companies like DMM and Hugh Banner (HB) are great specialty pieces that you may choose to add to your standard wired selection eventually. These asymmetrical gems are designed to lock into the rock’s subtle irregularities, and work great if you’re dealing with sections of corrugated, bottlenecked cracks that aren’t parallel.
Hexcentrics & Tri-Cams
Tri-Cams (see photo 1) and Hexcentrics (Hexes) (see photo 2) are known as “passive” camming devices and are lighter and far less expensive than SLCDs. Smaller Tri-Cams work particularly well in shallow flares and pin scars. The latest Black Diamond Hex design fits into four different crack configurations and works best in tapered slots. Metolius makes a curved design. The drawbacks of these devices are that they are much less versatile than SLCDs and take time, patience, and thought to place correctly.
Lowe Tri-Cams
Hexcentrics
Carabiners
Consider strength and versatility when choosing carabiners for your trad rack. A combination of standard and asymetrically shaped Ds (see photo 3) is a good choice for most of your ‘biner collection. A few ovals(see photo 4) come in handy for racking Stoppers, performing carabiner brake rappels (see Chapter 9), and accommodating multiple knots or webbing. Yet ovals are not as strong as standard Ds. Asymmetrical Ds generally have larger gate openings than standard Ds so clipping is easier. Smaller at one end than the other, they also tend to be somewhat lighter. However, they aren’t as versatile as your standard D.
A carabiner is strongest along its vertical axis. A Dshaped ‘biner is stronger than an oval because its shape shifts the load close to the spine and away from its weakest point, the gate. Carabiners have closed- and opengate strength ratings because gates sometimes open unexpectedly (see Chapter 5). The average strength rating of a ‘biner with its gate closed is almost three times that of the same one open.
Standard (above) and asymetrical (below) D carabiners
Oval carabiners
Bent-gate and wire-gate carabiners (see photo 5) are not as versatile as others but frequently make their way onto trad climbers’ racks. The wire-gate ‘biner has a very high strength-to-weight ratio and boasts an unsurpassed gate opening for its size. Bent gates are easy to clip with one hand from a precarious position when leading, and unclip just as easily. They are used widely in sport climbing. Bent gates are designed specifically for clipping into the rope while climbing, so their use is limited to being the component of a quickdraw or an SLCD sling. Because they lack versatility, I don’t carry many on my trad rack. Also, the smaller diameter of some extremely light bent-gate models significantly reduces the strength of the rope: running the rope over a carabiner with a diameter of 10 millimeters or less will reduce its strength by 30 percent or greater.
Bent-gate (left) and wire-gate (right) carabiners
How many total carabiners will you need? Aside from a ‘biner for each SLCD and a couple on which to rack your Stoppers, consider purchasing 20–25 “single” (or free) carabiners for your starter rack. If the pitches are longer in your home cragging area, or if you’re going to pursue multipitch routes in which simultaneous belays eat up more of your single carabiners, purchase a few more.
RUNNERS & CORDAGE
Runners (slings) are used with carabiners to create links between your rope and your anchors and between your rope and lead protection. A section of tubular webbing is either sewn or tied into a loop to create a typical runner. A cordelette is typically an 18- to 25-foot (6- to 8-meter) loop of cord used to create a SERENE anchor. (SERENE stands for Safe/Secure, Equalized, Redundant, Easy, and No Extension.) The Web-o-lette is a 10-foot (250-centimeter) length of Spectra webbing with loops sewn at either end that is also used in building such anchors. Chapter 6 explains how to use both the Web-o-lette and the cordelette to build SERENE anchors.
Modern Materials
For years, climbers relied on runners made from nylon webbing to link ropes to hardware. Enter the tough-as-steel Spectra, one of the strongest materials in the world (bulletproof vests are made from Spectra). Developed in the 1980s, this fiber is a more durable and less bulky runner option with low water-absorption and significant abrasion resistance. Because of its low melting point and vulnerability to ultraviolet (UV) light, climbing gear manufacturers began using Spectranylon blends. (Nylon is more resistant to UV light.) These eventually came to include trademarked brands such as Vectran, Titan, Dyneema, Ultratape, and Supertape. Today, manufacturers are working with additional specialty fibers with many of the same qualities as Spectra, plus a higher resistance to UV light and increased tensile strength. These materials like Kevlar, Vectran, and Technora are typically combined with other more supple materials like nylon and sold under brand names such as Dynex, Tech Cord, and Gemini2. One downfall of these materials is that tests have shown they experience a significant decrease in strength with use, meaning you must monitor, retire, and replace them frequently. Some tend to be quite stiff, too, making for difficult handling.
Quickdraws (left) and tied and sewn runners (right)
Recommended Runner Specs
In most cases, trad leaders will benefit from carrying three different lengths of runners on their racks. I refer to these as 4-inch (10-centimeter) quickdraws, 24-inch (60-centimeter) full- or shoulder-length runners, and 48-inch (120-centimeter) double runners. (Sewn lengths may vary slightly depending on the manufacturer). Typical runner material widths range from 11⁄16 to 1 inch. All things considered, I recommend a combination of tied 1-inch tubular nylon runners, some sewn 9⁄16-inch nylon runners, and a few sewn 9⁄16-inch Spectra runners and quickdraws.
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