Rock climbing nuts vs hexes reddit. I've seen both positive and negative about hexes and nuts.

Rock climbing nuts vs hexes reddit May 31, 2020 · Want to buy me a coffee or the boy a dog treat?! http://bit. Jun 11, 2012 · I grew up trad climbing in Australia in the 90s where bolts were something only occasionally seen as a rap anchor and the standard rack looked like this: 2-3 sets of nuts 1 Full set of slung hexes up to #9 or #10 3-6 cams Lots of knotted slings and loose biners I recall only once or twice seeing Subscribed 312 18K views 3 years ago Placing Hexes https://rockclimb. I've been told Red Rock is amazing for passive pro, so it'll be a lot of practicing to get more comfortable with the passive stuff. Best of luck and have fun placing gear and climbing. From what I understand, you should have normal sized cams like C4's, small cams like C3's or TCU's, nuts, hexes, and possibly a couple of tricams and link cams. Learn how to place hexes; how to use them passively (like a nut) or actively so they cam into cracks. Which brand is the gold standard for cam sizing? 864 votes, 72 comments. The common denominator is that they are removable, as opposed to fixed gear that is permanently secured to the rock (such as bolts). Instead, the rope flows over them, pushed to the surface of the crack by the unmoving mass of metal. e. Nuts are an essential for every trad climber. . But if you’re new to trad climbing, how do you make sure that you’re getting the best climbing nuts? With climbing experience, you build your own personal preference. In the beginning of your trad climbing career you should focus on building a solid nut rack and learning to place them well. Here is my thought and correct me if I'm wrong. Sometimes, if there is a long space between bolts or I climb past the anchor, it might be nice to have something that I could secure myself with. 3M subscribers in the climbing community. We have been climbing for a while, guiding professionally I respect that dmm offsets are probably better but a literal machine nut on string will make bomber gear on solid California granite in exfoliation regions where you get a lot of segmented cracks with good tapers too them. These are truly solid and confidence inspiring pieces of rock protection. - Imgur imgur comments sorted by Best Top New Controversial Q&A Add a Comment basementbrewer • Additional comment actions Jan 22, 2010 · Find rock climbing routes, photos, and guides for every state, along with experiences and advice from fellow climbers. Classic, simple and light, these #4–10 Black Diamond Wired Hexentric hexes offer a wide range of placements across climbing conditions and shine in rapidly widening cracks where cams might walk out. Apr 14, 2021 · So, looking at these estimates above, we are looking at $745 for a basic trad climbing rack with a set of nuts, a handful of the most used cams, a safe number of alpine draws and some equipment to build anchors and a nut tool. Place a hex (okay, fine, a nut) at the apex of a roof or when the angle mellows out to keep the rope running smoothly. Most nut placements here take offsets much better than straight ones. 51 votes, 73 comments. Active protection is achieved by orienting the webbing so that a pull causes a camming action against the rock similar to Tricams, allowing for placement in parallel cracks. I don't carry them in the Gunks (my home crag) but I carry them in other places I've been to. 4, they were super easy, I think I’ve got my bearing for difficulty. How effective different types of protection are will depend entirely on what sort of rock you'll be placing them in, so you really need local advice. If you plan to travel down to the gunks (worth it) buy a set of tricams (consider double pinks). Nov 19, 2025 · Climbing nuts are one of the first pieces of trad protection climbers will purchase. 1 day ago · The move from nuts / cams to just cams - SuperTopo's climbing discussion forum is the world's most popular community discussion forum for people who actively climb outdoors. In this update, we purchased 7 of the best sets and slid them into cracks of all sizes across the United States. Reddit's rock climbing training community. Get a guide book to your area and look at the descriptions for the climbs you want to do and then buy the extra gear you need. In addition, DMM's marketing is full of crap that those four hex's take the place of six hex's. So far my favorite things to place have been the DMM torque nuts (hexes), which have been quicker for me to place and much more solid when pulled from any direction. They place easier and set harder. Nov 30, 2017 · One of the key pieces of a beginner's rock climbing rack, Hexes are a cheaper alternative to camming devices for protection for wider cracks. The home of Climbing on reddit. Gear Placements – Hexes and Tri Cams The judgement we need to select a placements for Hexes and Tri cams is very similar to selecting a nut placement. That said, folks climbed a lot on nuts, hexes, and tricams before modern camming devices were invented. Certainly a good deal better than Black Diamond Hexcentrics, and far, far better than Metolius Ultralight Curved hexes. Now it is time to climb and build upon it. 