Climbing nuts vs hexes reddit Jan 8, 2024 · In the late 1980s into the 1990s in UK climbing, there was a decisive move away from a mix of individually racked hexes of all sizes & medium nuts on cord towards using only larger hexes, plus nuts on wire (with quickdraws) due to ease of use. ETA: If you do get hexes, get the WC rockcentrics or DMM torque nuts. In Valle orco, which is my go to climbing spot, thin cracks have a lot of constrictions and nuts work ok on them most of the time. I carry a 5 m cordolette tied together with a double fisherman knot. Also hexes work much better when you are Scottish winter climbing. 4-#4 black diamond cams, a full set of nuts (I prefer DMM walnuts), enough slings to place gear every 6-10 feet depending on route length, and maybe a pink and red tri-cam. if you plan on doing mixed climbing in the long run, you'll probably end up wanting at least some hexes. if you plan to only do cragging, the majority of people would suggest you save for cams. Double Cap. 5-3 C4 cam size. In reply to derms: Seems a bit of an "apple versus Pears" type question. Most nut placements here take offsets much better than straight ones. American climber here who’s beginner rack started with BD nuts. Most trad here in Stockholm is face climbing broken up granite and I personally place my HB offsets more than even cams. If this doesn't work, tap it from below with your nut tool. They can be placed passively (like a nut) or actively (like a cam), depending on the orientation and features in the rock. My ideal rack is probably going to be a 2-1 ratio of cams to nuts, with other gear added as needed for different climbs. you can supplement with bigger or smaller gear if you need to. Active pro refers mainly to cams, unless you are climbing a wide crack (called an offwidth), which might require the active pro known as a Big Bro. For unknown long climbs . set of nuts. . They do also work in irregular/chossy/slimy cracks. I have a friend who climbs in JTree a lot, and he swears to them so presumably there is a geological feature there that eats them as well. 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. 2 to 4?) and getting used to what you like and don't like before getting doubles. If you plan on getting into leading, skip these and just get a set of cams - they will be way more useful. Which neither of us own. From what I’ve been hearing, don’t place nuts in horizontal cracks and place cams instead. Offset hexes were the norm when I started to climb in 1977. I can confirm that they’re inferior to most other nuts. Usually one or two hits and it rattles loose. For everyday cragging, you won't miss them. Once I started climbing on gear routes that physically challenged my climbing ability the rapid placement of a cam became welcome[1]. The hex is meant to be able to be placed in 4 different attitudes. Posted by u/deadphish1 - 9 votes and 35 comments So I’ve recently started trad climbing and have only led 2 very easy ones (5. I find the hexes and offsets tend to have the strongest placements and get placed more often but I definely still use the nuts a lot. Anyone who says that stoppers are all the same, have never climbed pitches that have finicky gear and aren’t protectable without good nut placements. Sep 6, 2013 · The Tricam is a puzzling piece: It’s delightfully simple, with no active—or moving—parts, yet it has more potential uses than either a spring-loaded camming device (SLCD) or a standard nut. 75. Obviously this resulted in carrying more equipment so was heartily encouraged by gear manufacturers. This! If you are doing TR only, they are my favorite hexes and you can set up probably any TR with just hexes and nuts - but they can be a pain to use in "cam mode" with just one hand. 5 and #0. Re-sling the hexes, though. If you must carry a full rack, they can be racked in groups of 2-4 per carabiner. Wired Hexentric Ughhhhh, the point of the hex has apparently been lost on everyone since they came out in the 70's. Posted by u/Horse_Glue_Knower - 5 votes and 29 comments Posted by u/[Deleted Account] - 59 votes and 44 comments Moved Permanently. Hexes are a great addition and I find that I use my hexes on about half the routes I climb. Classic, simple, lightweight, functional pro, Black Diamond Hexes shine in rapidly widening cracks where cams might walk out. Depends where you'll be climbing. Learn the skills to stay safe and have confidence when climbin Oct 28, 2016 · Trad climbing requires a large and somewhat complex set of gear that’s used instead of bolts to stop a fall. For a university rock climbing wall, the chalk bag should still be useful. Wild Country Rockcentrics are an excellent choice. Just use the sideways long end of the nut tool and smack the hex as hard as you can from the wire or sling side like your hitting something with a hammer. 3” for wedgeshaped nuts and 3. Next time you have a route with a long approach that uses a double rack, take the tricams instead of the second set. 4 days ago · How much does a full rack of climbing nuts cost? A full rack of climbing nuts will cost around $120. if the rock type is suited to offsets have a set of theirs also. Neil Gresham gives us a masterclass in the basics of placing nuts as Trad climbing protection. Folks have explained to you the nut but the wired hex is older. Hexes are lighter, cheaper, and scare the bears away. As both #11 nuts in both brands are about the same size. With a subtly asymmetrical cross-section, flat sides and slight end-wise taper, they offer three different widths when turned on their axes and another when placed end-wise. Also have a few micros of offsets & stopper/rock/nuts. Hexes are cheaper than cams, cams can "walk" hexes don't, they are lighter than a cam and can take a beating especially if you do chimney climbs alot. These were fiddly to place for freeclimbing and tended to lift out but could still be used for aid climbing. Typically you wont need them unless a route description says so. Plenty of people use cams but don't use hexes. Nut and Hexes Ranging in size from the thickness of a matchstick to the size of your clenched fist, nuts (also called chocks, wires or stoppers) and hexes are inexpensive pieces of trad protection. The judgement we need to select a placements for Hexes and Tri cams is very similar to selecting a nut placement. 