Starting a rack. WHat should I get?

[K_Y_L_E]

I have been top roping for about 4 years off and on (due to 2 surgeries when I broke both my wrists) and just did my first lead climb last weekend at Post Falls Idaho. It was only a 5.7 or 5.8 but it was still freaky.

Anyway I loved it and want to add on to my measley rack so I can do it more often. What kinds of things should I look into getting (even for a standard rack)?

Right no I have Several lockers and ovals, a few big belaying lockers, a belay, a figure 8, and a few draws. I was thinking about some more draws, and mabey a GriGri. But I am not sure on what lengths of draws or if a GriGri is worth it. I am also going to start getting into mountaineering this summer on St. Helens and Adams.

Any info on what has worked and not worked for you is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Paul_detrick]

Ill see if i can help you, are you cliping bolts, or trad climbing? If your just cliping bolts, I would get more draws, maybe some with bent gates, easyer to clip. If you are trad climbing, I would find someone to teach you, a mentor if you like.

There is a lot of gear out there, a good place to start is a set of nuts, and learn how to place them, hexs are great, maybe some cams. Im not a product endorser, but you can hardley go wrong with camalots.

But like i said its more inportant, to have someone show you how to use them.

Good Luck Go slow

 

Paul

[Joe_Poulton]

For your Alpine Rack get the longest sewn runners you can buy to reduce rope drag on those zig-zag routes, with a 1-2 pickets/snowflukes and an ice screw or two. Make sure you get 2 pulleys for crevasse rescue and go up only with someone well versed in this. A glacier is no place to run around with someone who does not know how to self-arrest. Get a lot of tubular webbing.

For your Trad rack go for lots of Hexes, chocks (DMM Walnuts, HB Offsets, BD Stoppers). Get a variety of lengths for your runners. Since you might lead straight up above a ledge for about 20 feet, so you want short quick draws. Then you might begin to zig-zag and you'll have to have medium to long runners for reducing rope drag.

Then a sport rack is obvious, but I suggest you get used to leading trad before sport that way when you are a 5.10 sport climber and want to start trad you don't take a fall and have your gear pop out of the rock because you thought you could climb it, and you didn't really know how to place the gear properly. You can even practice to lead on a top-rope that way you can test how well you are placing your gear.

Take it easy,

Joe

[rayborbon]

Good advice above. Get some hexe and learn to place them, they are lightweight.

Get some stoppers I recommend BD or Dmm Walnuts myself for personal reasons..

Then start collecting the cams. If weight is your focus then don't buy Camalots.. Maybe try Wild countrly, Metolius, or Hugh Banner. Nothing beats a tcu by metolius if you ask me. I took a shortie on one recently...

Work your way up dude. I would think that you would learn from others but it looks like you are on the solo road.. So get a set of stoppers and hexes and a few small cams and try using them at the base of a climb first. Then go do an easy route like R&D on Icicle Buttress..

If you are in Lworth this weekend I will show you what I mean.

-RB

 

[paulus]

dont forget the camp(lowe) tri-cams. there relatively inexpensive, extremely versatile, and learning to place them properly will give you a good idea about fall forces. also, they conserve your cams for when you really need them. nothing like wasting your #2 camolot on an anchor only to find you really need it on the next pitch. recommend buying every other size up to the white. another very useful thing to carry is prusik cords of different lenghts, color coded by size.

[climbhigher]

Post Falls? Cool. I grew up there. I now find bolts on routes I used to climb on in blue jeans and tennis shoes back when I was young and had more balls than brains. Surprising I lived through it. I recently started my sport climbing rack. A dozen quickdraws, four or five locking biners, and plenty of webbing make a pretty good start. The trad stuff can come later. Though the earlier advice to start trad has some merit, cost can delay your start that way. Just remember that the switch to trad adds a serious bit of difficulty so if you sport lead a 5.10.a, take it back to 8 or 9 for trad lead.

[jblakley]

In addition to the very good advice thus far, I would get intimate with your rack (gear rack not the other one :-)). Figure out your racking system. Everybody is a little different on this one. I usually rack on my harness but some people prefer a gear sling. You are going to want to know what you need and where it is at as you are hanging from a jam possibly pumping out.

Get used to looking at a crack and knowing what to pull of your rack the first time. For instance if I am in a hand crack I know that a red or gold (1 or 2) camalot will work. This saves a lot of futzing around with gear as I am pumping out.

Mentoring is definitely the way to go. Trad climbing has the potential to be much more dangerous than sport because a lot more is left up to the climber. Defnitely don't think that because you can lead 10a sport that you will be doing 10a trad. Go slow ask lots of questions, be safe and have fun!! Good luck.

Jim

[haireball]

BD hexcentrics offer the best bang for the buck - for over thirty years now. Try to find them without the wire slings - cord slings are infinitely preferable. In cracks smaller than one-inch, I have found stoppers more useful... None of the above posts has mentioned carabiners, and if you're gonna lead anything close to a 50-meter rope length, you'll need probably a couple of dozen. "D"s may be stronger, ovals are more versatile. I don't buy sewn quickdraws, - buying webbing by the role is more economical... but I have nothing against sewn draws, and use them when my partners prefer them. If you haven't got a mentor, one way to get used to the feel of good placements is to do some moderate crack climbs on aid. (carry a nut-tool!) Don't neglect cordelettes. Two 5-meter lengths of accessory cord will allow you to escape a loaded belay, pass knots (God forbid), rescue an incapacitated partner, construct complex anchors, haul, lower, prussik... good luck! Note: anything you can use for trad climbing can be used for sport climbing as well (draws, carabiners, belay devices) - the reverse does not always work...

[climbhigher]

Speaking of Post Falls. Do you know of any climbing guides for the area? I may head that way soon and need the scoop. If no guides, got any other beta?

Thanks

[freak]

Hey um theres a guide out called inland northwest rock climbs, its got all that shiz yo, post falls, china bend minnehaha ect..Its by Marty Bland, you should be able to get in Spokane at that Gym or mountain gear, or you can go to the cliffhanger climbing gym in wenatchee, I know that they have it there. freak

[climbhigher]

Thanks.

I bought it at mgear at your suggestion. Hope it's good. $25 with shipping

[hollyclimber]

BD Hexes without wires:

FYI BD isn't making those anymore. They are still available at some places with the stock they had on hand before BD stopped making them. Last time I checked (about 2 weeks ago) they were on sale at REI outlet.com (getting rid of all the ones that REI had left).

Then, to fill in some sizes they are missing at REI you will have to look around. I know that HyperSpud in Moscow Id has some, so I had them send me a couple. Smaller mountaineering shops are the best bet for finding these leftover gems.

 

[willstrickland]

Check out the recent thread on cams for some good info.

A big part of your rack selection beyond basics like nuts is going to be specific to your local area. Find some local trad climbers and ask them what's good for the routes in your area. Then ask them why, and ask 15 more people the same questions. Alot of this comes down to personal perference.