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Chockstone Forum - Gear Lust / Lost & Found

Rave About Your Rack Please do not post retail SPAM.

 Page 1 of 2. Messages 1 to 20 | 21 to 37
Author
Rack help
stugang
5-Dec-2014
8:37:09 AM
Hi ive been climbing a lot of times and want to get into lead climbing. Mum said she'd get me some gear for crissy but wants to know what brand of rack is safest. I can't tell the difference. Any suggestions

Thanks
Jf
TimP
5-Dec-2014
8:48:42 AM
Depends on personal preference and style of climbing as there are so many options between the different designs and the companies making climbing equipment. I was out at Rock Hardware the other day and saw Steve had some great ready-made beginner racks with a good selection of quality gear, all the essential stuff you'd need. Give him a call — 'shop' link on the bottom left of this page
kieranl
5-Dec-2014
8:56:32 AM
You can't go too far wrong with something like :

a set of DMM Wallnuts (rockhardware.com.au , bogong.com.au)
a set of cams either Camalots (rockhardware.com.au , bogong.com.au) or Totem Cams (supposed to be very good but I haven't used them climbinganchors.com.au)
You'll also need a bunch of draws and slings.
widewetandslippery
5-Dec-2014
8:58:23 AM
Does Mum know how much this is going to cost? A full rack costs a lot.

You got mates who can also get some gear?

My mate Reno and I started getting even and odd cam sizes, then the same with the half sizes.

We both had our own nuts. Two sets of nuts is good. My dog Frank has only one, it never stopped Chairman Mao either, but I rather two, gives you something up your sleeve.

What about a rope, none of the shiney stuff is really useful without one.

Then there is the dozen quickdraws.

Give us Mums budget and the brains trust here can spend it for you in a way that will prolong certain death.
DSPIES
5-Dec-2014
9:09:44 AM
and don't forget to tell her you love her...
geees my mum is probably more likely to hide my rock climbing gear than buy it for me.

Drake
5-Dec-2014
9:53:09 AM
A common path is to build a sport-climbing "rack" of a rope and quickdraws (maybe 12, of various length dogbones), and to add trad gear later. Most of the suggestions here regarding nuts and cams specifically relate to trad climbing, as the word "rack" refers to this hardware, but most beginning leaders start with sport.

Get any thick rope to start (10 mm diameter or greater), as new leaders often abuse ropes by running them over sharp edges and the like. I like camp draws (relatively cheap but still good), but there are many excellent options.

Sabu
5-Dec-2014
10:01:32 AM
All brands are safe so it really just comes down to personal preference.

As Drake notes the bulk of gear in a rack is for trad climbing - something which will take some time for you to learn (if that's what you're aiming for) and is best taught by an experienced climbing buddy or on a more formal course. While you learn however you can make yourself useful by having a few select pieces of gear including: a few screwgate carabiners, a few normal carabiners and quickdraws (more if you want to lead on sport), belay device, nut tool, some long slings, and a rope.

This way on outdoor trips you can be a self sufficient seconder. For learning on trad my advice would be to do lots of seconding so you get the hang of the gear and by doing so you'll learn what you like and don't like about various brands.
dalai
5-Dec-2014
10:04:06 AM
On 5/12/2014 Drake wrote:
>but most beginning leaders start with sport.

If details in his profile are correct, Jay is in Vic so more likely to start with trad...

IdratherbeclimbingM9
5-Dec-2014
11:32:28 AM
On 5/12/2014 Jayford4321 wrote:
>Hi ive been climbing a lot of times and want to get into lead climbing.
>Mum said she'd get me some gear for crissy but wants to know what brand of rack is safest. I can't tell the difference.
>Any suggestions
>
>Thanks
>Jf

Hmm.
You have been climbing a lot of times but can't tell the difference between what brand of rack is safest? This indicates to me that most of your climbing has been gym (though I note you ticked toprope and sport in your profile), but nevertheless, I suspect that both you and your mum are missing a significant point...
That being; irrespective of the brand of equipment used (they are all pretty much 'safe'), the real safety is in using the equipment correctly.

The above answering-posts contain good suggestions, particularly ww&s suggestion of sharing purchases of a rack with a regular climbing partner, to keep costs down when starting out.

Keep an eye out for specials/discounts from known suppliers of major brands, then compare what you find to Rock Hardware (as advertised left on your screen), and I think you will find that Rock Hardware is often cheaper for the same items, carries a wider range of brands than major specialist stores (check his link and you will see what are considered to be the major brands), the owner is a climber and so knows what is what regarding the gear he flogs, plus their delivery service is fast and reliable.

Beginner/intermediate trad-racks usually consist of; ~
rope; harness; climbing shoes; belay device; helmet (optional); nut tool; set of nuts (1-10), supplemented with a few hexes in sizes larger than the #10 nut; and perhaps 4 slcd's in the whole-size numbers (leave the half-sizes, extra small and extra large for later); slings (2 long, and 4 medium); quick-draws (half dozen), and a few bolt plates (best if a mix of different styles and brands), 12 karabiners for the (6) slings, and make sure the quickdraws already come with them; half a dozen 'racking' karabiners (often the nut set and slcd's come with them), plus 3 or 4 locking karabiners for belays/belaying.
A gear bandolier is optional.
... If you have been climbing already, then you may well have some of the basics for gear under control.

