UKC

So for once I have a little bit of cash kicking around and I'm considering investing a little in my rack, more with the future in mind rather than the here and now as I feel I've got that well covered.

I already have a couple of sets of nuts, a set of cams (4CU/Dragons), hexes and the usual gubbins. I'm starting to think about investing in some smaller gear to aid me in my quest of pushing up through the grades.

I'm mostly interested in mountain routes in Wales/Lakes with a fair bit of Peak grit thrown in as it's reasonably local. Probably up to about HVS initially.

I'm interested to hear what folks find most useful in addition to the above, I'm currently looking at either getting some Peanuts, Micro Wallnuts or IMPs. Or should I be looking at smaller cams perhaps? e.g. 3CU, Camalot C3's, etc. Or the 7-11 offsets even?

Thanks for the input!

In reply to Styx:

It really depends on what small pro your after and how much money you've got. If you're looking to just buy a "set" of small pro which will see you right through most things then how about considering some of the DMM brass offsets (the old HB mold).

A cheaper option of course is to just get some alloy microwires (either wallnuts or rocks in sizes 0.25, 0.5, and 0.75.

In reply to Styx:

What's your smallest cam?

I've got a couple of small Metolius Master cams (1 and 0) on my rack along with a set of Imps.
I'd say I used the cams more often than the Imps but you can get four imps (I've never placed the smallest one, and hope I never have to!) for less than the price of one cam.

I think that if I had to choose between one of the cams and a set of four Imps, I'd probably still go for the cam.

HTH.

Si

In reply to Styx:

Get the alloy offets, you'll wonder how you ever climbed without them. Not small exactly, but they will be your favorite piece of kit. The brass ones are a good set in the smaller sizes, though they get trashed easily so you need to be sparing with them.


And the master cams 00-2 are a good buy as well. Wouldn't get the c3s, they are very rigid and don't inspire me with confidence.

In reply to snoop6060:

Ooh, I missed the bit in the OP about alloy offsets! I've only got the two smaller ones, and they're ace.

Si

In reply to Styx:
DMM/HB brass offsets are brilliant. As are the Wild Country superlights for grit. Use both regulary on Grit and in Wales.

In reply to Styx:
IMPs - The original micronuts (used to be called RPs) and probably still the best. Definitely get a set of these first.
Peenuts - I like these, they don't go down as small but they are good.
Cams - The only microcams I've really had much faith in are the old Aliens. Good luck finding any for sale though
brass offsets - VERY short lifespan but I do like placing them.
Micro wallnuts - too weak, check the breaking strengths. Also because they are so wide they don't tend to fit as well in small fiddly placements. I had a set once but I dropped a couple, broke one and abandoned the final one on an abseil.
BD c3 cams, wild country zero cams, friend 00, DMM 3cu and 4cu - I don't like any of these in small sizes for various different reasons ranging from too stiff (likely to move in placement when the rope moves) to too flimsy (I just can't trust the ultraflexible things that look more like jewelery) to just not fitting very well in placements. Quite a bit of this is personal preference ofc.

Take what you will

In reply to mlmatt:

Many people consider the sub size #1 alloy nuts to be too weak to be much use, I guess particularly the 0 and 00. They are the only bits of gear that I remember reading about people breaking in 'normal' falls every so often. Brass nuts are much stronger at that size.

In reply to henwardian:


Hmmm, mine are I guess 16 years old and still fine. I don't place them every time I'm climbing but they get a fair amount of use.

In reply to Styx:

Get the set of 5 DMM imps (like RPs) to start with, you can get the whole set for a price similar to one cam. For the smaller cam sizes I really like the Mastercams, they have a narrow head strong springs, ideal for placements in little pockets.

In reply to Styx:

>

In my experience in the Lakes and Wales, the most useful small gear is DMM IMPs - in fact I am sure that nearly every route in Borrowdale has a perfect IMP placement on it.

I really don't rate my Peanuts as general use gear - I think I have only ever found a couple of solid placements for them in 10 years. Microwallnuts are occasionally useful, but very weak compared to IMPs of similar sizes.

For Peak grit, I think that microcams are more useful than micro wires.

In reply to Styx:

I climb in Wales and in terms of small gear I have brass offsets and wild country zeros blue, yellow and grey.

Some of the smaller cams (yellow + grey) live in my pack most of the time. I like the offsets but it's the blue zero that comes on every climb and gets placed time and time again.

In reply to Styx: I just got a couple of BD swedges, sizes 3 and 4, anything smaller I struggle to see the use of. The size 4 is about the same as a size 1 rock but it's much narrower so fits shallow placements. Also I carry 1 rock 1 and a wallnut 1 as they are slightly different shapes.

In reply to Styx: get a set of offsets and imps. If you feel you have too much money kicking around some small cams are brilliant to have, camalots c4 down to 0.3 and mastercams to pad it out with. Otherwise barrabes.com have aliens in stock but not so many sizes yet

Thanks all for the input, I think I'll be picking up a set of IMPs to begin with.

The cams can wait until I'm sufficiently loaded enough to buy a decent set of them, I'll get more for my £50 in terms of nut placements than a single cam right now I reckon!

In reply to Styx: Sounds like a good plan. I wouldnt bother getting a full set of small cams though, just get a few sizes down from what youve currently got and see how you get on with them. In my opinion really small cams (C3 00 and 000 and WC zeroes 1,2 and 3) are too hard to place well while onsighting to be much use.