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dingus
Jun 28, 2007, 8:29 PM
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I came up in this sport trad. Twas all there was of course. Trad as in traditional, not as in what most of you think as trad - gear wanking. Traditional climbing is simple in spirit - ground up baby. That is the underlying essence of all traditional climbing, you start at the bottom and you climb to the top. Now we climbers hang all sorts of other gilded rules on that basic premise, but if you study the problem sufficiently you'll see I'm right (hah! - how could you not I ask myself. You can't not, I answer)
So anyway, you sorta need a rack of gear to climb trad, the gear wanking thing again. That's not to say we don't use bolts, we do. But trad climbers generally prefer to see their bolts go in from that same ground up aspect too.
Still I digress. So racks, that's what I wanted to talk about.
A noob's rack, my noob rack and all my noob friends' racks, grew mostly as a mishmash of gear, purchased or otherwise. Time rolls on and new gear comes out and you augment.
Now if you let it accumulate long enough, or for some just apply some disposable income right up front, you get to the point where a new 'core rack' becomes attractive.
For example, you may have 3 Camelots, a few Aliens, some TCUs, maybe an ABC you found somewhere, 3 large Tech Friends, this kind of nut, that kind of nut, well, you know the drill.
And you know your rack too huh? Any journeyman climber knows that 'well worn' feel their first rack assumes over the course of a few years. You know every piece, you have lovingly cared for it, maintained it, used it.
That rack has saved your ass so many times over it isn't worth counting. Reliable, known, a part of the climber that owns it.
You get to where you may be reluctant to use anyone else's gear at all, so familiar is your own. But its often a sense of trust too, or trustworthiness.
I've always felt its a good idea to be well versed with as wide variety of gear as possible. For starters, unless your Kate or Brutus of Wyde it’s not likely you're going to have ALL the gear you will ever need, at any one point.
So being able to borrow gear, or combine and mix racks, important I think. Don't usually get an argument about that point either, it just makes sense.
But then there is that thing where some climbers just strongly prefer to use their own rack over pretty much anyone else's. Mine especially it seems, hehe.
I have a personal 'rule' if you want to call it that, principle, both are too strong for what I mean. Opinion, that's it. I have this opinion that the person assuming the lion's share of hard leading on a route gets to pick the rack.
As good as I am at shirking this duty well, I had better become accustomed to using other peoples' gear, wouldn't you say???
I would. I did. I learned to love Stu's rack (yeah, right).
Stu was old school Valley Boy. The rack he brought for our ascent of Steck Salathe, a stout, moderate and famous route in Yosemite sporting 15 pitches of every size crack you can imagine, was Friends 2-4, 4 aliens and about 6 nuts. A handful of over the shoulder slings. That's it. Candy bar in pocket, water in a jug, wind breaker tied round waist, LET'S GO!
As you can see, Stu was trad as all hell. Schooled in the 'light is right' approach he made up with balls what he lacked for on the rack. Did some of my best leading on that rack, all over the west, scairt the shit outta myself a hundred times over in the process.
It was hard for me initially to get used to the modern 20 cam MONSTER RACKS people routinely tote these days. Don't get me wrong I have one of them myself. Which brings me back on tack.
I never once went out and splurged on a whole set of cams at once, in 20 some odd years of climbing. Sorta like skin cells, over time each piece of gear ended up getting replaced, but never all at once.
Brutus one day told me he hated my rack. Actually gave me shit about using old rigid stem cams.
"They aren't even Forged Dingus, fer christsakes get a new rack WILL YA???"
I took his counsel to heart. It was well meaning. My rack DID look like a coat of many colors.
So I went out and blamo, new rack of DMMs and 4 new TCU Ultralights. Added 2 of them there Link cams in and viola, my new primary rack. Strong, modern, light - a decent rack good for front range crags, back country duty, whatever I need. Not the cheapest, not the lightest, not the strongest; just damn close on all three counts. Thin it down, thicken it up, no problemo - a decent rack.
So the other day I'm climbing with my Master Brutus and he had to use my gear since I was the only one to tote a rack up to this crag. And what's he do?
He disses my rack! Something about too many colors and too many different kind of gear.
I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't! Now Brutus is a tool master, at work, climbing, cross the board. So he's really particular about his gear and since he's the Noah of the climbing gear world and has an Arc of gear at home, well, I understand.
He likes his gear just so. And my rack, haha, every piece is a different color. It’s got so many hues it'll blind you if the sun hits it right. It truly is funny looking, like the Sunday comics. I have a bunch of different color slings and biners too, just to screw with people.
I dress that way too, sloppy and with lots of clash. Yowza I am raster man with that rack on.
So anyway, I'm just rambling about gear and guys and climbing and wanking with gadgets on the steep stone grade. Taint no thing.
But yeah, you sorta get to know your tools, huh?
Cheers
DMT
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boo
Jun 28, 2007, 8:50 PM
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oh, i needed this! thank you!