5 and 5. Where as your standard nut has two. In the end for most use cases the halfnuts are probably fine but maybe not optimal. Apologies again for the firehose of comments, I like to nerd out about climbing nuts and hexes. The downside being that hexes are easier to place incorrectly. Posted by u/Sigmund--Fraud - 29 votes and 71 comments. You can hammer them into icy cracks. 6 or so alpine draws a few of your sport quickdraws, some 7mm cord to build anchors and some lockers. I usually bring a few hexes with me if I read in the guide book that they are helpful but I like the versatility of a cam more. yosemite) then they are nice i think. Posted by u/PaulDaPigeon - 5 votes and 23 comments Sep 16, 2011 · In reply to derms: Seems a bit of an "apple versus Pears" type question. I'm looking to buy some cams/nuts/hexes for building top ropes and or rappels at Joshua Tree. (Nuts are the foundation on which UK trad climbing is built). Double up 2-7. Learn how to use nuts and hexes. Jun 21, 2022 · It's because hexes are best thought of (and most often used as) giant nuts (which can be used as cams in some situations), whereas tricams are best thought of as cams and used as such. Over our years of testing, we've amassed quite a collection of climbing gear and have plenty of recommendations, from the top-rated climbing harnessess and ropes to belay devices and climbing helmets . I'd get a full rack of nuts (if you want to save money maybe not buy the first couple small guys), the mid to small sizes in hexes and webbing/cordelette. there's a lot of information in the stickied post on this sub but standard rack is doubles . The Phoenix (13a) for example. 5” for six-sided hexes. While there are several different types of passive pro, including hexes, chocks, and Tricams, the most common type is the nut, also called a stopper. Then you could have made the decision, informed by experience that you do not, nor will you ever need will never need hexes. every area is different but that one fits a large majority of climbs. I love my torque nuts, but in the end it's best if you're familiar with as many types of gear as possible, so collect a variety (Including hexes which many people won't/don't know how to Offset cams are nice for flaring pin scars-- if you climb places where this is common (e. Black Diamond Offset Stoppers will work perfectly as a I haven't used their torque nuts but I've used other companies hexes a bit. May 2020. At crags with splitter cracks, I obviously place more cams. 7). I've recently started trad climbing as well and am using DMM nut set 3 (includes a set of nuts, offsets and hexes). I will be picking up one to fill the gap between by DMM's and sets of nuts. 3-1 (black->blue) weighs less than a #0. You really can do almost anything on passive gear. (which is what torque nuts are). That being said this method is not for the feint of heart. I think they’re just what we buy here and then don’t think about it. That being said, I love cams. Nuts Buying Guide. Share gear, it's muuuuuuch cheaper this way too. I like hexes. com Feb 20, 2021 · In short, cams will go most places hexes will go (more quickly and easily), but hexes won't go a lot of places cams will. offsets nuts are really nice to have Oct 31, 2024 · If you're using climbing nuts, you'll probably want to purchase a nut tool to help retrieve wedged nuts and stuck cams. I currently don't have any cams/nuts/hexes on my rack and would like some advice on what sizes I should get. Nuts and hexes (although I dislike hexes) are perfectly adequate and safe. One of the best value for climbing nuts is the full set of Black Diamond Stoppers, which come in at $119. 5mm cord appears to be fairly common for this application, but use the thickest cord that will fit. Another upside of using strictly hexes and nuts is that if/when you decide to invest in cams you have a better understand of where works well for what kind of gear. if you can place a hex = elephant bomb proof! but the weight, take only what you expect to place size 3 & 6 if you have a full set of nuts. Easy to rack and pla Write for UKC Gear Latest Gear Gear News Gear Reviews Competitions Latest Deals Product Videos 1. First off is the rock secure than then you need to look at how well the device sits in the shape of crack. A typical trad rack will contain 10-12 nuts and maybe one or two mid-size hexes. 5. I would not use the locking carabiner, there have been significant advances since then. For any beginner trad climber I'd have suggested starting with a much smaller rack (maybe nuts, and single from 0. As noted by u/muenchener it might date from the late 70's but I suspect it's from earlier then that. Hexes clean as quickly as a nut that you need a nut tool to get out, often times quicker. For large cracks they are great. 4'-5' per length of cord, giving a loop somewhere in the 18" to 20" range is usually good, but this has a lot to do with your preference. Happy Climbing! I grew up climbing at the Lake and started off using hexes, nuts, webbing and some cordelette. 