fit for a given crack. The average climber carries between 12 and 24 nuts. Learn more about climbing helmets. This is a pretty gear-intensive endeavor, and some of what you carry comes down to Oct 28, 2016 · Trad climbing requires a large and somewhat complex set of gear that’s used instead of bolts to stop a fall. Compare the latest Climbing Nuts prices, reviews at Searchub. The tiny size 1 is actually only 3. Larger nuts can be placed in either of two aspects (hexes in three aspects) to suit different-width cracks, with either the main faces or the sides in contact with the rock. Read Time - 9 minutes. The Black Diamond Camalot C4 is the gold standard climbing cam and recent improvements have shaved 10% of weight off of these workhorses. Our team has 10 years of experience in testing helmets. Both the Joe Brown shops, and The Climbers Shop have been supplying climbers and Oct 1, 2020 · So you’ve taken up climbing, but decided that sport climbing is too soft and you’re looking for a bit more grit, pain, and fear. Trad Climbing Essential Gear: A climbing harness filled up with trad climbing gear, including nuts, cams, locking carabiners and slings. Sep 12, 2024 · Nuts are a fundamental part of trad climbing gear. Top quality, great selection and expert advice you can trust. Nuts prefer to be organized by size and racked in groups of 4-7 per carabiner. May 2020. Memorize the ROCK STARS acronym, and read up on how to place gear using educational books and reliable internet sources. Protection: Tools We Stick into Cracks Nuts / Chocks "Nuts" or "chocks" are generic terms referring to a wide variety of tapered metal chunks, threaded on strong wires, which climbers wedge into cracks for protection. DMM Wallnuts – Editors Choice; Black Diamond Stoppers – Best Affordable Climbing Nuts; DMM Alloy Offsets – Best Offset Nuts; DMM Wallnuts – Editors Choice May 9, 2024 · The Best Climbing Nuts and Stoppers. Nuts. 4 days ago · Best Climbing Nuts. Anyone who wants to do traditional rock climbing needs a few things: A Looking for climbing gear? Whether your goal is the gym, the crag, the mountains, or a big wall, we've got your covered. Sign-up for newsletter and get 15% off your order. While hardly a day-in, day-out piece of protection for everyday trad climbing, they are considered mandatory on any big wall aid route or free climb that requires tiny protection. Ball Nuts? For those that have heard of them but have never tried them, they are thought of as a piece of aid climbing pro or a relic from a bygone climbing era. Make sure you practice the proper techniques and safety guidelines before you climb. uk). From cams to carabiners, from nuts to tricams. Group your nuts by size with small nuts (including brass and copper micros) on one carabiner, medium nuts on another, and big nuts on a third (if you’re carrying more than 16 nuts). They're a metal wedge that goes into a crack in the rock and a metal wire attaches to your rope via a quickdraw. A set of 10 to 12 nuts will be sufficient for your first experiences. In this post, I’ll dive into mini reviews of three of my top picks when it comes to climbing nuts. Jul 28, 2022 · That’s a lot of gear! Traditional or “Trad” climbing involves placing your own protection as you climb. At a mere 23g, the BD MiniWire is far and away the lightest carabiner included in this review, and also the smallest. However, most climbers tend to try to place cams first if the rock allows. Double Cap. The best way to rack these is on two or three oval carabiners with six to eight nuts per biner. May 17, 2025 · When you’re climbing with ropes, whether sport, trad, or toprope, you need carabiners for so many different reasons. For Dec 29, 2022 · Editor’s note: Roland Pauligk, 79, passed away in January 2017 following a battle with cancer. Climbing Ropes: How to Choose; Quickdraws: How to Choose Jun 2, 2015 · Simply put, a racking carabiner is any carabiner used to keep gear on your harness. Using a sliding ball-and-ramp, BallNutz protect small parallel-sided cracks better than any other piece of protection available and they fit where the only other option for pro would be pounding a pin. Those interested in this sport, need quite a bit of trad climbing gear. We’re including all the media awards from the magazines like Climbing, Rock and Ice, and Alpinist, along with online resources like Gear Junkie, Outdoor Gear Labs, and more. They come in various sizes and colors. Based on our research and testing, we think the DMM Alloy Offsets are the best Climbing Nuts and Stoppers on the market right now, for anyone looking to play hard outside. — on a gear sling or harness gear loops (or a combo) so you'll be able to quickly reach what you need during your climb. In order to test this metric, we set off climbing in locations that are best known for their textured rock as opposed to smooth sandstone or glacial polished rock. Trad Protection The leader places trad gear (protection) in cracks and fissures as they climb up. P. Well, trad climbing is your answer! Unlike the early days, modern trad climbers have access to gear such as spring-loaded camming devices, commonly known as cams. In the beginning of your trad climbing career you should focus on building a solid nut rack and learning to place them well. vcjqv tuhc dmjxf hoqkpk kezc wwlbho prmx yqsl ulysgl iqth