Consider colour coding your gear (eg all medium length slings the same colour, all long slings a different colour to the medium, etc), as it makes racking simpler in the long run.


phillipivan
5-Dec-2014
11:37:57 AM
On 5/12/2014 kieranl wrote:

>Totem Cams (supposed to be very good but I haven't used them climbing-anchors.com.au)

Better than the alternatves with no real downside except perhaps price & availability. However ther size range is limited (equivalent to 0.3 to 1 camalot) so a starting rack would probably want to supplement that with a larger cam or two.
patto
5-Dec-2014
11:38:46 AM
How old are you and what town/city do you live in?

If you want to get into lead climbing you need to have knowledgeable and willing partners to climbing with. This is more important that having the necessary gear.

There are plenty of good clubs to join, but most are more available to adults than those under age. It seems that the greater need isn't buying gear for christmas, but finding somebody that you can climb with and that can teach you the basics.

Top-roping may be a more manageable beginning. So really what you need is equipment for top roping, not a full rack.

Alternatively a great Christmas present would be to pay for a guide at Arapiles.
lukef
5-Dec-2014
12:01:06 PM
On 5/12/2014 Jayford4321 wrote:
>Hi ive been climbing a lot of times and want to get into lead climbing.
>Mum said she'd get me some gear for crissy but wants to know what brand
>of rack is safest. I can't tell the difference. Any suggestions
>
>Thanks
>Jf

Hi Jf, like M9 and Patto say,
if you want to get into lead climbing, your first thought should not be about the gear, but about how you're going to learn, and who you're going to do it with. Seconding with experienced climbers imho is a great first step, that's how I started learning early this year.
Questions about gear can come later, and the answer (for purchasing) seems pretty obvious once you've started using and interacting with gear from other people's racks and learn (in practice) what each item is for, how it performs, what aspects of it are important, etc. Plus, you might, like a couple of people I've met, decide soon after buying all the gear (before trying it) that lead climbing isn't for you.

zarb
5-Dec-2014
2:04:31 PM
Along the similar suggestions of the others, if you're learning to lead you should be finding an experienced partner to show you the ropes (Ha!). Learning to lead, especially in trad, is best served through an apprenticeship with someone who's been there before.
That also solves the rack problem, as your partner would normally have their own. That way while climbing with theirs and learning about the gear, you can slowly piece together your own rack based on practical experience and preference.
widewetandslippery
5-Dec-2014
2:22:12 PM
Dont be a soft c--k and seek advice. Have an adventure. You will pick up the best mentors that way. All you can do at worst is f--- up.
stugang
5-Dec-2014
4:06:28 PM
Thanks for the posts. I haven't had time to read many of them but they look helpful.
stugang
5-Dec-2014
4:39:17 PM
Omg just checked $$$ but it looks way cheaper os. Dads in uk for work might get him to get it. What's a good uk brand.
stugang
5-Dec-2014
4:41:58 PM
On 5/12/2014 kieranl wrote:
>You can't go too far wrong with something like :
>
>a set of DMM Wallnuts (rockhardware.com.au , bogong.com.au)
>a set of cams either Camalots (rockhardware.com.au , bogong.com.au) or
>Totem Cams (supposed to be very good but I haven't used them climbinganchors.com.au)
>
>You'll also need a bunch of draws and slings.

Thanks if DMMs good I'll tell him that they're uk yeh?

Eduardo Slabofvic
5-Dec-2014
4:42:26 PM
On 5/12/2014 widewetandslippery wrote:
>Dont be a soft c--k and seek advice. Have an adventure. You will pick up
>the best mentors that way. All you can do at worst is f--- up.

Here here.

Talent develops in tranquility, character in the full current of human life.
TimP
5-Dec-2014
4:44:22 PM
Yep DMM is good. Designed and made in UK where climbing style is closer to Australian than US climbing.

Duang Daunk
5-Dec-2014
5:59:12 PM
On 5/12/2014 Eduardo Slabofvic wrote:
>On 5/12/2014 widewetandslippery wrote:
>>Dont be a soft c--k and seek advice. Have an adventure. You will pick
>up the best mentors that way. All you can do at worst is f--- up.
>
>Here here.
>
>Talent develops in tranquility, character in the full current of human life.

Right on Ed bro.
I was bouldering at shorty’s favourite spot the other day. You know, that one at Koonung Drain Archway under Surrey Rd at Blackburn, fantastic urban bouldering actually, with an ambience that gets you hyped, anyway I am drifting.

While slapping for a fat sloper on a cruxy move I thought I saw a water current below me. I was wrong it was just an eddy, a transient circular ripple if you will, all washed up, it’s now a has been, as it is no longer there.

Who knows if it would have ever amounted to anything? The bugs it was carrying were oblivious to their plight.

That place is choice for character, and also has enough tranquility to develop talent; if a syringe don't get you first.

 Page 1 of 2. Messages 1 to 20 | 21 to 37
There are 37 messages in this topic.

 

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