UKC

Hi there

I'm still working my way towards a full rack, and it's time I invested in some rockcentrics!

I am looking to only buy 3 or 4, because of cost, etc, and I don't want to be carrying too much bulk when I'll be using cams as well. So which are the most used sizes? Would 5-8 be about right?

Thanks,

Chris

In reply to Chris Ellyatt:

I climb grit up to E1, I used to be better, but 7 years off, well you know.

I had/have old Hex up to 11 and cams up to 2 1/2.

I now have double set of cams up to 3, and Torque nuts 3 & 4. which are the biggest sizes.

Cant see the point of smaller torques/hexcentrics, expecially with Rocks now up to size 14. (well not for what I do) Long mountain routes, maybe.

In reply to Chris Ellyatt:

Of my full set I only (occasionally) use the finger/hand sized ones so that'd be 4-7.

Most of the time I just use cams for anything over about 1", the hexes are really just extras for long pitches or occasionally rock that suits them better than cams.

jk

In reply to Chris Ellyatt:

Depends what you climb, I think. I find sizes 5, 6 and 7 invaluable and use them a great deal--particularly no.6, which I probably use more than any other piece of gear! I mostly climb on Scottish mountain routes (summer and winter) and at Polldubh.

In reply to Chris Ellyatt: just got my torque nuts delivered and they are tip top and eliminate the need for too many to be carried get sizes 3 and 4 and see how you go :O)

wouldn't get hexes now i have these !

In reply to Chris Ellyatt: Chris, our bestselling individual sizes are 5,6,7 and that's what i personally would recommend with an 8 thrown in for good measure for 'fisty' type size cracks + Pembroke / Gogarth.
The 9 is a little big for all round but it does depend on where and what you're climbing - easier grit cracks and Scottish mixed terrors may well find one very useful. And as some-one says up to a 5 the Rocks will do the job...Also remember the tapered ends give another great placement option.
As a note because all our gear - Rocks, Superlight Rocks, Friends and Rockcentrics are colour co-ordinated then they are super easy to co-ordinate on a rack size wise.
To see how to place them well you can look here:
http://www.wildcountry.co.uk/Products/PassivePro/Rockcentrics/

In reply to jas wood:

I'm curious about the rapturous rewception afforded to Torque nuts thus far; they just dont look wildly different to Rockcentrics to me.

In reply to Richie Patterson, Wild Country:

That would certainly match my experience. Above this it feels like carrying a lot of ironmongery (I'd rather carry the big cam) and below you are really in nut territory.

In reply to Richie Patterson, Wild Country:

Same experience here - the little ones, whilst nice, may well be covered by your biggest wire nuts, and my 9 also get used less than the others.

I also agree that the offset shape that you get turning them side on is really useful - IIRC that's something that the new DMM torque nuts don't have.

In reply to Richie Patterson, Wild Country:

Snap, especially number 6 (the red one).

In reply to robert_siddaway:

I dont think I have ever completed a winter pitch in the Cairngorms without placing my number 6.

In reply to Chris Ellyatt:

Thanks for the advice people! I will definitely invest in sizes 5-7 then. On a another note, I received my first ever cam today, a size 4 technical friend! Exciting haha.

In reply to Chris Ellyatt:


5, 6 and 7 if you climb mainly in North Wales or the Lakes

6, 7 and 8 if you climb mainly on granite.

5, 6, 7 and 8 for Gogarth.

BTW If you're interesting in saving a few quid I'm selling a full set of rocentrics for £45 plus postage. They're all in good nick.

In reply to TobyA:

Toby,

Thanks for the comprehensive review on the Torque Nuts.

I should just point out that the DMM Torques do have an offset, tapered side profile because this feature does offer greater placement options.

As Ritchie points out Rockcentrics 5-8 are the most popular and useful sizes; the beauty of Torques is that their more offset shape gives them a greater range so each nut has more placement options and they lock down into placements more effectively.

The range table in the review clearly shows this - three Torques (1-3) cover the same range as four Rockcentrics (5-8) across the most popular sizes with no weight penalty.

DMM and WC worked together about 4 years ago to co-ordinate the colours on our protection ranges - something that works well for a lot of climbers.

Regards

Simon

DMM

In reply to Simon Marsh: Apologies Simon - I actually stared at the picture on the DMM website for sometime before writing that (I was at work at the time and the Torque nuts were at home) and they didn't look offset, but that's clearly a trick of the perspective in the photo.

I will try and take a side by side picture looking down on the Torque nuts and Rockcentrics when I get home so people can see what is being discussed. I'll post back here once I have. There is BTW now a picture of a torque nut in a horizontal crack (as was being discussed on the review thread) on my blog: http://lightfromthenorth.blogspot.com/2009/09/reventeenvuori-climbing.html (scroll down and click on it for a bigger version). Silvia Fitzpatrick's excellent blog has a picture of a rockcentric in a similar orientation: http://rockclimbingcompany.blogspot.com/2009_08_01_archive.html

In reply to Chris Ellyatt:
If you have a number 10 wallnut a size 5 hex is not necessary as it's a sideways number 10 nut (for the smallest and most common configuration of the hex). A size 9 is nice to have on some routes no doubt but not essential for most climbs so I'd get 6,7,8 initially atleast.

In reply to CurlyStevo:

I have up to new size 14 in the rocks, so I must be covered up to about like 6 rockcentric surely???

Only thing is the lack of camming placements, which I like the idea of.

Chris

In reply to Chris Ellyatt:
camming is not something I often rely on in hex placements, but it often adds some safety to horizontal break placements which could slip out to one side but the assumption is any camming would help prevent this.

That said there have been a number of times camming hex placements have been all I've got and at the time have been a god send.

In reply to Chris Ellyatt:
refer to this site to see size comparisons
http://www.needlesports.com/acatalog/Mail_Order_Narrow_Crack_Protection_15....

but it looks like a size 14 rock is roughly the same as 7 rockcentric so you would only 'need' a size 8 and possibly 9 (or a 3 & 4 torque).

Personally looking at the weights and frequency of use I'd ditch the larger nuts size 11 and above and swap for the DMM torques 1-4 but that's just me. Size 11, 12,13,14 rocks weigh 350 ish grms and a 1 and 2 torque only 120 ish.