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ajkclay
Apr 4, 2006, 12:50 PM
Post #26 of 31
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Registered: May 9, 2002
Posts: 1567
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In reply to: I see aliens! :D
heh heh, my first reaction too :)
Cheers
Adam
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slcliffdiver
Apr 4, 2006, 6:01 PM
Post #27 of 31
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Registered: Mar 18, 2002
Posts: 489
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Don't listen to the man below I'm erasing it from my original post.
In reply to: In the end the specific gear with some exceptions (pro that's bunk for certain rock larger tricams for slick smooth rock) doesn't matter as much as what you do with it. It's just fun to obsess over the perfect rack for travel the perfect rack for weight the perfect rack for a specific area ect. ect. and before you know it your on you way to full on gear hoggery.
This was actually a poor attempt of somewhat of a subtle troll for a gear thread. I was busy trying to pick a fight with Bill while mostly agreeing with him (seems like a fun guy) and got carried away. Not a good place for the troll. Retreating of cams can be expensive a heavy alpine rack could put you in trouble etc. While it seems you have a good head on you shoulders mountainmiss and people to help you along I just don't won't to leave the impression in the ether that you can be to cavileer about gear selection.
One good thing about blathering on is some times I can hear when I'm not doing what I recommend. Basically I'm a novice at stiffend tricams and probably have a slight bias against them since I used them unstiffened so much and was set in my ways. Anyway something new to become proffecient enough with to make a more informed opinion about when and how I want to use them. This is a kind of thanks for the thread I learned something.
Have fun play safe.
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rockhoss
Apr 4, 2006, 7:18 PM
Post #28 of 31
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Registered: Feb 12, 2006
Posts: 21
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I love my BD hexes. They are far lighter than cams, and cheaper, I have two sets. I can't tell you how nice it is to sink a big hex on a nasty offwidth, but overall I use sizes 7 & 8 the most. My hexes allow me to conserve cams for the crux. For me, they were the easiest pro to learn and trust when I was beginning to lead. I havn't used the curved hexes made by metolius, etc, but I'll bet they work well... I prefer the wire because of its durability, but am itrigued by spectra webbing for flexibility. However, the more ridgid wire can reach placments. I also have a couple older hexes on Kevlar cord. There is no point in going smaller than size 5 or 6 since they sart to overlap with nuts. For this reason, I wouldn't buy a complete set. Get used to using passive pro exclusively and you will become a much stonger leader and understand the tru value of SLCDs.
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mountainmiss
Apr 4, 2006, 7:56 PM
Post #29 of 31
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Registered: Nov 20, 2005
Posts: 68
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YES! Gear is fun to talk about and I can see how it can easily become an obsession. I'm an all-or-nothing personality, so when I get interested in something, I dig deep. Gear appeals to all my senses - there's nothing like the smell of a rope (yes, rope is gear to me), the sound of hexes and nuts all chiming and clanking on a harness, the feel of a biner and the subtle oppositional force of the gate when pushing it open, the cool way I clip my screws into my BD clippers (makes me feel like a cowboy!), the thunk of my crampons when two-steppin up WI, and the taste of... well, haven't licked any gear, but I do love the taste of cold snow stowed in my mouth to keep me hydrated on an 8.5 mile hike to a frozen waterfall.
And yes, I really did sleep with my CAMS right after I bought them. I wasn't spooning them, just exercising my trigger-happy fingers till I fell asleep. Ohhhhh... those cams were sooooooo smooooth!
Where is this all coming from? Just to let you know I am intrinsically attuned to gear and to share with you how I experience it all through my senses.
Advance apologies if you think this doesn't belong here, but look at it this way, I didn't start a non-sensical thread. (remember, who started this thread anyway??!!) :-)
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rockhoss
Apr 6, 2006, 12:51 AM
Post #31 of 31
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Registered: Feb 12, 2006
Posts: 21
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"Stoppers need a constricting crack - they work like a chockstone. But hexes are different. Hexes work just as well in parallel sided cracks as constricting ones because they cam when weighted. That's why they work just as well in horizontal cracks as vertical ones." - Kimgraves
Kim- I find that the smaller hexes don't stay put well in smooth, paralell cracks. They usually require some form of constriction to place well. And if there is a constriction then I can use a nut. Therefore the smaller hexes just aren't special enough to justify the extra weight & presence on my rack. The major exception would be a horizontal crack where the camming action is essential and walking is minimal. Of course you probobly head up to the gunks were horizontal cracks abound! One of my favorite things about the hex is that it functions as a giant chock when that is what you need. I can tell you that many times I've lovingly placed a #11 endwise is a big granite crack out here in Idaho.
Good advice on the SLCD's My first rack (4 years ago) had two crappy trango cams and I managed to survive up many pitches, though since then I have scrounged up the funds for several new cams. I love the bd cams and smaller than yellow aliens. One note: the aliens are about as narrow as the small (4-2) hexes. I also have a couple metolius cams, but dislike the weight. Using passive pro has made me a safer leader and lets me conserve those cams for the tricky spots.
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