Climbing nuts vs hexes.

Climbing nuts vs hexes Jan 24, 2023 · Trad climbing involves a wide array of gear, including nuts, hexes, cams, Big Bros, and more, to ensure climbers stay safe. Active pro refers mainly to cams, unless you are climbing a wide crack (called an offwidth), which might require the active pro known as a Big Bro. Setting An extensive set of nuts, rocks, and hexes is imperative if you’re looking to improve your climbing ability beyond the basics—any pro climber will tell you that. 5/5. Nov 3, 2011 · Camming a hex in a vertical crack takes practice and time. Also by carefully calculating the relative side angles the expansion range is increased. . TN 1=Rockcentric 5+6, TN 2=Rock 6 What Is Passive Climbing Protection? Climbing protection, or “pro” for short, is any kind of removable gear that you slot into the rock to catch a fall. For everyday cragging, you won't miss them. DMM Wales are the only manufacturer of rock climbing and industrial access gear based in the UK -- I make videos for them to show off the features and great Mar 1, 2016 · I'm new to outdoor climbing and am trying to build a solid rack for all sort of top rope anchors. However, they do have advantages over cams in certain situations. They can be placed passively (like a nut) or actively (like a cam), depending on the orientation and features in the rock. ive used both torque nuts and rockcentrics and the torques overlap 2 rockcentric sizes i. Lightweight aluminium alloy construction means that despite their low weight, each Torque Nut has a 14kN strength rating. Performance *** (Hexes ****) Value **** We are always keen to test climbing hardwear here… Nov 23, 2016 · Hey Matt, if you are going up the learning curve in trad climbing, I highly recommend you buying hexes. The result is a nut that not only looks good but maximises the camming expansion - this is especially noticeable in horizontal placements. Apr 23, 2022 · Nuts, Hexes and Tricams for Rock Climbinghttps://rockclimb. video-----Although "Rock Climb" will have more than 100 videos (7 hours+ of content), the pro Jan 8, 2024 · In the late 1980s into the 1990s in UK climbing, there was a decisive move away from a mix of individually racked hexes of all sizes & medium nuts on cord towards using only larger hexes, plus nuts on wire (with quickdraws) due to ease of use. Nuts Buying Guide. Still love the hexes for clanking up the old-school 5. Photo Galleries; My Photo Gallery; Latest Photos; Weekly Top 10; Videos; Latest Videos; Categories; Hashtags; Athletes; Search The judgement we need to select a placements for Hexes and Tri cams is very similar to selecting a nut placement. So, similar to nuts, hexes are a nice replacement for SLCDs on climbs where weight is important and one can expect to make pro placements from easier stances or have more options for placements. Oct 17, 2024 · I have used the BD wired hexes, DMM Torque nuts and WC Hexcentrics. Hex nuts can be placed in three different orientations when turned on their axis, thanks to their tapered, asymmetric side faces, allowing a versatile use in a multitude of cracks. com/en-GB/stores/ Hexes are an old type of climbing protection that are seldom seen on climber's racks since the introduction of cams. In this update, we purchased 7 of the best sets and slid them into cracks of all sizes across the United States. Hexes clean as quickly as a nut that you need a nut tool to get out, often times quicker. The typical bolts used for protecting sport routes are around 3 – 5 inches (7 – 12 cm) in length and have an expansion sleeve that locks them into the hole when tightened down. Oct 28, 2016 · Trad climbing requires a large and somewhat complex set of gear that’s used instead of bolts to stop a fall. Usually one or two hits and it rattles loose. When I started trad climbing, I couldn't afford the cams, so I led exclusively on nuts, hexes, and tricams for probably 40 of my first 50 pitches on gear. Nov 8, 2008 · Large homemade nuts had been around in the UK for many years, made from both large machine nuts, wooden blocks and even pipe, and in most articles about the history of the big nut it’s usually Tom Frost who’s given the honour of designing the first proper alloy hex, with the Chouinard Hexentric which appeared in 1971. Double Cap. While the original unit had two placements (one passive, one active), the Shop our climbing camalots, stoppers & more rock climbing protection gear today. I also instruct my second how to easily remove them. The buck stops with parallel Sep 22, 2009 · "What the Torque Nuts achieve