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. Our climbing protection is the trusted industry standard and we're always improving performance. Nuts and hexes are much more useful as a beginner (maybe not hexes as much). 5 mm. Most trad here in Stockholm is face climbing broken up granite and I personally place my HB offsets more than even cams. Aug 8, 2022 · Four nuts. I'd love to try the DMM nuts since everyone and their mom has a hard on for them. Placing nuts are intuitive, they are inexpensive, and will last you a long time. If you’re not climbing much above 5. Depending on the brand these numbers can mean very different things. They have a smaller profile than hexes so they work in akward placements where a hex will only fit half way in. Regular nuts go, I would get a set of regular nuts, just because they are cheaper and you can probably picked up a used set for 40ish bucks on Mountain Project. Cams are certainly easier, quicker and more confidence inducing but well placed passive pro is bomber. Oct 1, 2011 · I think I prefer a cam to nuts when climbing a route where the only protection is available in breaks. 5->3), a set of hexes and a standard set of nuts. For me they're more versatile than regular nuts. Although some people prefer to use hexes instead of the larger size nuts. Moved PermanentlyThe document has moved here. I'd recommend you ask people who climb in the same areas that you do (or in the areas that you want to climb) what protection works there. My boss has the biggest hex Black Diamond ever produced and has named it "Jeebus," and if you climb with him you're required to place the Jeebus. So far as climbing and gear goes be wary of anyone that has a hard and fast rule about anything, because the answer to most questions about anything is "it depends". Offset hexes were the norm when I started to climb in 1977. Rap rings. Like many things in the climbing community, preference for passive protection is based on what usually amounts to personal opinion. The chances that you'll need big gear is pretty small, and the hexes are light, cheap, and effective. Tricams The hex can also be used as a weighted sling (with the hex in the middle, and slings out each end) to help keep directional nuts in place. Tricams are next, but I want to get good with cams and nuts (especially nuts) before I get into hexes, ballnuts, and tricams. This article explains everything about using climbing nuts: placing, racking and removing them. We tested each through a wide range of fissures, scar pins, parallel-sided cracks, around blocks, and the like. Traditional climbing: use at your own risk. Shop for climbing hexes at Rock+Run for all your climbing equipment needs. My immediate group of climbing partners obsess over offset nuts. I will put a plug in for hexes, they are good if used strategically to keep the rope from falling into a crack. For example a DMM dragon #5 is 50 - 85 mm. IMO this is really the only way to save on gear. Nuts and Cams for Sport Climbing Hey Everyone, I've been top rope and lead climbing for a few years outside, and I just started to wonder if it might be worth buying a few Trad pieces. That being said, if you like hex's the Torque Nuts do compliment a set of Rockcentric's well as there are some slight sizing differences between the two brands. I find them invaluble in winter climbing though where cracks can be too icy for cams. All My Hexes Live in Texas Most alpine climbing you'd be doing shouldn't take more than a set of cams and a set of nuts unless you're doing big alpine rock routes like those in the Sierras. So I'm seeking potential burner nuts or replacement for the Trango As far as Offsets vs. A lot of the options for cutting cost on a trad rack don't actually save you money, just delay you spending it. You don't say where your largely climbing but for the Lake District offsets are a total revelation. Friends share racks. Learn how to place, remove and rack climbing hexes. I don't believe it. Reply reply lethossi • Normal VS Offset trad gear. Plus you can go on eBay and get a whole hex set for maybe $30 Particularly for the parallel horizontal crack with no constriction example. We used each while ascending wind-blown alpine Been trad climbing with some buddies for a while now and ready to commit and buy my own rack. "Rope climbing" makes more sense but that's not a term people are familiar with. Nuts Buying Guide Double Cap Read Time - 9 minutes May 2020 Standard nuts are the backbone of any traditional climbers rack. While the original unit had two placements (one passive, one