4 to 3 Abalaks seems like a good way to expand my rack on the cheap especially on the smaller sizes of active pro. When I started getting into trad, I thought I was gonna hate them, and was going to rely on mainly nuts, hexes, and tricams. Traditional climbing: use at your own risk. 1. I'm not looking to lead trad climbs, I just want some pro for building anchors. Read Time - 9 minutes. Nuts=Stoppers Have a full set. Trying to master my gear placement though. 25” wide—and go up to about 1. The document has moved here. Mostly though, look at what you'll be climbing. Often, a little wiggle will unseat the nut, enabling it to be pushed up and out. But for the record; things harder than I'll ever climb were established with nuts and hexes. There is also a ton of natural protection there as well. If that doesn't work either, hold your nut tool under the nut and hit it with a big hex. And yes we are scared of falling. So, one could argue that each hex has the benefit of being more diverse. 6. Good places to stand and place and fiddle with a hex are good places to break an ankle. A set from 0. Offset nuts are considered more of a supplement, whereas standard ones are just that: standard. People learn with nuts, thus hexes get bought as giant nuts. Also there has been talk about buying whole DMM torque set (4 pieces) to supplement our cams for belays, and save cams for hard climbing. The figure 8 is probably still good; but no one uses them anymore. When I started trad climbing, I couldn't afford the cams, so I led exclusively on nuts, hexes, and tricams for probably 40 of my first 50 pitches on gear. Moved Permanently. Most of the time, you'll only be carrying one or two hexes. We like to compliment the Black Diamond Stoppers with a set of offset nuts. The hexes and stoppers are worth keeping, but not useful on a climbing wall. The weight however can not be complained about at all Nov 23, 2016 · Hey Matt, if you are going up the learning curve in trad climbing, I highly recommend you buying hexes. Aug 8, 2022 · A typical set of nuts, also called wires or chocks, consists of 10 to 12 pieces that start small—less than . Posted by u/PulpFiction849 - 16 votes and 29 comments Use 7 mm cord - it makes a huge difference in strength. I think the torque nuts are a cool design and if I was wealthy I'd probably get some. In the beginning of your trad climbing career you should focus on building a solid nut rack and learning to place them well. One thing to note is that if you have a full set of DMM Wallnuts, you can expand your nut selection by getting Wild Country Rocks sizes 12, 13, and 14. Trusting a cam is certainly easier than trusting a nut or hex. 95. See full list on rei. To be removed from a crack, a nut will need to reverse the way it went in. g. I hung out with a professional guide in JTree for a bit who only had offsets for his climbing there, since the majority of cracks are flaring, water-made cracks. In the sizes that nuts are available on wire, then I think nuts are better, but if the question were hexes versus cams, when getting to say a 2. My question is, if I’ve used all my cams earlier on a climb. it's dangerous. 17K subscribers in the tradclimbing community. A single rack of . You'll find in the UK, most climbers skip the cams for their first rack and will opt for hexes instead as they are cheaper and work very similarly to nuts. Therefore we've been thinking on buying maybe one big Hex or blue DMM's torque nut just in case we might need something so big for the route. Note, once you use this thing, it is nearly impossible to untie so if you want spare cord for something else, I would buy extra and use bunny ear figure eights which you can untie. In which case, you can either put them on the same carabiner with your big nuts (for small hexes), or clip them further back on your harness on their own separate carabiner (for bigger sizes). The back story to this post is that a friend argues that a hex could be places where a cam could. 550 votes, 31 comments. I will have lot of webbing to wrap boulders when possible. The home of Climbing on reddit. Anywhere they work a cam usually will too though, so i don't use them too much, just once in awhile. Once I finally got out and started using some cams, I got hooked. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. Tricams have a reputation for being fiddly and slow to place, thus people buy cams instead. I have a super standard rack, full set of WC nuts and WC cams from . the whole "hexes aren't good" is definitely just an internet meme though. While the original unit had two placements (one passive, one active), the 28 votes, 22 comments. Still love the hexes for clanking up the old-school 5. The big decided is what kind of rock you climb and being able to see good nut placements. 5 cam or over then it would be a financial decision for me. Although some people prefer to use hexes instead of the larger size nuts. My opinions about a cam is that they are quicker to place, have much more room for a poorly judged crack width ("pretty sure its the blue hex, fuck, nope, lets try the purple, fuck that's way too big, maybe if i spin the blue one in this direction, shit my arm is tired, damn legs are shaking The Rockcentrics do come in more sizes, but mostly on the smaller end of the scale. Standard nuts are the backbone of any traditional climbers rack. 3M subscribers in the climbing community. These are “standard” sizes to look for when first building your rack. tnbmrk cayglp dav ucza mvgk mecupz hisswlt uyxu glib casehd