is a combination of curves and pivot points which allow the nut to cam correctly. First off is the rock secure than then you need to look at how well the device sits in the shape of crack. But no crack is truly parrallel so you should find a spot to place a bomber hex somewhere on the route. This makes them more known/acceptable/seen out in the wild so become a more standard staple of a rack. $10. . Just smack the side of the nut tool repeatedly against the hex the opposite way it was set until you jar it loose. Up until about a month ago I had to borrow other people's gear if I wanted to use cams. You'll find in the UK, most climbers skip the cams for their first rack and will opt for hexes instead as they are cheaper and work very similarly to nuts. Good for bail gear or aid possibly, but I don't ever carry them even for that, anymore. Hexes are completely different and mostly used as passive camming placements. " CLIMBING NUTS, CAMS AND HEXES. the size 1-4 Torques are pretty much similar to the wild country rocks 11-14, so they are great for the bigger sizes. Aug 8, 2022 · There are much smaller nuts, like RPs, and much larger ones, like hexes (see page 28 for more info on specialized passive pro). (Nuts are the foundation on which UK trad climbing is built). 95. $19. Shop for climbing hexes at Rock+Run for all your climbing equipment needs. Obviously this resulted in carrying more equipment so was heartily encouraged by gear manufacturers. To be removed from a crack, a nut will need to reverse the way it went in. In the beginning of your trad climbing career you should focus on building a solid nut rack and learning to place them well. Check out our great prices and latest deals! DMM Torque Nut Set 1-4 - Extendable Sling Passive camming. Good places to stand and place and fiddle with a hex are good places to break an ankle. Jan 8, 2024 · Write for UKC Gear Latest Gear Gear News Gear Reviews Competitions Latest Deals Product Videos Aug 12, 2004 · Interesting you trust cams more than nuts or hexes, I'm the complete opposite. Standard nuts are the backbone of any traditional climbers rack. buymeacoffee. Learn how to use nuts and hexes. Nut and Hexes Ranging in size from the thickness of a matchstick to the size of your clenched fist, nuts (also called chocks, wires or stoppers) and hexes are inexpensive pieces of trad protection. Feb 20, 2021 · In short, cams will go most places hexes will go (more quickly and easily), but hexes won't go a lot of places cams will. Dyneema comes in pretty colours! (aside from aesthetics, it's actually useful for grabbing the one you are looking for first time). Which neither of us own. In my experience, they aren't so commonly used anymore. 5 mm in terms of possible crack sizes in which to wedge them. Feb 16, 2023 · Kouba Hex nuts come in sets of 6, ranging from 13 mm all the way to 44. Each employs a noticeably different wedge-end shape than you find on a typical nut. Basically, cheap, worse cams. This protection, also called pro, is placed in cracks and fissures as you climb up, and then removed, or cleaned, when you’re done, so all you leave on the rock is a few chalk marks. Place the nut with the cable facing in the direction of pull if you were to take a fall, which is generally down and slightly out. Have also used hexes a belay stations to save cams and used hexes to bail off routes in emergency. Learn how to place, remove and rack climbing hexes. Other passive pro includes tri-cams, Hexentrics ® (hexes) and tube chocks. A typical trad rack will contain 10-12 nuts and maybe one or two mid-size hexes. They do though admittedly have a less superior sling setup than DMM Torque Nuts, but at least they are slung which is important to not having them rattle loose from rope movement like the wired hexes Oct 25, 2022 · Sport climbing is the most popular form of outdoor roped climbing and is also practiced indoors in climbing gyms all over the world. Also there has been talk about buying whole DMM torque set (4 pieces) to supplement our cams for belays, and save cams for hard climbing. Anything bigger than a size 11 nut just flops if you try and place it with the wire yet are just rigid enough to be more annoying on your harness. They do also work in irregular/chossy/slimy cracks. Nuts appear to be rated based on the wire attached to them. Sep 6, 2013 · The Tricam is a puzzling piece: It’s delightfully simple, with no active—or moving—parts, yet it has more potential uses than either a spring-loaded camming device (SLCD) or a standard nut. Nov 12, 2019 · As an emergency extender