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asuman10
Oct 29, 2011, 3:09 PM
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i want to start my own rack. i've trad climbed a couple of times and i've read and talked to many professionals in the field about trad climbing. one question i have is where to start? what to buy first? i live in boone nc and have a ton of places to climb.
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vinnie83
Oct 29, 2011, 3:14 PM
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try using the search function, this has been asked many times before
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moose_droppings
Oct 29, 2011, 3:53 PM
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asuman10 wrote: i want to start my own rack. i've trad climbed a couple of times and i've read and talked to many professionals in the field about trad climbing. one question i have is where to start? what to buy first? i live in boone nc and have a ton of places to climb.
What do you have already?
Times on your side, use it to your advantage climbing with friends or guides till you can answer a lot of the gear questions yourself.
You'll probably get some stoppers first, then if you've already got some biners buy some 2ft runners. Wait on the cams till you've tried enough of the different brands to find out what you like and what works best for your area.
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bearbreeder
Oct 30, 2011, 12:35 AM
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climb with someone who has experience and knows what they are doing ... theyll have gear ... use theirs ... and pay em back with bear and gas moola
youll find out what works for you ... then go out and buy
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TheNags
Oct 30, 2011, 8:38 AM
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I recently started my rack, and everything above is spot on. Some people love or hate the feel of certain gear, so it is important for you to get your hands on everything and mess around with it before you go buy. That being said, I love the C4's, and started my rack with a stopper set from BD and then c4's from .5-3 with double on the #1 and #2. Happy and Safe Climbing!
Steve
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taller_climber_dude
Nov 1, 2011, 7:14 PM
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all the above, i say passive first(nuts, hexs, tricams etc), its cheaper. then get into Aid climbing take some Aid falls and become a MAN 
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bearbreeder
Nov 1, 2011, 10:57 PM
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i love my tricams ... but unless yr in an area where they work better than anything else, i would not recommend them as starters, nor hexes
the things most climbers use the most are nuts and cams ... get good with yr nuts and youll find you may need less cams on a more moderate climb ...
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njrox
Nov 2, 2011, 6:11 AM
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I love using tricams. And if you can get away with using them where you climb, get them!
Besides buying something outright like a full set of stoppers it is probably better to ask other climbers what they use for wherever you'll be climbing the most. For instance, you might only need C3 size cams...or, you may need the larger C4s with doubles/triples of a certain size. Something like that. Get what you need first.
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shockabuku
Nov 2, 2011, 6:28 AM
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Buy a set of nuts and a set of cams. I think you can't go wrong with the basic BD .5-2, maybe 3, C4s. BD nuts are fine though you can get similar for cheaper (i.e. ABC Huevos) or arguably better for more (i.e. DMM offset nuts).
Cams are expensive so buy a good set the first time so you don't feel like replacing them in the future. If you continue to pursue trad climbing you'll probably continue to add, but you really don't want to put a couple of hundred dollars worth of gear on the shelf because you decide you don't like it in the long run.
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herites
Dec 20, 2011, 3:48 PM
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A good general (and cheap) start should be:
helmet
set of nuts (my vote goes for dmm wallnuts, bitch to clean though)
BD hexes (you can buy a set for a price of a cam, learn how to place them)
BD cams .75-2, or whatever sizes you need.
If you dont already have some quickdraws, then buy them (BD posiwire can be usually found cheap)
4-6 60 cm sewn slings + 2 120 cm long, and biners for them to make draws.
You should also buy some cheap biners and webbing to bail on.
This set should get you up on easier routes. Choose the three cams depending on the first few routes you want to climb.
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Marylandclimber
Dec 23, 2011, 10:24 AM
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I think it should be 0.5 BD cam instead of 0.75
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horseshoe
Dec 23, 2011, 2:46 PM
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I agree on getting passive pro first. There are a lot of great routes in NC that were established before SLCDs were available. For the price of a one SLCD, you will be able to buy enough stoppers and tri-cams to protect an entire pitch.