active), the Folks have explained to you the nut but the wired hex is older. In order to place trad gear efficiently and securely, you must I've recently started trad climbing as well and am using DMM nut set 3 (includes a set of nuts, offsets and hexes). At crags with splitter cracks, I obviously place more cams. Reply reply mattambo_ • Oct 31, 2024 · Our climbing experts have been testing the best climbing nuts and stoppers for over 10 years and over 15 different sets. Nuts, also known as nuts or chocks, are small metal wedges that can be inserted into cracks in the rock to provide anchor points for climbers. I also run DMM offsets, I feel okay about them. I've seen both positive and negative about hexes and nuts. And I really love them nuts. I can imagine with a little experimentation you might find something that is great on your local rock type. when I'm not climbing that style, like if I'm on aeolian granite or breccia I'm largely loving cams May 1, 2022 · On the other hand, trad racks for lead climbing consist of quickdraws, runners and slings for clipping pro and building anchors, and an assortment of protection devices (cams, nuts, hexes, and so on), a cleaning tool, and more. They can be placed passively (like a nut) or actively (like a cam), depending on the orientation and features in the rock. 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. It's not worth using them in normal rock climbing if you already have enough cams. Going to invest in the peenuts soon, the small set, beccause offset nuts are so much better than regular ones. I'm torn between rockcentrics,and torque nuts, anyone have preferences? Climbing Sports comments sorted by Best Top New Controversial Q&A Add a Comment [deleted]• Additional comment actions Hexes may be placed either as passive or active protection. I started climbing at the Avon Gorge, where cams are definitely not recommended as a part of a starter rack. They make hexes in bigger sizes than nuts, and I've found them useful for wider constrictions for that reason. e. So I saw that article from a week ago saying hexes make you look like a noob. So I reach for whatever one is appropriate for the rock feature. I avoid these placements to begin with, but it's a good bonus to know about. And yes we are scared of falling. Don’t climb with a lesser setup if you don’t need to. g Hargreaves Original on nuts certainly requires big nuts. Yea it's fine but don't make hammer, pitons, and fig 8. I asked on MP, but got no responses. 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. Don't let DMM's marketing fool you though that those four sizes replace six sizes of conventional hexes. Learning to properly place protection is an essential skill as you progress as a trad climber. Dedicated to increasing all our knowledge about how to better improve at our sport. If you're starting on Granite splitters as mentioned above however, cams end up being safer and a more useful way to They have strengths and weaknesses, and I wouldn't argue that they're really an acceptable replacement for cams in modern trad climbing. Easy to rack and pla Feb 20, 2021 · Find rock climbing routes, photos, and guides for every state, along with experiences and advice from fellow climbers. Nut tool as well. 510 votes, 80 comments. These were fiddly to place for freeclimbing and tended to lift out but could still be used for aid climbing. In both places I have only had one bit of gear I wished I had but didn’t at the time. A black diamond C4 #5 is 85. nuts TRADITIONAL CLIMBING, ALSO CALLED TRAD CLIMBING OR JUST “TRAD,” is a particular style of roped climbing that involves placing your own protective equipment as you move up a climb, then removing it when you’re done. First off is the rock secure than then you need to look at how well the device sits in the shape of crack. The other granite place has this super spiky rock which had loads of placements for wild country rocks 11-14 (huge) and hexes. :) Reply reply [deleted] • Nuts and hexes all have a curved side, this is for camming them in, a fall will cam them in harder. Check out our great prices and latest deals! What nut sets do you own? And your opinion of it. 4-148. videomore When guidebooks or online resources describe what gear a route takes they just numbers, like "double set of 5s and 6s". I have money for about 6-7 cams and for the nuts I was planning 1-11 in normal nuts, 7-11 in offsets, a set of peenuts 1-5 and hexes, 1-4 Is this good for a beginner trad rack? All my biners are aluminum and the wires on my nuts and hexes are steel. it's dangerous. ly/3vhJwabOr buy a Sling Mountain T Shirt?! http://bit. After that, start picking up doubles in the useful sizes (as you climb more you figure out which ones you end up using a lot), but then definetly get some offsets. Is this approximately correct? How did you build your rack? Thanks Nuts, Hexes and Tricams for