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mikej
Feb 21, 2006, 10:53 PM
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I realize that "home made trad gear" and "scary" are redundant, but i still have to ask. I had a physical therapist for a back injury, who was a trad climber in the 70's and earlier. He told me they used to use wood blocks and wedges for pro. Anyone got a better one?
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heiko
Feb 21, 2006, 10:57 PM
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CCH Aliens :lol:
(sorry, couldn't resist)
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fishbelly
Feb 21, 2006, 11:58 PM
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Well hey .Its not like you could buy sportdraws at REI on line.
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healyje
Feb 21, 2006, 11:59 PM
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It wasn't at all necessarily scary at all. Lots of homemade gear worked great. All the gear you use today basically started in someone's garage or basement at some point. Some classics like Dave Rearick's hard wood nuts actually worked even if you needed a tire iron to clean one after a fall. On the otherhand, some of the manufactured products that came out over the years were completely horrific. SMC Camlocks sucked beyond all belief as did CMI single cable and lobe cams.
Rearick's Hardwood Nuts...
http://www.rockclimbing.com/...p.cgi?Detailed=35955
SMC "Rattling Nolock" Cam...
http://www.needlesports.com/...m/art/camlocksxs.JPG
CMI "Swivel of Death" Cam (the springless ones on the left)...
http://www.needlesports.com/...seum/art/kirksxs.jpg
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cully_larson
Feb 22, 2006, 12:38 AM
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What made the pictured SMC and CMI pro bad?
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gordo
Feb 22, 2006, 2:03 AM
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Wow, that's cool stuff. More...More :D
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up_for_a_good_time
Feb 22, 2006, 2:07 AM
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hahahahahaha.......he said Aliens......hahahahahahahaha. so true.
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dynosore
Feb 22, 2006, 3:04 AM
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In reply to: CCH Aliens (sorry, couldn't resist)
Of all the days to not have trophies....thanks 4 the laugh
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nudge_nudge
Feb 22, 2006, 3:44 AM
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The hex description in the auction used to be my signature... "try it out though and see if you can yank it out of a crack."
I wonder who was the lucky winner.
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healyje
Feb 22, 2006, 5:44 AM
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In reply to: What made the pictured SMC and CMI pro bad?
The SMC didn't have an approriate cam curve / profile - they rattled out of near parallel-sided cracks at the slightest jiggle of the sling. The CMI cam lobe swiveled 360 degrees around the wire head and, being just a narrow, single cam lobe, they tended to simply "keel over" on their sides if the wire got tugged at all.
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mikej
Feb 22, 2006, 4:45 PM
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those single lobers look pretty freaky, i wouldn't trust a whole rack of those to hold me (all 130lbs). Whats to keep them from pulling? If its just opposing force of those amazing pieces of machinery, I'll take one of those wood ones instead.
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landgolier
Feb 22, 2006, 4:53 PM
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There is a story somewhere in the Vertical Hearland guide of an early OW FA where the guy was up there with a tape measure and somebody on the ground was cutting 2x4's to size. Proud...
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leapinlizard
Feb 22, 2006, 5:17 PM
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I've got some old t-hexes. they are stackable in the crack and have all sorts of cool ways to place them. Of course I am too lazy to go digging through my duffel bag to take a photo of them, but maybe I will eventually.
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herbaltee
Feb 22, 2006, 5:24 PM
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In the Balkans (i.e. Croatia) don't they still use monkey fists as protection? Nothing like a ball of rope in a crack to hold your weight.
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jstp
Feb 22, 2006, 6:03 PM
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Well.... i remember using machine nuts on cord when i started. and once did complete a Valley classic with just 'pebbles picked up on the approach' and some slings as inspired by countless evening showings of Vertical Frontier.
But that ain't nothun' on some actually produced gear. Remember the Seismo (sorry CCH, i mean no harm)? it was basically two cam lobes attached to a big bro, only with no spring. to make the 'bro' bigger you just slid in another length of pipe. the cam lobes apparently gave a bit of range flexibility and active protection. they turn up on ebay every once in a long while. i'd love to get ahold of one just to see. someone out there must have one, or at least pictures.
i have also heard tell of, from more than once person, an inflatable pro device. apparently some bag expanded in the crack by filling with air and was supposedly tested to be useful. never saw nor heard any real convincing evidence though. might have been developed for use on the shores of Loch Ness if you know what i mean. Still....
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speedywon
Feb 22, 2006, 6:15 PM
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Disclaimer: I'm a "spoiled young punk" who never had to climb on any of this stuff, but I once saw a small set of knotted slings in climbing museum.
I stopped and tried to visuallize being 20ft above my last knot wedged into a constriction in a crack, trying to wedge in my next one . . . . . uuuhhhhhh, I think I just soiled myself. :oops:
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thabadcharacter
Feb 22, 2006, 7:29 PM
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bailing off of a wedged nalgene bottle set as a chock.... bomber placement though!
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healyje
Feb 22, 2006, 7:42 PM
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In reply to: Disclaimer: I'm a "spoiled young punk" who never had to climb on any of this stuff, but I once saw a small set of knotted slings in climbing museum. I stopped and tried to visuallize being 20ft above my last knot wedged into a constriction in a crack, trying to wedge in my next one . . . . . uuuhhhhhh, I think I just soiled myself. :oops:
They still lead on racks of carefully constructed knots at some places in the Czech Republic. Bomber stuff they've been using for decades.
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7robbster3
Mar 13, 2006, 7:14 AM
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How about the beer keg at Church bowl, though it was pretty solid......
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tisar
Mar 13, 2006, 7:53 AM
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In reply to: In reply to: Disclaimer: I'm a "spoiled young punk" who never had to climb on any of this stuff, but I once saw a small set of knotted slings in climbing museum. I stopped and tried to visuallize being 20ft above my last knot wedged into a constriction in a crack, trying to wedge in my next one . . . . . uuuhhhhhh, I think I just soiled myself. :oops: They still lead on racks of carefully constructed knots at some places in the Czech Republic. Bomber stuff they've been using for decades.
Yup: Czech and Saxon Sandstone Pro. Not bad as one would think but still a little scary. Try it!
After trying I always carry some extra cord with me. Best weight/cost/bulk to use ratio. :D
- Daniel
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wallwombat
May 18, 2006, 11:58 AM
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Didn't Joe Brown (the little Welsh bloke, who was the duck's nut's in the 50's and 60's) used to fill his pockets with pebbles and jam them in cracks, sling them and crank on better than anyone?
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ninja_climber
May 18, 2006, 1:50 PM
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In reply to: In reply to: In the Balkans (i.e. Croatia) don't they still use monkey fists as protection? Nothing like a ball of rope in a crack to hold your weight. AKA "Eastern Block Standard"
Not Eastern block..but I'll let that go...
Do they even have Trad climbing in the Balkans...The closest thing I've seen was 10 feet of layback crack...in a 75ft sport route..
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