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woodpecker
Jun 7, 2007, 3:43 PM
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If you had to pick any 3 sized C-3's, which ones would you choose? I know this primarily depends on where you climb,but what are the most universal 3 sizes of the 5?
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clausti
Jun 7, 2007, 4:00 PM
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The purple, the green, and the red (aka the three middle ones) are some of the favoritest peices on my rack. in that order. if you usually climb granite, you might want the bigest one, too, but literally the only time i've placed that peice is climbing in yosemite. but, in yosemite, i placed it a lot. also, i think the green C3 got placed on the most pitches of any cam on my rack, though the purple has been more often a thank-god peice. if you usually climb sandstone, get two .3 C4s instead of a .3 C4 and a #2 C3. the c3's are really stiff because of where the spring is is in relation to the trigger, and hard to place pumped, so unless you really really need a tiny-ass peice (green and purple), or really really need a narrow peice (pin scars), you're not going to want to mess with them. disclaimer: i think that the purple C3 that i love so very much is technically an aid peice. (and i weigh about 100 lbs). check the ratings of all of your gear and use good judgement.
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rsmillbern
Jun 7, 2007, 4:08 PM
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I have the 0, 1 and 2 and a full set of TCUs (older ones). I have not found that I need the 00 or the 000, but I do occasionally reach for the smaller TCU's. Personally, I'd start with the bigger ones, or look for a package deal, you might be able to get all 5 for the same, or close, price.
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zeke_sf
Jun 7, 2007, 4:11 PM
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Unlike Clausti, I get a lot of placements out of the yellow, but I do climb primarily on granite. I only have the red and yellow (2 largest), but if I get another, I'd probably go one size down. You don't want to be runout on an aid piece!
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shimanilami
Jun 7, 2007, 4:32 PM
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I would sell them all and buy another set of Aliens, which I would pull test myself. But if that wasn't an option, I'd consider whether I'd be using the C3's for aid or for free climbing. If aid, I'd get the smallest 3. If free climbing, I'd go with the biggest 3.
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hosh
Jun 7, 2007, 4:33 PM
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zeke_sf wrote: Unlike Clausti, I get a lot of placements out of the yellow, but I do climb primarily on granite. I only have the red and yellow (2 largest), but if I get another, I'd probably go one size down. You don't want to be runout on an aid piece! Though I may add that I'd rather be runout on an aid piece than runout over nothing... hosh.
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vegastradguy
Jun 7, 2007, 4:37 PM
Post #7 of 17
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get the three biggest- green, red, and yellow. the purple is nice, but its a tiny cam (like the black alien or smallest tcu), and unlikely to be a critical piece on your rack.
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tradrenn
Jun 8, 2007, 1:35 AM
Post #9 of 17
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Registered: Jan 16, 2005
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I have #1 & #2 now. I'm also getting a #0 soon.
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woodpecker
Jun 8, 2007, 7:19 AM
Post #10 of 17
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The three biggest it is. Thanks to all for the replies. Billy
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notch
Jun 8, 2007, 10:35 AM
Post #11 of 17
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Registered: Jul 13, 2005
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Good choice Woodpecker. I've got a 0 and a 1, and passed on the 2 when I realized it had the same range as the smallest C4 (which I already own). From time to time I still wish I had that #2 C3 when I find a particularly shallow placement though. As for the 00 and 000, they can't handle much force, so unless you're aiding, you've made a good choice to leave them on the shelf.
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sassafras1232
Jun 10, 2007, 6:44 PM
Post #12 of 17
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One thing it seems that noone has mentioned is the trigger pull. The resistance in the trigger pull gets harder as they get bigger. Personally I think the red is pretty hard to pull. I didn't buy the yellow for this reason. Purple, green, and red is my call on which 3 to buy.
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tradrenn
Jun 12, 2007, 2:34 AM
Post #13 of 17
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This past Friday I finally got me a #0 C3 and a trigger is pretty soft compering to #2. Mine #1 has the stiffest trigger ever, but, it is better then you know what........ V.
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GeneralBenson
Jun 12, 2007, 5:03 PM
Post #14 of 17
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I think green is my favorite. Yellow is really close to a .3 C4, so unless you find yourself placing your .3 and then wishing you had another one (happens to me all the time) then the yelow is pretty redundant. REd and Yellow definately have a pretty strong spring, which is tough on pumped fingers, but they don't walk much. All in all though, C3s are they awesomeness.
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notch
Jun 12, 2007, 9:25 PM
Post #15 of 17
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sassafras1232 wrote: One thing it seems that noone has mentioned is the trigger pull. The resistance in the trigger pull gets harder as they get bigger. Personally I think the red is pretty hard to pull. I didn't buy the yellow for this reason. Purple, green, and red is my call on which 3 to buy. True sassafras, the triggers are pretty stiff compared to other small cams. I don't see how it would have any effect on climbing or placing them though, at least from my own experience. If you're so pumped that you can't pull the trigger on a C3, you've got bigger problems!
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scotchie
Jun 12, 2007, 10:27 PM
Post #16 of 17
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Registered: Jul 31, 2004
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Agreed there! The springs definitely felt stiff in the store, but outside climbing I've never noticed it. It's a nice feature - keeps them from walking. I have the green, red, and yellow, and I get the most miles out of red and yellow. I do place the yellow on mostly granite (although I never thought about it before). I've been in situations where the purple could be useful but not all that often. I love the C3's. They place well, are super-narrow, and I feel much more confident climbing over them than I would aliens. The only real drawback is the price. An alien fan pointed out that if you place the alien with only two lobes engaged, they become more narrow than the C3's. Not sure how I feel about that kind of placement though.
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zeke_sf
Jun 13, 2007, 1:13 AM
Post #17 of 17
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scotchie wrote: Agreed there! The springs definitely felt stiff in the store, but outside climbing I've never noticed it. It's a nice feature - keeps them from walking. Yeah, this and the post previous sum up the stiff springs comment for me. I notice it when I'm just playing around with my toys, but on a climb? Never. It's true I've never felt another healthy cam with that sort of action.
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