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wormly81
Jun 28, 2007, 8:50 PM
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So let me get this straight Dingus...
You ditched a whole rack of gear that saved your ass hundreds of times because.. <gulp>.. it wasn't pretty looking enough for Brutus?
That my friend is a very slippery slope.
What happens when he tells you that your hairy legs are disgusting and you smell like shit? You going to shave your legs and put on a few spritzs of perfume?
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dingus
Jun 28, 2007, 9:00 PM
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wormly81 wrote: So let me get this straight Dingus... You ditched a whole rack of gear that saved your ass hundreds of times because.. <gulp>.. it wasn't pretty looking enough for Brutus? That my friend is a very slippery slope. What happens when he tells you that your hairy legs are disgusting and you smell like shit? You going to shave your legs and put on a few spritzs of perfume?
Ditched? Course not bro, that's the Augmenter, the Wall Filler, the FIxed Rope Rack, the gear I'll stash 15 miles in the bc and leave it there for 3 years.
DMT
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jdouble
Jun 28, 2007, 9:05 PM
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Whenever I try and get my partner to use my MUCH newer rack, he refuses every time. His reason?
"Most of your rack has never held a fall, how do I know they are any good? Mine are fully tested!"
Same guy I quoted in my signature.
(This post was edited by jdouble on Jun 28, 2007, 9:06 PM)
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fenix83
Moderator
Jun 28, 2007, 9:51 PM
Post #6 of 37
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Puff, puff pass Dingus! No hogging the wacky-tobaccy!
-F
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brutusofwyde
Jun 29, 2007, 1:30 AM
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Dingus, yer new rack is MUCH prettier than your old. I was especially imperssed that you got some DMM quadcams.
AND linkcams. I was jaw-dropping surprised.
But there's no pleasing me. I've spent 35+ years fine-tuning my core rack, and although I can use any tools out there (Used one of Munge's #10 hex on Chris Craft just last weekend) there's nothing quite like knowing a rack to the point where, one bloody arm and half yer head stuffed shoulder-deep in an offwidth, you can reach around behind your back with the other hand and without looking, immediately select the piece that fits the next placement perfectly.
Of course, my main complaint about everyone's rack (except mine, Apollodorus's and perhaps Jaybro's) is that there aren't any big cams on 'em. None. Nada. WTF???
oh, by the way Dingus: your legs are too hairy, and you stink!
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flint
Jun 29, 2007, 1:50 AM
Post #8 of 37
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There is something to be said for knowing, and well loving, your rack. It is a part of you, especially if you are like me and have been building it for as long as you have been climbing. Every piece has proven its place or been left behind. Sure, I will gladly mix racks, for doubles and triples, or if I know I am going to want to shat my pants and am going to stitch a crack every two moves, but like every trady knows, when the fingers are slipping out of that splinter and you don't have time to pull the wrong piece, that trusted blue #1 TCU at the third position on the second gear loop on the right is the piece you need.
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tradmanclimbs
Jun 29, 2007, 1:36 PM
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Your own rack is the best in those at your limit moments but you have to be versatile. Nothing worse than some pussy who bitches about the gear and cant climb for shit because he dosent have his special favorite pink tricam with the fuzzy grey sling It also stinks when you get two guys who can't decide whos rack to bring so you bring most of both racks and lug a big wall rack up a half day climb I strive to be solid with whatever rack we have but my rack is still the best
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dingus
Jun 29, 2007, 1:42 PM
Post #10 of 37
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brutusofwyde wrote: Dingus, yer new rack is MUCH prettier than your old. I was especially imperssed that you got some DMM quadcams. AND linkcams. I was jaw-dropping surprised. But there's no pleasing me. I've spent 35+ years fine-tuning my core rack, and although I can use any tools out there (Used one of Munge's #10 hex on Chris Craft just last weekend) there's nothing quite like knowing a rack to the point where, one bloody arm and half yer head stuffed shoulder-deep in an offwidth, you can reach around behind your back with the other hand and without looking, immediately select the piece that fits the next placement perfectly. Of course, my main complaint about everyone's rack (except mine, Apollodorus's and perhaps Jaybro's) is that there aren't any big cams on 'em. None. Nada. WTF??? oh, by the way Dingus: your legs are too hairy, and you stink!
I love you buddy, you know that. Just having fun with some words, thinking about climbing on a Thurs afternoon. Say... I'm headed out here in a few minutes, thinking of probing up Brightman way instead of humping the drill back up to Sleeping. Wish me luck crossing the river, didn't look too bad last weekend when I eyeballed it.
Cheers buddy
DMT
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wanderlustmd
Jun 29, 2007, 2:39 PM
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Nice post Dingus, I'm a bit behind you in the exp department, but I was looking at my rack the other day and it is definately a frankenrack. Looking a bit worn as well...guess a better go to the store
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chalkfree
Jun 29, 2007, 2:40 PM
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Yesterday I got some funny looks from a climber that was sending 13 before I was born. I offered him some c3s and a link cam for this sandbagged gear lead we were going to attempt (ground up of course). He looked at those, fiddled with em for a sec and threw em back in the truck. I thought I might want em, as I'm a child of the cam age, so I grabbed em.
