Big wires or small hexes

New Topic
This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.
 johnlc 30 Jun 2020

I have started to climb again in earnest after a very long gap.  I possess a set of Wild Country Rocks, sizes 1 to 9 and a new set of DMM Torquenuts (which I think are excellent by the way).  I frequently find myself borrowing my mate's set of larger wires though and I realise I have quite a gap in my rack.  This never used to be an issue but it has probably cropped up now because I am climbing at a much lower standard than I was before.  So, do I go for some larger wires, possibly from another manufacturer or get some small hexes?  I could get another of the small DMM Torquenuts, which are only available in four sizes but I could get a handful from another manufacturer, such as Wild Country.

I know I need to look at my cams at some point as well but the passive protection is a priority at the moment.

 maxsmith 30 Jun 2020
In reply to johnlc:

I use WC rocks 1-9 and WC rockcentrics 5-8 (similar to DMM torque nuts iirc) and have never noticed a gap.  If you look on Wild Country's website they have all the mm measurements of their nuts and hexes in various orientations, maybe buy a rock 10 if you feel you're a bit short.

 PaulJepson 30 Jun 2020
In reply to johnlc:

What rock are you climbing on?

I carry nuts 1-11 and the green, red and yellow WC hexes (equivalent of DMM torque nuts in same colours). If there looks like there will be a massive crack, I'll carry the blue and purple hex too. 

Some people like the bigger WC nuts (12,13,14) but I can't see the use of them myself.

I carry doubles up to size 8. Not sure I've ever found myself wishing I had another size 9,10,11.   

 brianjcooper 30 Jun 2020
In reply to PaulJepson:

> What rock are you climbing on?

I think that's a very good question. If on Limestone I find various sizes of wire more useful. On Grit, mainly Hexes and wires. Like most climbers I have a few cams too, but prefer not to use them where possible on Limestone due to its smoother surface and possible placement slippage. 

Bear in mind I'm a mid grade climber so my comments are related to that level.

Welcome back.

 GrahamD 01 Jul 2020
In reply to johnlc:

Personally I don't get in so well with hexes smaller than my hand can comfortably fiddle them  into place so first option for me would be wires to 11. 

In reply to johnlc:

DMM hexes, nuts and cams overlap i sizes. Green Torque Nut (#1), green Wallnut (#11) and green Dragon (#2) are of similar size. Probably same with Wild Country.

 wbo2 01 Jul 2020
In reply to johnlc:  Are you using the small wires as much as the large?  

 ColdWill 01 Jul 2020
In reply to johnlc:

I would go for the larger wires up to 11. Small hexes are quite a fiddle I find. the silver and yellow just a pain to place and a large wire will go in 90% of the placements anyway.

 Danbow73 01 Jul 2020
In reply to johnlc:

I only carry wires up to 11 generally and will add 12-14 if I need bigger stuff. I get on better with the large wires because they dont make the awful jangling sound 😂

In reply to johnlc:

Never liked wires in sizes larger than 9 (DMM/Rocks) so hexes and cams cover this for me. 

 Martin Hore 01 Jul 2020
In reply to PaulJepson:

> I carry nuts 1-11 and the green, red and yellow WC hexes (equivalent of DMM torque nuts in same colours). If there looks like there will be a massive crack, I'll carry the blue and purple hex too. 

> I carry doubles up to size 8. Not sure I've ever found myself wishing I had another size 9,10,11.   

Virtually my rack too. I miss out the 11 and carry two 9's. I think that makes me doubled up all the way. My cams double up with my hexes and the 10. Of course I've got a few micros as well, and for Limestone I treble up on 3, 4 and 5. Suits my mid-grade climbing.

Martin

 Mark Stevenson 01 Jul 2020
In reply to johnlc:

Great discussion point  

My two most regular climbing partners, both of whom are solid E5 leaders only carry wires up to size 9. One carries a double set of DMM Wallnuts and the other often carries the best part of four! sets, comprising both Wallnuts and DMM alloy offsets. 

However, I routinely carry DMM Wallnut sizes 10 and 11, plus an old WC Rockcentric 6 on wire which would be  the equivalent to a DMM Wallnut 12.5 if they made such a thing. I rack the Rockcentric on the same krab as my large wires. (FWIW I really don't like the shape of the larger WC Rocks.) 

Another climbing partner and well-known contributor on here takes a similar approach. In addition to DMM Wallnuts up to size 11, he routinely carries two medium BD Hexes on wire but racked separately.

None of us use WC Rocks. None of us carry hexes on tape/cord in Summer even on easier routes.

So, loads of options, all of which seem to work for different people. You just need to experiment and find out what works best for you...

Have fun and climb safe. 

OP johnlc 01 Jul 2020
In reply to johnlc:

Dear contributors,

Thank you very much for your time and thoughtful contributions.  Incidentally, a couple of people asked what rock I am climbing on.  The answer is almost exclusively grit.

On balance, it sounds like the answer is a handful of larger wires but I will continue to study any further replies.

 MischaHY 01 Jul 2020
In reply to johnlc:

> The answer is almost exclusively grit.

In that case forget further wires and invest in more cams. 

OP johnlc 01 Jul 2020
In reply to wbo2:

No, I am barely using my small wires.  It seems to be hexes and big wires all the way.  A reflection of the standard I am now climbing at I suspect!

 PaulJepson 01 Jul 2020
In reply to MischaHY:

This. I'm a limestone climber so nuts are my bread and butter but every time I go to The Peak I consider leaving the nuts at the bottom of the routes. Still haven't mustered the courage to do it but I reckon 90% of the time I could get away perfectly happily with cams alone. I do tend to pick well-protected crack lines though. 

 MischaHY 01 Jul 2020
In reply to PaulJepson:

I too have a ludicrous amount of wired for limestone (double wallnuts, double peenuts, brass offsets and those wild country micro things), but yeah - especially easy to mid-range grit is so cam friendly! They're usually either bomber or crap as well which is always nice. 

 tehmarks 01 Jul 2020
In reply to johnlc:

> Dear contributors,

> TThe answer is almost exclusively grit.

I've avoided contributing to this thread because I seem to climb almost exclusively on grit, and for me the answer is neither. I take a full set of Wallnuts up almost every route, and a set of Torque nuts (and small Tricams) always make it to the crag, but I only ever take them up a route where I think I might need them (usually because it's obvious that a route will eat a certain size of cam that I don't have enough of).

If I were to do anything with my nuts or hexes on grit, it'd probably be to stop carrying the larger Wallnuts by default. I can count on one hand the number of times I've placed them in the past few years. 

 C Witter 01 Jul 2020
In reply to johnlc:

No-one has suggested it yet (perhaps with good reason), but I quite like the pink and red tricams as additional "big nuts". They're quite flexible and cover a range from about rock 7 - 12 (?), from passive to cammed. They are a touch fiddly, but... * rehearses usual arguments for and against *. I found a pocket placement for the pink recently where nothing else would go, taming a bold crux, and so I'm currently evangelical. Probably work quite nicely on grit!

In reply to C Witter:

Pinkie to the rescue!

But lets be honest, it's always the Pink tricam that fits.

 nickcanute 03 Jul 2020

I generally carry rocks and walnuts set each 1 to 8, then medium hexentrics (dunno numbers - white yellow green red) and cams depending on route 

dont know why but i never seem to use rock 9 and 10 as much and hex lighter at this size


New Topic
This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.
Loading Notifications...