Offset cams

[Dirtyleaf]

Has anyone used the Alien Hybrid or WC Offset Friends? Should I double up on the same size or are these offsets worth the dough? If you do have them how often do you use them, where do you use them?

[Alpinfox]

They "rock the house".

 

In a flaring crack or pin scar, they lock in much better than a standard cam. If you ever climb Liberty Crack, you will find them useful.

 

Most people say they are primarily an aid piece, but I think they work great for free climbing as well.

 

I don't own any, but I've used them (offset aliens) a bit and like em.

 

However, they are expensive and I would only carry them on an aid route or a free route that I knew needed them, so they wouldn't get a lot of use. I wouldn't get them INSTEAD of standard cams, but if you have some aid or flaring crack free routes in mind, and you already have standard cams, the offsets would be a good purchase.

 

Offset nuts (the HB brass ones) are another supposedly "aid" item that I really like for free climbing as well. I found them especially useful at Joshua Tree, but they are great at Index as well. I'd probably only use #3-#6 for free climbing, but any pro is better than no pro.

[tomtom]

I have two sets of offset aliens for aid climbing. They rock for pin scars. Although useful around here, they are almost a necessity for clean climbing trade routes in Yosemite.

[paborden]

I'm in the process of buying three offsets at the moment: yellow/green, green/blue, blue/black. The red/yellow sucks because the angle between the lobes is too intense (grey/yellow on the other hand, would be cool). I've got them on back order, you know, the usual story.

 

I already have doubles in green and yellow and am not sure I'd get hybrids before you have those, but that's just me. This past weekend sold me on the hybrids. They fit where nothing else will and can definately turn X routes into R, and R into PG. They rock.

[catbirdseat]

It seems to me that compared to non-flaring cracks, flaring ones would accept a wider range of offset cams, which is kind of nice. If what you happen to have is large, set it towards the outside. If what you have is small, set deeper. I'd like to get one or two offsets for Joshua Tree. Seems like they'd see plenty of use.

[wdietsch]

Has anyone used the Alien Hybrid or WC Offset Friends?

 

WC discontinued theirs last year ...

[catbirdseat]

I brought an Offset Friend 1.5-2 to Joshua Tree and indeed I used it a great deal. I'm not saying that I would have been stuck without it, but it was nice to have. I realize there is a natural tendency to find a place for shiny new gear in the rock. Having said that, there was one place on the second pitch of Mike's Books that might have otherwise been a tad runout where the offset fit beautifully.

 

There seems to be a few of these offsets still available on the market if anyone is interested.