Ends up that we're yo yoing and french freeing this line, I take the lead, move the top piece like three feet, no big accomplishment, but something. And what do you know, there's a spot for one of those c3s right there below a second crux. So I pop it in and it ends up taking a few falls, holding beautifully.
His comment when asked how it looks: "bomber." Maybe this is a bit rambly, but the moral is that there might be more lasting ways to talk old dogs into new tricks.
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zeke_sf
Jun 29, 2007, 2:44 PM
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chalkfree wrote: He looked at those, fiddled with em for a sec and threw em back in the truck.
Damn, that's crusty!
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tradmanclimbs
Jun 29, 2007, 3:04 PM
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yea I hefted my partners bundel of hexes while racking up at the base of the climb the other day. I figured what the heck I'd give em annother try( when i gradumatated to cams I never looked back) and clipped em to my harness. At the end of the day neither of us had bothered placeing one.. Oh well just annother day of weight training
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SamScott
Jun 29, 2007, 4:22 PM
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Personally I would not climb with any man that disses my rack.
A rack is part of you and for someone to mouth at it is to mouth off at you. My best mate was slagging off my old walking boots (old, cheap, comfortable, waterproof) and banging on about his new boots and I was like "Dude mine are cheaper and have lasted longer than any of yours".
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tradclmbr
Jun 29, 2007, 4:53 PM
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....my partner and I routinely haul each of our racks out for a day of climbing under the guise of 'good training'. The reality is I actually do prefer my yellow alien to his yellow alien, my old style yellow camalot to his C4, my offset yellow/green to his, etc. Its not just the type of gear, but the personal history we have with it. My wife bought me that yellow alien years ago as a birthday present and everytime I plug it - particularly in stressful situations - thinking of that makes me at ease. We (climbers) are a wierd lot indeed!
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pgilroy
Jun 29, 2007, 5:07 PM
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I like big racks.
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zeke_sf
Jun 29, 2007, 6:11 PM
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pgilroy wrote: I like big racks.
Personally, I get "sprung" when I see a big rack. You other brothers might deny it though...
couldn't...help...impulse...
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gb3985
Jun 29, 2007, 11:30 PM
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pgilroy wrote: I like big racks.
Big racks are the best ,but even a small rack will do.
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tradmanclimbs
Jun 30, 2007, 1:23 PM
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Small rack is just fine as long as it makes the right noises big rack can poke your eye out, specially if its fake
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flint
Jul 2, 2007, 3:44 AM
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tradmanclimbs wrote: yea I hefted my partners bundel of hexes while racking up at the base of the climb the other day. I figured what the heck I'd give em annother try( when i gradumatated to cams I never looked back) and clipped em to my harness. At the end of the day neither of us had bothered placeing one..
Tradman.... hexes are amazing, learn to place them and any one, including BD will tell you that they are the most bomb proof protection on the market. Cams have to many fail points, and hexes are more versatile. I am not saying that cams don't have there place, I have a rack of them, but if I am going to take a 20 footer, I would rather have a hex below me any day.
Also, I would much rather leave 3 or 4 of my 12$ hexes on my trad project than a 60$ cam, and I don't worry about the placement when I clip back in.
On one final note, that favorite pink fuzzy tricam is the shit. You know you have that piece you can't live without, funny colored quickdraw or #2 old yellow Alien that you can see the placement for on the deck 65 feet up. You got to have an old faithful.
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medicus
Jul 2, 2007, 5:34 AM
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tradmanclimbs wrote: yea I hefted my partners bundel of hexes while racking up at the base of the climb the other day. I figured what the heck I'd give em annother try( when i gradumatated to cams I never looked back) and clipped em to my harness. At the end of the day neither of us had bothered placeing one.. Oh well just annother day of weight training
Maybe that's why you don't like them... you haven't had enough placements with them? If you were really wanting to give them another chance, I think you would have had to at least place them a few times.
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alx
Jul 2, 2007, 5:57 PM
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medicus wrote: tradmanclimbs wrote: yea I hefted my partners bundel of hexes while racking up at the base of the climb the other day. I figured what the heck I'd give em annother try( when i gradumatated to cams I never looked back) and clipped em to my harness. At the end of the day neither of us had bothered placeing one.. Oh well just annother day of weight training Maybe that's why you don't like them... you haven't had enough placements with them? If you were really wanting to give them another chance, I think you would have had to at least place them a few times.
I don't carry a ton of cams. Unless I'm pumped or sketched out I like to look for passive placements first. Each type of passive pro has it's own personality. The more often I place them the quicker, easier and solid-er those placements get. Not that it doesn't take time to learn to judge a good cam placement too but it typically is less tricky(except with the really small ones).
I'd rather fall on a solid nut or hex than a cam any day.
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