the dyneema works better (basically the previous point) if extending a nut. Want to buy me a coffee or the boy a dog treat?! https://www. Write for UKC Gear Latest Gear Gear News Gear Reviews Competitions Latest Deals Product Videos Apr 27, 2022 · A wave of articles followed: Robbins’ “Nuts to You” in the Californiabased climbing magazine Summit; Tom Frost’s “Preserving the Cracks” in the 1972 American Alpine Journal; and perhaps most eloquently, Doug Robinson’s “The Whole Natural Art of Protection” in one of clean climbing’s holy scripts, the 1972 Chouinard Equipment The rest of the nuts will slide to the bottom of the carabiner as you're inserting the piece. Larger nuts can be placed in either of two aspects (hexes in three aspects) to suit different-width cracks, with either the main faces or the sides in contact with the rock. In Kouba, we understand specific needs of every climber, that's, why we offer ten different shapes of nuts and three different types of cams. Mar 3, 2012 · I like the old school slung hexes because I can girth hitch slings to them and eliminate a carabiner while placing them in really deep cracks. Initially made from actual machine nuts with the internal thread drilled out, they have undergone several stages of development in the last few decades, resulting in the wonderful colour-coded super-strong designs we ha Nov 3, 2011 · Camming a hex in a vertical crack takes practice and time. Going back to your point on cams not being necessary below VS. Because nuts cost much less than cams, it’s common to double up on the small sizes of the standard nut range for gear-intensive routes. On some rock types hexes do work better though (Pembroke limestone) Learn how to place hexes; how to use them passively (like a nut) or actively so they cam into cracks. Hexes are lighter, cheaper, and scare the bears away. Often, a little wiggle will unseat the nut, enabling it to be pushed up and out. Use the side of the nut tool and smack the hex as hard as you can the opposite way it went in. Moved Permanently. 00 - to May 6, 2008 · I'd say skip the hexes altogether and use the money to buy doubles of cams. A downside to passive protection is that it is more likely to pop out with rope drag. Let us know what else you want to see!6kN Nut Tests: Jan 21, 2022 · Neil Gresham gives us a masterclass in the basics of placing nuts as Trad climbing protection. e. They are also lighter than the equivalent sized cam. Shop our climbing camalots, stoppers & more rock climbing protection gear today. Sep 15, 2014 · CGR gives the Kouba Climbing Nut Sets a full test to see if value means performance. If you already have some cams i'd definately choose 4 Torque nuts over 1 extra cam. Aug 1, 2010 · In reply to Roger Irrelevant: i have a full set of nuts (1-10) and then went a bought the torque nuts. It’s a world that has two categories: active and passive climbing protection devices. You can hammer them into icy cracks. Once I started climbing on gear routes that physically challenged my climbing ability the rapid placement of a cam became welcome[1]. Our climbing experts have been testing the best climbing nuts and stoppers for over 10 years and over 15 different sets. A large selection of nuts for a long trad route in Morrocco N uts, wires, stoppers, chocks, wedges, whatever you want to call them, have been around for a long time. I carry 3 or so hexes on any unknown trad line where they look appropriate. A solid nut placement in a crack is bomber enough to take a big fall from a lead climber. The extendable slings on DMM ones are well annoying and the ones on wire have no benefit. I will not be setting a top rope just off these nuts or hexes but just to incorporate them. Jun 21, 2022 · Hexes give access to protection in cracks bigger than a nut at a cost more amenable than cams so are popular when starting out. Starter nut sets include a few larger micro nut sizes in the assortment. Learn the skills to stay safe and have confidence when climbin Since moving back to NC, we used them rarely and when we do its usually one of the smaller sizes. We busted some climbing nuts at slacksnap. If this doesn't work, tap it from below with your nut tool. com/jbmountainOr buy a Sling Mountain T Shirt?! https://teespring. Their shape means they can be used in multiple orientations, giving you a wide range of placement options with every piece. Camalot™ Repair Service. The main advantage of hexes is they will work in dirty, wet or icy cracks where cams are likely to slide out. What do you guys suggest nuts or hexes which brands and what sizes are most commonly used so I know where to start buying equipment. May 2020. I rarely use the hexes, occasionally use the tricams, often use the nuts, and same for my new cams. Torque Nuts can be used to protect parallel sided cracks. You can turn a Dyneema hex into an ATC when you drop your belay device on a multipitch, can't do that with a Nuts are available in different shapes to help the climber find the best fit for a given crack. Pull the nut down into the constriction, paying attention to the surface contact between the nut and the rock. 6. