Irish Guy

Thanks for the info billcoe. I did jump on a deal for a last generation BD cam #4. It's in really good shape, while it does weigh more than the new C4, it fills a hole in my rack. But I think in the future, I'll stick to this place and look for used gear - at least I can see it and have more trust in the seller's honesty.

Hey everyone - thanks for your advice and opinions, and fenderfour thanks for the link to the BD testing. I'll stick to craigslist so that I can at least see the gear. Kinda on the same note - what about mountain booty? If you can't find the owner, do you usually add it to your rack after inspecting it?

Campmor has had a sale on Petzl ropes: Nomad 9.8 60m for $139.96 - UIAA falls: 7 - Weight: 8lb. 5oz. - Treatment: Duratec Dry Treatment Petzl Fuse 9.4 70m for $164.96 - UIAA falls: 6 - Weight: 7lb. 6oz. - Treatment: Duratec Dry Treatment Shipping for me was $6.95.

I figured it was a bad idea, glad to hear from some experienced people though. Thanks for your help!

As I've started building my rack from scratch (gym rat stuck in NE Ohio for a long time), I know good gear is expensive. Especially full priced gear. What are people's thoughts on buying used gear from a place like eBay? Not being able to see/touch the gear or know who I'm buying it from doesn't make me feel like it's a good idea. But are some pieces "ok" to buy used online - like passive instead of cams? Where would you draw the line? I've seen some good deals for the previous generations of BD camalots, and didn't know if a cheaper buy is worth the risk of used gear. Or do you usually stick to new gear or buying from someone you know (and can trust)?

Thanks for the replacements! I was over at Rooster a while back and saw the new hardware. Heading down to Smith in a few days, and will be glad to see the new bolts!

I started taking yoga classes about 6 weeks ago, and have found my climbing has significantly improved. All of the movements are super controlled, balance is key, and it really helps with your flexability. My climbing has gotten way better with being able to precisely place feet and hands, keep my balance and gravity in position. Definitely recommend it!

Great TR - I'm hoping to hike Adams soon, thanks for the info!

counterfeitfake, thanks for the link! These fit much better in my price range.

I'm not too interested in matching pieces - I want to build a rack that doesn't land me in jail for robbing banks. I'm cool with eating ramen noodles to pump more money into gear, and building a rack over time.

I've seen some places offer gear packages where you get a set of nuts, cams and hexes - all from one brand. But adding the individual prices up, you really don't save any money.

Thanks everyone for the advice! Thinker, great call on using dedicated biners for bolts. I'll tape them to make sure I don't mix them up when I gradudate to leading. When it comes to the biner you use for the rope - do you like wire gates or the solid/bent gates? With the weight savings around 0.5oz per biner, I'm not sure if it is worth the wire gate price or not.

I recently moved out to the Northwest from Ohio and am pumped to find everything outdoors is here. Really - everything...especially when you're coming from Ohio. I've started taking the gym climbing outdoors and have been climbing with a buddy who has all the trad gear. I'm planning on buying my own gear down the road when I've saved up enough cash or robbed a bank. I started pricing gear out, and it looks like if you buy a quickdraw, it's about a buck or so more than buying 2 carabiners - but you get the dogbone runner. And some of those runners are $3 to 5. Is it better(cheaper) to buy a bunch of solid quickdraws then stocking up on biners? I thought this way I can use the biners for trad; and quickdraws for sport.