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kansasclimber
Aug 12, 2003, 9:25 PM
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Are they still worth it, I know that they are kindda considered old school, but I see in many books that they are great for belay stations. Do you think they are worth it, and what the most common sizes that I should purchase??
Stephen
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epic_ed
Aug 12, 2003, 9:33 PM
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Opinions will vary, but I have had a full set for nearly four years. I've placed a few of them on rare occasion and have never been on a route wishing, "damn! If I only had a few more hexes..."
The areas you climb and the type or rock will make them more or less valuable, but as a rule, I prefer regular stoppers of all shapes and sizes.
If you are into alpine routes where weight saving is paramount, then they larger sizes are invaluable. And in fact, overall, the larger sizes are the ones that I have found most useful. Usually to fit in where I would have prefered a cam, or where I had already used the same sized cam earlier in the route.
Ed
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granitegod
Aug 12, 2003, 9:54 PM
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A medium to large hex placed in good rock in a bottleneck is the most bomber piece you can place. Period. I always carry several, and rarely a pitch goes by when I don't place one or two.
I would reccomment the medium to large ones ....... starting just larger than your largest nut/stopper.....up to size 9 or 10 in the Black Diamond sizes. Just the 7 - 9 would be good for starters, and let you skip carrying an extra number 1 and 2 camalots.....
The exception is in areas with very parallel cracks like Indian Creek, and many routes in Yosemite, where hexes MAY work (ie, first ascent of Supercrack by Earl Wiggins sans cams) but cams are definietly preferable.
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mikedano
Aug 12, 2003, 10:09 PM
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I think you're crazy not to get hexs. Unless you have unlimited funds and don't mind the weight of a bunch of extra (read unnecessary) cams.
I suggest looking at the largest nut you have and then buying all the hex sizes up from that.
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crotch
Aug 12, 2003, 10:16 PM
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In reply to: I would reccomment the medium to large ones ....... starting just larger than your largest nut/stopper.....up to size 9 or 10 in the Black Diamond sizes. Just the 7 - 9 would be good for starters, and let you skip carrying an extra number 1 and 2 camalots.....
I find that the Wild Country Rockcentrics on dyneema place better than equivalently sized BD Hexes for the same reasons that curved nuts sit better than straight tapers.
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thrillseeker05
Aug 12, 2003, 10:16 PM
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I love hexes. I have two full sets, wired and slung, I don’t carry them all just what I think I might be needing. When I am sketched and need a fast placement I will plug in a cam but then I find I often replace it with a bomber hex. I hate how cams walk. Yet some people love cams vs. hexes. So it’s up to you. get a few medium sizes.. make a point to place them. if you fall in love with how a bomber hex sounds when placed well, then get a whole set. If not then you can start buying cams.
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calpolyclimber
Aug 12, 2003, 10:21 PM
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I place about as many hexes as I do cams, and I trust them alot more. When was the last time you heard of a hex placement blowing? I actually never have... (I'm sure its happened, but apparently not often). Personally I wouldn't trade them for anything. And I'm not an oldschool climber, per se. I'm 19.
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joshklingbeil
Aug 12, 2003, 10:21 PM
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Hexes are bomber. I use them on easy climbs where I only bring passive gear.Or on long multi pitch climbs where I use them for belays and at easy stances to save the cams for the hard parts. Rockin the Cowbells!!!!
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shnobe
Aug 12, 2003, 11:22 PM
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I don't use them on every line, But I do use them. I also think it depends on the type of rock. But there's nothing sweeter than a bomber hex placement. Plus the unmistakable sound of a rack of hexs.
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muncher
Aug 12, 2003, 11:30 PM
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Hexes are definetily worth it, you can almost get a whole rack for the price of one cam. In agreement with many of the posts above, a good hex placement is probably the most bomber piece of protection you can have (possibly with the acception of nice shiny new well installed ringbolt but....). Hexes are also much lighter and cheaper than cams. They may be very difficult to place in some kinds of rock ie parallel cracks but many routes will accept cams just as they do nuts. They can also fit into upwardly flaring cracks that cams may walk up and tip out. I generally use passive pro whenever possible, saving cams for when you really need them. I use Black Diamond wired hexes and have no complaints.
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no_limit
Aug 12, 2003, 11:34 PM
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I use them because I can't afford cams.
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boduke
Aug 13, 2003, 1:48 AM
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Hexes suck! They were the first piece of gear I bought and the first ones I threw out. Unless you are a dirtbagger and on a budget buy a cam. I carried hexes for years and finally realized I never placed them. Everyone told me when I first started climbing to get hexes so I did. Now I realize how wrong they were. I would rather have a cam placement than a hex. It's easier, it's faster, I find them less clunky, and they are just as bomber. If you got the funds buy the cam.
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brianthew
Aug 13, 2003, 2:38 AM
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Hexes rule, once you know how to place them properly. They are super bomber and are cheap to buy and replace. The huge ones (sizes 9 and up for hexcentrics) form a very central part of my rack. Way lighter than the huge cams, I might add, and a fraction of the cost. Hardly a waste of money. Get some. Get many.
