UKC

looking at getting a set of micro-nuts so not sure which set to get.... any particular brand that stands out. I have a mix of wallnuts and wildcountry nuts in regualr sizes and just found myself needing something smaller

ta

In reply to idiotproof (Buxton MC):

I have had a set of BD swedges (now called microstoppers) for a long time now and I think they are great. However I recently noticed that the price of 6 is about £90 now! I have recently used DMM IMPs which look a bit less refined but work really well and are actually stronger than the BDs in smaller sizes (which I think matters when you are talking about nuts that have a 50:50 chance of holding a fall). I have also used DMM brass offsets too, which are definitely good in the right placement.

I think that I would probably choose DMM IMPs at the moment (unless the BD nuts come down drastically in price), then maybe getting some brass offsets as a second set.

In reply to idiotproof (Buxton MC):
I'd just get 2 or 3 to start with I have the BD micro stoppers (used to be called swedges) they are pretty good, sizes 2,3,4 should see you sweet, size 1 is too small to be of use for lead climbing in mortal grades and I didnt find myself placing the 5 or 6 much. I actually only carry 2 BD micros now a days but without checking my rack not sure if it's a 2 and 3 or 3 and 4 the rest of the set just remain at home unused!

In reply to idiotproof (Buxton MC): what rock do you climb on and what are the cracks like? The Gneiss here is riddled with thin cracks and I end up placing micros pretty much every time I climb, and the best are definitely DMM brass offsets. The lack of parallel sides means flared cracks are protectable. I own a set of those and a set of IMPs - the BOs get used far more often. I don't think you'll go wrong with either, and if you hunt around there's an article on the DDM site or linked from there on the strengths of those and micro wallnuts/peenuts. I did have some 'stones' from the states (I think) and a BD micro stopper - the microstopper wasn't good due to it's width, it tended to stick half out of shallow placements.

In reply to idiotproof (Buxton MC): you may as well get a set of BO's and IMPs, it's not like they're heavy or anything! The smallest sizes may not be much use for leading, but you can sometimes place two or three micros in the same placement thus making a decent placement in much the same way as everyone put loads of gear behind the flake on Partian shot.

In reply to idiotproof (Buxton MC):

Yep. Those BD swedges are good. I'll show you some if you're out tonight.

What's the weather like over in Buxton?

In reply to idiotproof (Buxton MC): maybe not desperately small but the dmm peenuts are very nice. I've got three micro wallnuts, three imps, five peenuts and ball nuts 1 and 2, I don't use them that much but when I do it is usually a thank lord I had one of those as in those sizes the shapes are much more important and despite them overlapping in sizes in many places only one of the nuts will actually fit in the crack. That whole selection weighs probably about the same as one large nut and I got them cheap. My advice would probably be to get imps (2-4) and micro wallnuts so you have a selection and if you can find them cheap a set of peenuts. I haven't tried the brass offsets but with the peenuts being more durable and still reasonably strong they seem like a better idea for a mortal trad climber in need of smaller nuts

In reply to Swig:

*Thread Diversion*

Really heavy rain at about 1pm but now just overcast and quite windy so fingers crossed. Think we are going to head over and if the weather is crap carry on to awesome in Stoke

In reply to idiotproof (Buxton MC):

(Suppose it's not a hijack as it's your thread)

Excellent sounds like a plan.

In reply to Hannes:

What rock do you find Peenuts to be good in? I've had some for years and very rarely found a decent placement for them, and half the time I have found a 'good' placement the nut has ripped with a good tug.

In reply to idiotproof (Buxton MC):

From personal preference I'd try and get some RP's from australia.

However they might be a little hard to get hold of, and rather expensive (that is if you can find them) so I'd get some DMM brass offsets. They seat really well in alot of shallow placements. If you find that you're still foudn wanting when it comes to micro protection than some BD swedges [might not be the correct name] so compliment them really well as they are more regular in shape.

Hope that helps.

In reply to mlmatt:


DMM IMPs are basically the same as RPs, but available in this country.

In reply to idiotproof (Buxton MC): get yourself some Kong chocks no.1-3 £5 each from Decathlon. the no.3 is slightly smaller than a no.1 wallnut.
they're probably the cheapest you'll find.

In reply to Monk: the rock in north wales suits them well and grit to a lesser extent

In reply to Hannes:

Just bought IMPS 2-3-4 from Joe Browns only £22 so worth a punt to see waht they are like

In reply to idiotproof (Buxton MC):

IMPS are quite large for micros, sizes 3&4 are no smaller than a rock 1, but sit is shallower placements as they are narrower. but 2-3 of these and/or the smaller size swedges should see you right.

In reply to Max factor:

Pretty much the same can be said for Swedges - sixe 6 is about the same as a rock 3! I recently compared the sizes of all the micros available, and there isn't much in it. The IMPs don't go as small as the BD Swedge size 1, but if you want that size the DMM offsets go that small.

In reply to Max factor:

Not true a 3 & 4 are both smaller than a rock 1, although a 4 is only just a tiny bit smaller width wise.

In reply to idiotproof (Buxton MC):
The IMPs look really nice size 1 is just about strong enough to hold a small lead fall, much stronger than the swedgies in the small sizes.

In reply to idiotproof (Buxton MC):

I use DMM Peenuts quite a bit on small grit placements, they work well for me, down to a size 2 which is rated for 5kN. Just wish DMM could do some smaller swaged ones like the brass offsets, which never seem to stick on grit for me.

In reply to idiotproof (Buxton MC): The RP Brass Nuts are probably the most famous ones. They're the ones that started it and many people consider them as the best ones. They're very hard to get though. DMM has "kind of similar" nuts made of brass called offsets + couple of other nut types that fit into "micro" -category (i.e. smallest pieces fit <5mm cracks). This being said many others have have such nuts too, including for instance Black Diamond, Wild Country, Zero G, Trango, Omega Pacific, Climbing Technology etc. ...CAMP ball nuts are also pretty interesting, kind of "active" nut, they should be the smallest pieces of active protection in the world.

Here's a link where from you can find the specifications + some ratings of such nuts that fit to micro nut category (12 different): http://www.tribevine.com/products?open=true&ids=6220,6574,6823,6575,622...