|
neenielions
Apr 2, 2002, 7:10 AM
Post #1 of 9
(2370 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Mar 1, 2002
Posts: 42
|
ok, all you much-better-than-me climbers out there...where is the best place that you have found to buy gear, be it online or in a store somewhere. as i am getting into lead climbing, the need for lead gear is becoming more of a necessity for me, but i would like to not have to pay full price for that gear if i can avoid it.
also...where is the best place to start my rack??? what are the basic lead tools i need to start out with??? any input is appreciated
|
|
|
|
|
crackhabit
Apr 2, 2002, 8:13 AM
Post #2 of 9
(2370 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Mar 26, 2002
Posts: 40
|
you asked so much...
for me, i am a gear nut and anyplace with gear is a good place. really though, REI is where i shop. the money back at the end of the year in nice and they have all the basic stuff you could want.
my purchase order...
slings
biners
nuts full run
hexes
more biners
rope
cams
another full run of nuts
now i fill in the edges. i have two runs of nuts from different companies b/c the shape is different. the whole idea is to get as much surface of pro on the rock and different shapes work better that others, depends on the situation.
|
|
|
|
|
wigglestick
Apr 2, 2002, 2:56 PM
Post #3 of 9
(2370 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jul 27, 2001
Posts: 1235
|
The best online gear shop is http://www.gearexpress.com
My favorite local shops are Neptune Mountaineering because they have everything your heart could desire, Mountain Miser because they got cool employees and WW kayaking gear, and Wilderness Exchange because they have cheap closeouts and good deals on cams etc.
[ This Message was edited by: wigglestick on 2002-04-02 06:57 ]
|
|
|
|
|
howitzer
Apr 2, 2002, 3:34 PM
Post #4 of 9
(2370 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Mar 5, 2002
Posts: 2511
|
On-line I agree, I love www.gearexpress.com - they have stuff on ebay they sell too and there are some deals to be had! I have to say I like REI, because I work for them down here in VA. They have some good deals, but it's the discount I get that I dig! But hopefully they aren't reading this because my favorite shop of all time is back home - Ragged Mountain Equipment -
www.raggedmt.com/home.htm
A great place.
|
|
|
|
|
sheppe
Apr 2, 2002, 4:41 PM
Post #5 of 9
(2370 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jan 7, 2002
Posts: 170
|
I'd have to say my favorite is the Mountain Equipment Co-op (www.mec.ca). It's membered owned, and, as their name indicates, they cover everything mountain. And it's a Canadian company. Good for us Canadians, and maybe good for the Americans out there too; especially considering that our dollar just plummeted again.
As for what lead gear to buy - For single pitch, sport climbs, I'd start with:
I'm sure you've got the basics like an ATC, harness, locking biner, etc.
60 meters (180 feet) of dynamic rope. I like the thick stuff, so I can take more then a couple of falls on it. I'd go with 10.5 - 11 mm rope.
12-15 quick draws.
And that's about it. There's not a heckuvalot required for leading sport climbs.
-Sheppe
PS: One last thing you'll need, that you can't find at a gear shop, is a belayer that you can trust.
|
|
|
|
|
bradhill
Apr 2, 2002, 7:58 PM
Post #6 of 9
(2370 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Mar 22, 2002
Posts: 486
|
I'll have to put in a plug for my local shop, Neptune Mountaineering. They rock and do a lot to build a climbing community locally. Their site on the net is just about useless, though.
When I'm researching gear online I go to AMH and Pro Mountain Sports. They have online inventories but no online ordering. The great thing about these shops is they cater to serious climbers and have very small inventories chosen by pros. If they carry a piece of gear, you can be sure it doesn't suck. You can't say that about REI.
|
|
|
|
|
miagi
Apr 2, 2002, 8:00 PM
Post #7 of 9
(2370 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Feb 1, 2002
Posts: 1087
|
Are you leading trad or sport? For sport, there are some really cheap quickdraws from www.rockempire.com for 8$ each. Some people say (like JT512 ) say they are not safe but i have not had a single problem with mine. Their open gate is 8kn, minor axis is 12kn and i think major is 25kn. Some other sites i like to order from are www.climberschoice.com and www.gearexpress.com
|
|
|
|
|
rck_climber
Apr 2, 2002, 8:38 PM
Post #8 of 9
(2370 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Aug 28, 2001
Posts: 1010
|
Couple things to add to this:
First - Make sure you check this topic, it's got some great deals mentioned in it.
Secondly - What do you need and where do you get it?
My assumption is that you're looking for a starter rack in lead, but I'll throw in beta for a starter trad rack.
-10 Draws (best price at Rock Empire, as mentioned above).
-Rope (best price at Gear Express, also as mentioned above).
-Couple extra biners and locking biners (prices are about the same everywhere online).
-Slings (prices vary little on these as well).
That's about it for sport lead gear assuming you already have a harness, shoes, etc. A starter Trad rack should include:
-Set or two of nuts (best price I've seen is at Rock Empire - $40).
-Set of hexes (best prices I've seen are at Gear Express - Varies depending on number and manufacturer).
-Set of cams (best prices around are from Rock Empire, but can get Rock Empire cams from most of the major online retailers for the same price).
-More slings and biners.
Hope this helps.
Mick
P.S. If all places are the same on what you're looking for, please try to pick your stuff up from the sponsors of the site - they help us out in funding, might as well get it from them if the prices are the same.
|
|
|
|
|
dustinap
Deleted
Apr 2, 2002, 10:00 PM
Post #9 of 9
(2370 views)
Shortcut
Registered:
Posts:
|
I like the gear they sell at Marmot in Berkeley. I like the knowledge they have at Sunrise Mtn in Pleasant Hill and I like the friendly employees at REI in Concord. Some of the employees at REI in Berkeley aren't so nice.
|
|
|
|
|
|