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alpnclmbr1
Aug 13, 2003, 2:50 AM
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Hexes are old school, but it seems most people that rave about them are beginner climbers or people that top out at 5.9. Am I wrong?
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muncher
Aug 13, 2003, 3:00 AM
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In reply to: Hexes are old school, but it seems most people that rave about them are beginner climbers or people that top out at 5.9. Am I wrong?
yes
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brianthew
Aug 13, 2003, 3:00 AM
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Yes.
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alpnclmbr1
Aug 13, 2003, 3:40 AM
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Don't forget that I said "most."
In my experience the typical climber that carries a full set of hexes is a 5.9 beginner climber. All of the 5.11/12 trad climbers I know have trashed their hexes. The only possible benefit to them that I can see is a cost issue tradeoff. As far as going light in the mountains, I am big on that but it never convinced me to carry hexes. I just carry less cams and run it out more.
I am aware that I am biased against hexes. I hate em and consider them to be most useful as windchimes.
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rogueclimber
Aug 13, 2003, 4:30 AM
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In reply to: Hexes are old school, but it seems most people that rave about them are beginner climbers or people that top out at 5.9. Am I wrong? |
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muncher
Aug 13, 2003, 4:34 AM
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Your probably right alpnclmbr1, it was just too hard to pass up an opportunity like that to disagree :D . While hexes can be very useful, when you are climbing something hard, the extra time it takes trying to place one often means that cams are superior. That said, I usually take a few with me on most trad climbs and end up placing a few. It depends on the rock alot though, cams can be more versatile but hexes definietely come in handy and reduce the need to double or triple up on cams.
How can you go past the noise though, what sounds better than rack of hexes chiming away as you crank on up?
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alpnclmbr1
Aug 13, 2003, 4:39 AM
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I did set myself up on that one.
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joshklingbeil
Aug 13, 2003, 6:06 AM
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Hey alpine What do you do when your on that 11+ Grade IV and a afternoon storm comes in. Bail off $300 worth of cams or $60 of passive gear?Humm...
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dirtineye
Aug 13, 2003, 6:08 AM
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Well I can say that hexes were the last gear type I added, mainly cause I LOVE tricams, and I just didn't see the need for hexes.
BUT, I got this 50 buck gift certificate for christmas, adn I had been noticing that sometines teh biggest nut I had was not big enough, and there were these really great looking wild country rockcentrics (? I think that is what they are called?) and they had dyneema slings, so I got 4 of em starting where hte last nut left off, and D@MN if they are not jsut cool as grits!
As for 5.11-12 climbers not using htem, I know one who is a legend who likes em, he told me so himself. I just recently placed a very nice number 9 WC hex on an FA, in a spot where NOTHING else woudl ahve been as good. THis climb will go at 5.10 minimum, with a 20 foot roof section, and the hex goes right in the middle of the roof.
Anyway, I've seen 5.11 trad climbs that will take nothign but nuts, and I gotta say that if you think the size and kind of the gear determines the rating of the climb, well, do not pass go, do not collect 200 dollars!
My least favorite piece of gear is a cam, but you know, if a cam is the best thing for that particular spot, I LOVE that cam! Likewise, if a tricam or ballnut or whatever fits right, then that is the piece to use.
SO, don't be a gear racist! Treat all your gear equally, cause it all has its place and it will all go somewhere, and if you limit yourself to cams and nuts only, you'll wind up with your aarse in a sling one day Charlie.
Hexes are light anyway, if yo ucan't carry an extra pound up a climb, go take a "Starts with "s", ends with "t", rhymes wiht it" before you climb for god's sake LOL, you'll drop more weight than those 4 hexes you were gonna leave behind.
AND, be sure to drink Armagnac, it's oh so tasty.
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joegoesup
Aug 13, 2003, 11:42 AM
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I do not know why, but I have a hard time trusting my hex placements. I usually go with a cam.
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alpnclmbr1
Aug 13, 2003, 5:54 PM
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In reply to: Hey alpine What do you do when your on that 11+ Grade IV and a afternoon storm comes in. Bail off $300 worth of cams or $60 of passive gear?Humm...
I am back at the car drinking a beer by the time the afternoon storm rolls in. Seriously if your still on the wall when a clockwork afternoon storm rolls in, your doing something wrong.
As far as you hex lovers, bellatoris is selling a full set for 75 obo. Because "he only uses nuts and cams."
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alpnclmbr1
Aug 13, 2003, 6:02 PM
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In reply to: SO, don't be a gear racist! Treat all your gear equally, cause it all has its place and it will all go somewhere, and if you limit yourself to cams and nuts only, you'll wind up with your aarse in a sling one day Charlie.
I don't carry gear that I don't use, this fact has led to me eliminating hexes completely over time. The last one's to go were the small wired ones for water grooves. I don't miss them as a stopper will work almost as good.
I tend to believe in being a minimilist as far as the gear I carry, just because you could use something is not a sufficient reason to carry something.
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