OK. I don't lead trad. I'm also an idiot. However, I've been staring at these forums for months now, and think I can at least forecast the rest of this thread for you. Besides, it seems to be the norm that every uninformed schmuck visiting rc.com has to throw in their two cents to the latest "building my rack" thread. That said, all of the following is off the top of my head.

People will recommend you get a couple "pink" and a couple "brown" tricams. Then somebody will say you could also throw in some bigger hexes, and there will be a debate about BD Hexcentrics vs. Metolius Curve Hexes. This will be immediately followed by hex-haters referring to them as "cow bells".

Others will insist that your rack is never really versatile enough until you've rounded it out with some of the common sizes of cams. They recommend you save your pennies and know that one quality cam can be worth 10 times its weight in nuts. I have no idea what the common sizes are, but people will say to base it off the rock you're climbing. Next, they'll all start talking about Camalots and Friends and expansion range vs. weight, etc.

Some are gonna say you can never have enough nuts, so buy extras of your commonly used sizes, and stick to the same brand so you know the pieces well. Others will then say that you should get different brands and learn the intricacies of each.

So there you have it, buy one or two (each) of the pink and brown tri-cams, throw in a couple mid-sized hexes and extras of your 3-4 most commonly placed nuts. If you've got cash to spare, drop it in your piggy bank and wait for the day you can afford to invest in a few cams.

** DISCLAIMER: I own none of the pieces mentioned above, and I also have no idea how to use them. The above message was written purely for the amusement of the traddies that have seen this thread a million times before. You should seek the advice of experienced leaders working the same rock that you intend to climb.

OK. I don't lead trad. I'm also an idiot. However, I've been staring at these forums for months now, and think I can at least forecast the rest of this thread for you. Besides, it seems to be the norm that every uninformed schmuck visiting rc.com has to throw in their two cents to the latest "building my rack" thread. That said, all of the following is off the top of my head.

People will recommend you get a couple "pink" and a couple "brown" tricams. Then somebody will say you could also throw in some bigger hexes, and there will be a debate about BD Hexcentrics vs. Metolius Curve Hexes. This will be immediately followed by hex-haters referring to them as "cow bells".

Others will insist that your rack is never really versatile enough until you've rounded it out with some of the common sizes of cams. They recommend you save your pennies and know that one quality cam can be worth 10 times its weight in nuts. I have no idea what the common sizes are, but people will say to base it off the rock you're climbing. Next, they'll all start talking about Camalots and Friends and expansion range vs. weight, etc.

Some are gonna say you can never have enough nuts, so buy extras of your commonly used sizes, and stick to the same brand so you know the pieces well. Others will then say that you should get different brands and learn the intricacies of each.

So there you have it, buy one or two (each) of the pink and brown tri-cams, throw in a couple mid-sized hexes and extras of your 3-4 most commonly placed nuts. If you've got cash to spare, drop it in your piggy bank and wait for the day you can afford to invest in a few cams.

** DISCLAIMER: I own none of the pieces mentioned above, and I also have no idea how to use them. The above message was written purely for the amusement of the traddies that have seen this thread a million times before. You should seek the advice of experienced leaders working the same rock that you intend to climb.

consider this your first step in our 12 step program to becoming a Dirtball Climber.

** DISCLAIMER: I own none of the pieces mentioned above, and I also have no idea how to use them. The above message was written purely for the amusement of the traddies that have seen this thread a million times before. You should seek the advice of experienced leaders working the same rock that you intend to climb.

They are light, work well, outlast every other cam on the market and, most imprtantly, they are CHEAP!!!! You can usually find them for around 20 bucks per piece!!!

Don't mess with the small (.5) size, but 1 through 3.5 are great with a #2 being one of my most used pieces of all time (it matches a red Camalot). you can tie them off short "Gunks style" for horizontal placements.