Rock Climbing https://rockclimb. This will teach you far more about trad climbing strategy, placing gear and the intricacies of placements on different rock types and routes, than Getting into leading trad routes? Learn how to choose types of passive protection, such as chocks, nuts and hexes. video ---------- Although "Rock Climb" will have more than 100 videos (7 hours+ of content), the program is designed to include maximum Hexes Similar to nuts, hexes are passive protection that are hexagonally shaped slung chocks that either slide into a constriction or cam into a placement due to their shape. I'm wanting to replace my Metolius Curved Hexes one through four with with something better and much more reliable in it's placement. I'd certainly round out your cam selection down to maybe the gold dragonfly before ever thinking about hexes for summer rock. I wouldn't worry about the cowbell noise too much - do you really think you'll be carrying a full set of hexes every time you go out? Jun 13, 2018 · I pretty much always carry my hexes and when I find a good placement for one, it is the most secure placement on the route. They come out easily one handed by the second smacking their nut tool sideways against them to jar them loose. Once placed you can set them fairly hard. I'm running old Tango "made by Hudy Sports" nuts, and I recently realized that they are actually offset in one plane and parallel in another plane. My rack is slowly coming together but right now I am borrowing gear when I lead from my fellow climbers. Jun 23, 2024 · Evolution of Sport Climbing Equipment Early Climbing Gear: Nuts and Hexes In the early days of sport climbing, climbers relied on nuts and hexes as their primary form of protection. The extend-able sling setup is brilliant and Buy some nuts and hexes but borrow your friends cams while leading. Some of my occasional partners don't own any (and we are obviously climbing in the same areas), so I'll grab mine to supplement the rack if we are climbing on their gear. It’s cold at the Lemmon, but the rock was worth it. You might also consider learning to tie knots in slings for pro as a last resort if your piece doesn't fit. Any suggestions on what a good “starter pack” would look like as far different cam/nut sizes? and then I can experiment and add to it based on need from there. So I try to stick with bouldering/top roping with climbers, and use "climbing" as a catch all, and with non-climbers I'll just explain that bouldering is like "rock climbing" but with mats instead of ropes. Jan 8, 2024 · In reply to ROFFER: I think it all depends on where you climb and what the rock type is. As noted by u/muenchener it might date from the late 70's but I suspect it's from earlier then that. You can definitely make nuts, hexes, and probably an atc/stich plate. Those wont' be of much use if you're free climbing. Placements that take hexes but not nuts or cams equally well are uncommon. can you eliminate the need for other stuff like hexes, and tricams?) Jan 24, 2023 · Trad climbing involves a wide array of gear, including nuts, hexes, cams, Big Bros, and more, to ensure climbers stay safe. Would you guys say the grades of sport and trad routes at RR are pretty on par, or should I drop down a couple grades for trad? Edit: did a 5. 82 votes, 51 comments. You can wedge that knot in some crazy cracks Cool story about the booty piece! I find myself being equally adept at placing bomber nut or hex pro provided it is a good hex design. Plus, in the right situation hexes are absolutely bomb poof. Wild Country Rockcentrics are an excellent choice. But I personally love smaller BD hexes for nuts. Apr 27, 2022 · In the 1920s, British climbers carried pebbles in their pockets, slotting them into cracks and tying them off (with hemp cord) for pro. It will all likely be much heavier than a commercial product but whatever. Between my BD nuts and my DMM offsets though which have a shape that allows for better placements in irregular cracks with crystals and things, I am very happy since the BDs have the most surface area in "smoother" cracks given more surface area of the nut on the rock compared to the DMM walnuts. Yr generally better off with cams instead for the "average" climber Now ive heard from partners that there are some places with irregular rock where cans fit better But overall around here very few people need or use hexes Cams are much faster to place and more stable in paralells We call hexes seagull bashers ;) Classic, simple, lightweight, functional pro, Black Diamond Hexes shine in rapidly widening cracks where cams might walk out. Very overwhelmed on where to start. 3 and 5. When placed passively they work like chock stones in flared cracks, like other climbing nuts, just larger and with a different shape. 85 votes, 37 comments. ly/3clZ1pcAt last! I’ve been waiting to do 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. 