In reply to Martin1978:
> (In reply to Blue Straggler)
>
> I guess what I meant was several things, mostly based on cost though.
>
> 1) Cost per placement is MUCH higher for cams. A full set of nuts gives a lot more options (size of cracks/placements, especially if stacked) than a single cam of the same price.
>
> 2) Hexes I have placed in several ways, camming or chocked or stacked. Again, for the money five hexes give more options than one or two cams.
>
> 3) I also think one hex probably has more options than one cam (in that it gives a wider range of placements depending how it is used). Having not used cams I may be wrong, hence starting the post.
>
> 3) Slings can be threaded or placed over spikes so that gives two options.
>
> As I say, I haven't used cams so they may prove to be more versitile in practice than on paper and I am happy to admit I am wrong. The thread was started as a question rather than me stating fact
You're conflating the number of ways a piece of gear can be placed with the number of available placements here. Just because there are several ways to place a hex doesn't mean that there are more placements on routes than cam placements for a similar sized cam. So the cost/potential placement for cams might be more favourable than you think.
They will also go where other things won't, which is difficult to factor into any cost benefit analysis.
It all depends what rock type you climb on. Perhaps there aren't many cam placements on whatever it usually is you usually climb, but if you aspire to climbing on a variety of crags around Britain, then you really ought to beg/borrow/steal/buy some cams at some point.