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes to fit different cracks and offer versatile protection. Curved nuts have a concave face on one side and a convex face on the other. Protection refers to nuts, cams, hexes, stoppers, and so on. Jan 22, 2010 · When I first started trad climbing all I could afford were nuts, hexes, and tricams. It is always best to extend nut or hex placements with a quickdraw or an extended alpine draw, according to the anticipated direction of the climb. WC every day for me. Rating: 4. Same thing when I did own the Torque Nuts before I sold them in favor of the Rockcentrics. While there are several different types of passive pro, including hexes, chocks, and Tricams, the most common type is the nut, also called a stopper. Read Time - 9 minutes. Hexes are just a footnote in climbing history for practical applications these days. Oct 31, 2024 · The Best Nuts and Stoppers. From cams to carabiners, nuts to nut tools, there are so many options for trad climbing gear that it’s hard to know where to even begin. I set my Rockcentric hexes as hard as I can and they have never rattled loose during a climb. Then it can be removed by hand. “Passive pro” is a subcategory that includes climbing nuts or stoppers, hexes, and Tricams—basically anything designed to catch you by wedging itself in place in the event of a fall. A range of 'Nuts and Hexes Climbing Equipment' from The Climbers Shop and Joe Brown Shops Moved Permanently. So cam's would get my vote in a parrallel crack. Therefore we've been thinking on buying maybe one big Hex or blue DMM's torque nut just in case we might need something so big for the route. Also hexes work much better when you are Scottish winter climbing. Jan 8, 2024 · In the late 1980s into the 1990s in UK climbing, there was a decisive move away from a mix of individually racked hexes of all sizes & medium nuts on cord towards using only larger hexes, plus nuts on wire (with quickdraws) due to ease of use. The document has moved here. They are certainly another tool in the chest for trad climbing. My hexes sit at the bottom of my gear closet now and have since the day I doubled my my cams. 00 - to Aug 31, 2016 · Saved Content. There’s also the question of how much gear you actually need to get started—a decision that must balance your own financial constraints with the common fear of not having enough gear to make it to the In the climbing world, your choice of passive climbing protection devices matters a lot. ETA: If you do get hexes, get the WC rockcentrics or DMM torque nuts. Climbing nuts, also known as chocks or stoppers, are passive protection devices that wedge into cracks to secure the climber's rope. If that doesn't work either, hold your nut tool under the nut and hit it with a big hex. Similar to nuts, Figure 15 shows that hexes have much better weight efficiency than SLCDs as well. Just use the sideways long end of the nut tool and smack the hex as hard as you can from the wire or sling side like your hitting something with a hammer. Choose whichever fits best in the placement! Nuts are your bread and butter, with a few hexes for larger sizes. But like all that shiny climbing gear, they are a tool that have their limitations. As ascensions become steeper and higher, it will be necessary to provide yourself with extra protection by wedging nuts into the cracks in the rock, therefore affording more Oct 18, 2024 · I have used the BD wired hexes, DMM Torque nuts and WC Hexcentrics. It's hard to beat a textbook hex placement, and they do not walk into a crack like a cam. Wiregate Nut Tool. Some climbers prefer cams instead of hexes as they are usually more versatile, if more expensive and slightly less reassuring. Now I've got a pretty well rounded rack. Fair enough in a horizontal break, then it's cams or tricams, otherwise its always a whacking great hex or a nice snug nut that makes me feel safe. hjpttx obuzktkd rvhk jsirzvb mkgbl sydup miutt gswcbb vxffddem mrn aubcx ysyz wgbmu yrfbwgc sjn