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. I think the camming action is exellent, and it comes in handy in Squamish often as the cracks can get a little uneven. They are often preferred by Sep 17, 2024 · Hexes (and nuts, too) contact the rock snuggly with no such space for the rope to cause mayhem. They are pretty decent, but in my opinion not the best hex. 20K subscribers in the tradclimbing community. Gear placement wasn’t a problem, and I even got a few bomber hex placements! Thanks so much everyone! Might be interesting to make some funky nut or hex shapes, like extreme offsets or taper. 1. Jun 21, 2022 · Hexes on wire are great, I just treat them like big nuts, particularly useful on classic Rock and winter routes. Here’s what you need to know about trad gear and tips to build your first trad climbing rack. There are many different types of trad pro, including cams, nuts, hexes, Tricams, Ballnuts and more. The parrel cracks you get in your region are really hard to protect with nuts and hexes and cams are just generally nice. Hexes on cord are just a massive faff and I've always struggled to get on with them. Sep 16, 2011 · Small Hexes vs nuts: in small placements nuts are going to be easier to seat, trying to cam a small hex is (probably) a nightmare so you might as well use a nut (as an uncammed hex is just a nut anyway). 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 climbing protection: when to use cams vs. Hexes were an extension of the machine nuts that climbing started using for protection. 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. 177 votes, 35 comments. Are they really that good? Is this obsession just my immediate environment or is it because offset nuts are really that great? I cut my teeth on the escarpment with a rack of BD cams (0. Oct 28, 2016 · From cams to nuts to hexes, learn the basics of trad gear with tips for buying your first rack. The big decided is what kind of rock you climb and being able to see good nut placements. Hexes, mainly work like big nuts, if you have cracks bigger than a nut, and too tapered for a cam you probably have a use for them; they can be cammed in too, but it's very fiddly to get right, and if you don't have to doing it on lead is madness. They are also great doubles for nuts since you're looking for passive gear. I climb mostly in Utah in rock canyon and Ibex with the occasional moab trip. Feb 2, 2024 · These origins and the heavily continued use of passive protection in England today, produce some of the best climbing nuts for trad climbing available today. They work well as either cheap starter gear or to complement a single set of cams on longer routes. 4M subscribers in the climbing community. Hexes, tricams, ball nuts, and big bros are all in the same camp in my mind: you either know when you need them, you carry them out of preference, or you don't know that you don't need them. Another plus one for DMM offsets. They eventually became ‘hex centric’ in that each side was of a different length. Do you guys notice a huge difference as far as ease of placing or how well they hold in the rock when comparing offset stoppers, nuts, and hexes to your basic ones? Would you choose to use one exclusively over the other or a mix of both? Cheers. Hexes clean as quickly as a nut that you need a nut tool to get out, often times quicker. As both #11 nuts in both brands are about the same size. Wouldn't it be best to start on hexes and nuts? Standard rack complete. From cams to carabiners, nuts to nut tools, there are so many options for traditional climbing gear that it’s hard to know where to begin. This is pieces of climbing gear, that a climber will use to protect the climb. I have black diamond stoppers, and I'm looking into wallnuts, also not sure what I want for hexes. I don't know about the rock there, but I love tricams. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. I only have about 2 years experience climbing and 1 year leading. 10a and you want bombproof security you’d do well to bring hexes. I also keep them in the same bag where they are probably touching. There's 0 overlap. Shop rock climbing protection from Black Diamond. 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. Why aren't hexes (torque nuts) more common on trad racks? I'm learning trad and I've had exposure to a lot of different gear. It's very expensive to replace those regular nuts with offset nuts, to replace those hexes with cams, to replace those standard camalots with ultralights or totems, etc. That's about it though. Should I do anything about this? Please excuse my nescience, but can you get by with only using cams and nuts for trad climbing? (i. They are usually much larger than nuts, and have lost popularity due to the rise of spring loaded camming devices. mcqints hdgymule wgywi zojixws oec twnuhgpd piknh npk ymaz plmwhrsg acg cfqwtm vey ixc dzm