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grantut
Dec 23, 2011, 3:37 PM
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assuming you have a sport rack already, this is so much fun! you must know how and where to place gear before you use it. you better know how to build an anchor and don't half ass it. buy a complete set of stopers and cams. this is an investment. the best part about owning a rack is using it hard! you will soon find that you need doubles of certain pieces. start with the smaller pieces, a full set of TCU's (look that up),a set of tricams is good to have around and don't forget some slings and runners. at this point you will be broke but, content for the time.
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acorneau
Dec 24, 2011, 8:04 AM
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grantut wrote: assuming you have a sport rack already,...
(This post was edited by acorneau on Dec 24, 2011, 2:48 PM)
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Kartessa
Dec 24, 2011, 8:16 AM
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bearbreeder wrote: ... and pay em back with bear and gas moola
They're animals, not currency you insensitive monster.
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horseshoe
Dec 24, 2011, 10:36 AM
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Kartessa wrote: bearbreeder wrote: ... and pay em back with bear and gas moola They're animals, not currency you insensitive monster.
Clearly a typo--he meant to write "bear stories." Nothing better than a good bear story after a long day at the crag.
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herites
Dec 26, 2011, 3:26 PM
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horseshoe wrote: Kartessa wrote: bearbreeder wrote: ... and pay em back with bear and gas moola They're animals, not currency you insensitive monster. Clearly a typo--he meant to write "bear stories." Nothing better than a good bear story after a long day at the crag.
???
(This post was edited by herites on Dec 26, 2011, 3:29 PM)
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horseshoe
Dec 27, 2011, 7:20 AM
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herites wrote: horseshoe wrote: Kartessa wrote: bearbreeder wrote: ... and pay em back with bear and gas moola They're animals, not currency you insensitive monster. Clearly a typo--he meant to write "bear stories." Nothing better than a good bear story after a long day at the crag. ???
Well there are several possible interpretations regarding "and pay em back with bear and gas moolah."
1. share a few bear stories. If you do a search for "bear" on this site there are 373 pages of possibilities. Of course, a lot of these have nothing to do with actual bears, but are entertaining nonetheless. You would be surprised how many people would consider a good bear story to be an adequate compensation.
2. perhaps Bearbreeder meant to write "beans"--in which case offering "beans and gas" is a strange way to ask someone to share a belay ledge with you. I doubt you would get many takers with this offer.
3. since the responder is "Bearbreeder" maybe he/she intended to engage in the sale and distribution of bears as Kartessa interpreted. It is equally possible that Bearbreeder just likes to keep a few bears around the place and is not engaged in an alternative bear currency.
4. Or maybe bearbreeder meant to write "bees" or "beads" or "beets" or something else entirely. I suppose it depends on what is popular in your area.
But more importantly, to the OP--tell us about your rack.
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ianwatson
Jan 4, 2012, 10:34 AM
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horseshoe wrote: herites wrote: horseshoe wrote: Kartessa wrote: bearbreeder wrote: ... and pay em back with bear and gas moola They're animals, not currency you insensitive monster. Clearly a typo--he meant to write "bear stories." Nothing better than a good bear story after a long day at the crag. ??? Well there are several possible interpretations regarding "and pay em back with bear and gas moolah." 1. share a few bear stories. If you do a search for "bear" on this site there are 373 pages of possibilities. Of course, a lot of these have nothing to do with actual bears, but are entertaining nonetheless. You would be surprised how many people would consider a good bear story to be an adequate compensation. 2. perhaps Bearbreeder meant to write "beans"--in which case offering "beans and gas" is a strange way to ask someone to share a belay ledge with you. I doubt you would get many takers with this offer. 3. since the responder is "Bearbreeder" maybe he/she intended to engage in the sale and distribution of bears as Kartessa interpreted. It is equally possible that Bearbreeder just likes to keep a few bears around the place and is not engaged in an alternative bear currency. 4. Or maybe bearbreeder meant to write "bees" or "beads" or "beets" or something else entirely. I suppose it depends on what is popular in your area. But more importantly, to the OP--tell us about your rack.
or a good cougar story over a beer (take how you want)...
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billcoe_
Jan 6, 2012, 12:14 PM
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horseshoe wrote: 3. since the responder is "Bearbreeder" maybe he/she intended to engage in the sale and distribution of bears as Kartessa interpreted. It is equally possible that Bearbreeder just likes to keep a few bears around the place and is not engaged in an alternative bear currency.
One point you missed in your otherwise excellent riposte, there is the strong probability that a Bearbreeder engages in the high risk sport of amorous bear sex.
One starts with young black bear sows that typically habituate near dumpsters (they're tame and have low standards, and usually do not reject a dirtbag), and work their way up to the big wall climbing of bear sex, HOT MAMA GRIZZLES!!!! where few tread more than once and survive it. Like a classic Black Widow tale, the object is to merely dump your load before you get mauled, it's not survivable.
They say. If you do a google image search on man-bear sex with "safesearch" off, you don't get any usable images. Pretty sure that's what is going on here with Bearbreeder though.
Did that help?
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horseshoe
Jan 6, 2012, 12:48 PM
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billcoe_ wrote: horseshoe wrote: 3. since the responder is "Bearbreeder" maybe he/she intended to engage in the sale and distribution of bears as Kartessa interpreted. It is equally possible that Bearbreeder just likes to keep a few bears around the place and is not engaged in an alternative bear currency. One point you missed in your otherwise excellent riposte, there is the strong probability that a Bearbreeder engages in the high risk sport of amorous bear sex. One starts with young black bear sows that typically habituate near dumpsters (they're tame and have low standards, and usually do not reject a dirtbag), and work their way up to the big wall climbing of bear sex, HOT MAMA GRIZZLES!!!! where few tread more than once and survive it. Like a classic Black Widow tale, the object is to merely dump your load before you get mauled, it's not survivable. Did that help?
Thanks, Billcoe. I think you just explained why Bearbreeder has not yet responded to this thread
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ianwatson
Jan 10, 2012, 10:51 AM
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just got back from climbing and seen this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Qz1sXJsCWw
I felt bad for bearbreeder and kinda felt bad for the bear.
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crjanow
Mar 16, 2012, 6:29 PM
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asuman10 wrote: i want to start my own rack. i've trad climbed a couple of times and i've read and talked to many professionals in the field about trad climbing. one question i have is where to start? what to buy first? i live in boone nc and have a ton of places to climb.
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ChessRonin
Mar 18, 2012, 9:50 AM
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Tricams do indeed work very well in NC.
Also, do not feel like you must buy Black Diamond cams, as many people suggested. Wild Country, DMM, Metolius, & Trango cams are all great cams as well. Personally, I climb with mostly Helium cams (Wild Country) and I am quite happy with them.
I also echo what others said regarding passive; get a good and complete set of nuts (make sure you have a nut tool as well), and get a few hexes and tricams as well. I personally like having large nuts (although many don't) and hexes, because they work beautifully in so many places, saving cams for later. Tricams make for great belay anchors, and for protecting slightly tapering cracks and horizontals.
I am a fairly new trad climber (my rack is only two months old but well traveled already!), and I climb with mostly DMM Wallnuts for stoppers (full set, #1-11), all four of the DMM Torque Nuts (which, yes, I bring on most climbs, and they usually get placed), 5 tricams (#0.25 through #2), and 8 cams (mostly Heliums) from about 0.5 inches to 3 inches expansion range. This rack has gotten me up full-length pitches through the 5.7 range.
Good luck, have fun, be safe!
(This post was edited by ChessRonin on Mar 18, 2012, 9:51 AM)
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salamanizer
May 30, 2012, 11:52 PM
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When you actually need to buy some gear, you'll know exactly what you want.
End of discussion!
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tradmanclimbs
May 31, 2012, 2:57 AM
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Why would you take advice on a trad rack from a new trad climber"? the noob leading the n000b...
Only buy the best. Don't waste money on hexes. tricams are not that cheap so getting more than the pink and red is not cost efective. save up for good cams instead. Do NOT BUY LINK CAMS! they are specialized gear that will kill you if used like a normal cam.
Good set of stoppers #5 to #13 doubbles of #6 to #8
that is BD and ABC sizes. Wild country rock sizes are different but they are good stoppers .
single set of cams from #0 purple TCU to #3 camalot is what you should aim for.
Set of soldered Micro stoppers.
the most important factor is USE THAT RACK! can't tell you the number of shiny un used racks that I see @ the crag hanging proudly on a tree branch while the owner top ropes.
If you want to TR that super hard route that is fine but lead something first to get the rope up there. lead EVERY time you go out and someday you will not have to ask these questions because you will have turned into a real climber
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drector
May 31, 2012, 9:14 AM
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asuman10 wrote: i want to start my own rack. i've trad climbed a couple of times and i've read and talked to many professionals in the field about trad climbing. one question i have is where to start? what to buy first? i live in boone nc and have a ton of places to climb.
If trad climbed before, what gear did you use? Buy some of that.
Yes, it does sound a bit dumb but the only way to know what you personally like is to go out and try stuff.
That said, my first purchase after a gear sling was a set of nuts. I also bought hexes although you will not use them much once you have a lot of cams and another set of nuts. But using all passive pro on a route is a proud send.
I like extendable draws for trad climbing because I hate to see nuts get pulled out of cracks below me because the slings are too short. For cams, you can get away with sport draws, as you can with nuts if there is no outward pull from the rope when it gets tension.
Being a belay slave and then borrowing gear is the bet choice. Like someone suggested, when you really need to buy gear, you will know what to buy.
Dave
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guangzhou
May 31, 2012, 9:06 PM
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Boone NC is full of trad climbers, ask around and use some of their gear.
Nuts, I like Wild Country and DMM best, but BD stoppers are nice too. Really comes down to personal preference. For small nuts, I like the DMM peanuts.
Cams, like one post said above: Black Diamond, Trango, Wild Country, and DMM all make great cams. All have advantages, all have disadvantage. Bottom line, hold each one in your hands and pull the trigger, see what you think of them.
I like Link Cams too, but mine were a gift and I wouldn't run out a buy a pair or set personally. They work fine, but...
Hexes, I love hexes and learned to climb on them. I currently only carry four medium sized hexes on my rack.
Especially on this site, everyone recommend hexes, hexes, hexes, but when I'm climbing at the cliff, I don't see them much anymore. People seem to place hexes on routes that are easy for them, but fire cams in when the climbing is difficult for them. A popular cliff sequence is fire the cam in, clip the rope, then fiddle the hex. This tell me the climber isn't comfortable with their gear placements.
NC has some great place to learn trad climbing. Enjoy.
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tradmanclimbs
Jun 1, 2012, 4:27 AM
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I did not have any cams the first few years that I climbed. I am very comfortable with hexes but after 30 years of climbing hexes have become specialty gear. I feel that you would be off your rocker to spen $$ on them unless you had specific climbs or climbing areas in mind where hexes out perform cams.
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guangzhou
Jun 1, 2012, 4:36 AM
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tradmanclimbs wrote: I did not have any cams the first few years that I climbed. I am very comfortable with hexes but after 30 years of climbing hexes have become specialty gear. I feel that you would be off your rocker to spen $$ on them unless you had specific climbs or climbing areas in mind where hexes out perform cams.
I very much agree.
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JimTitt
Jun 2, 2012, 8:59 AM
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tradmanclimbs wrote: I did not have any cams the first few years that I climbed. I am very comfortable with hexes but after 30 years of climbing hexes have become specialty gear. I feel that you would be off your rocker to spen $$ on them unless you had specific climbs or climbing areas in mind where hexes out perform cams.
IŽll go for that as well, I learnt with hexes when they first appeared (like 40 years ago) and bought a new set of those nice curvy ones ten years ago. Never been placed, I might even have to take up winter climbing just so I can beat them into an ice-filled crack.
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tradmanclimbs
Jun 2, 2012, 10:01 AM
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Beating into ice filled cracks is one of those rare specialty uses for hexes. I bring a single #11 hex on long climbs with wide simply because I don't have enough big cams and it makes a nice hammer.
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