What rock shoes should I buy? / How tight should I get my shoes?
What rock shoes
should I buy? / How tight should I get my shoes? From: Rex Pieper
What are a good pair of rock climbing shoes for a beginner?
(Outdoor)
One that fits well.
Most of the main brands available at your local climbing store will
do the trick: Boreal, La Sportiva, Scarpa or 5.10 being the most common.
Boreal and 5.10 usually fit wider feet, while Sportiva and Scarpa fit narrower
feet better.
Slippers are not the best choice for beginners.
Get them tight, but not painfully so. Ask the salesperson for assistance
and how much stretch to expect over time.
If you can find a shoe demo day, or rent several types from a local
gym or store you can try before you buy.
From thedamco
This is the scoop newbies. Buy a pair of shoes that you can afford. Dont buy
them really tight. Think about protecting your ankles while still protecting
your wallet. No thin rubber.
If you do all this then you can go get honed somewhere and you can answer
the question about your shoes your self. Poor skills will cut you career
short, shoes won't. Its like picking an ol lady. Everybodys different. Try
renting from the gym first or from a retail store. Most the time you will
find you buy stuff because of what you dont like (on other styles/ brands)
rather then what you want.
From: 5.10's old website
QUESTION:What are the best shoes for new climbers?
ANSWER: New climbers typically need a shoe that is comfortable and gives them extra support. They typically have weak feet, so they can benefit from the extra support. They also tend to wear their shoes a little larger than other climbers, so they will not benefit from the support of a snug-fitting climbing shoe. The Spire is a great choice for these climbers- so much so that it has been the best selling climbing shoe in the United States for the last 3 years. The Mojave is a good option for the climber that is looking for higher performance and is willing to sacrifice a little on comfort.
From: Julie
Make sure she tries on LOTS of shoes, in LOTS of sizes. No one can tell her, from
the outside, what her feet are feeling. I've seen way too many chest-thumping
salespeople insist that only the smallest pair the custumor could possibly get on,
was the correct size (wrong!)....and as a relative newbie, you're all too inclined
to believe that Experienced Climber Salesperson (who's really just too lazy to go
get the next size up) rather than your own two feet.
IMHO, a well-fitting shoe hugs the entire perimeter of your foot, uniformly (no
uneven pressure points or gaps, around the whole foot). Snug, but *NOT*
excruciatingly painful - that's a big gray area, but let and encourage her to make
her own mind up on that one, she's the one wearing them. Comfort is much more
important, in getting a newbie to keep climbing!
From: Jay Tanzman
Minority opinion: I disagree with the usual advice given to beginners
to get sturdy oversized beginner shoes. On the one hand, we tell
beginners how important footwork is, while, on the other, we advise them
to wear shoes that hinder their learning good footwork!
The typical beginner shoe lacks the sensitivity needed for learning good
footwork. Good technique requires using the feet almost as a second
pair of hands. The toes must be able to grab holds in order to pull the
hips into the wall. This fundamental face-climbing skill is unintuitive
to most beginners and is difficult to learn using shoes that do not
permit the wearer to feel the footholds they are trying to use.
When I see a beginner struggling with foot technique, I almost always
suggest that they make it a priority to buy a good pair of well-fitting,
sensitive shoes, preferrably slippers. Once they can actually feel the
holds, they often experience immediate improvement in their technique.
From: Michael Riches
Beginners do not and will not be able to
develop the kind of foot work, needed to advance, in any significant amount
of time, with shoes that are too tight. If you buy a good fitting pair of
shoes that are snug and do not allow your feet to slip and slide you can
concentrate on many things besides the pain of overly tight shoes. When
these shoes stretch you can compensate by adding socks. This will greatly
improve the learning curve.
There will come a time that you will start needing more and more foot
control and you will want shoes that are designed for that control. There
are many types of shoes on the market today and there are some very specific
types that will give the climber the control that they need in many
different situations. That means that...yes...you may need more then one
pair. And you may need to adjust the fit, but the last thing a beginner
needs is an overly tight pair of shoes just because that was the way you
were taught...
From: Steven Cherry
The theory is that beginners will not enjoy most of the benefits of
sensitive shoes but they will "enjoy" most of the disadvantages.
I've been selling climbing shoes for several years now (as previous
threads have noted, that doesn't necessarily mean that salespeople
do a good job of it or even know much about shoes) and I convinced
my shop a few years ago to not sell true beginner's shoes (such as
the 5.10 Summit).
So to that extent I think you're right, Jay. There's no point in
selling a shoe that people will outgrow in months, if not weeks,
especially since most people nowadays have been renting and climbing
in the gym for much of that initial beginner period.
However, the Spire, though quite stiff and overbuilt, has as much
sensitivity as the average novice can use for their first year or
so, especially if they're mostly climbing in the gym, which, at least
in my area, is the norm for novices.
By the time they can use a better shoe, their first pair is in pretty
bad shape, or at least needs to be sent out. At which point they can
buy a better pair of shoes, and it's nice to still have the first
pair to use when the second needs resoling or to lend to friends or
to use on those climbing-easy-routes-cause-the-weather-is-bad days.
As to slippers, I think either Jay hangs with an exceptional crowd,
or he has given less than ideal advice. I know in my own case in my
second or third *year* of climbing I first tried on a slipper during
a demo-day at my gym, and could barely walk to a route and make the
first moves. If your feet are weak you will not be able to climb
well in slippers. Most novices have quite weak feet.
From: ropegung_ho
Why hinder their progress with some
ill-fitting antiquated insensitive piece-of-shit board-lasted trad shoe?
That's the advice they keep getting here at least. New to climbing? Go
get a really *ill-fitting* shoe. Just because shoes are stiff doesn't
mean that they won't fit well.
I think this gets back to the issue of figuring out what your weaknesses
are. For a beginner that hasn't ever thought about placing his/her feet
precisely, that extra sensitivity may not buy them much as they struggle
to hit relatively big holds with any part of their foot at all. At the
same time, the reduced durability in a thinner shoe means you burn through
shoes much faster, which I guess is no big deal if you're rich enough to
do that. The same is true for a really tight fit. Worth it if you think
that the added foot sensitivity would make a difference in your climbing,
not worth it if you can't climb routes that don't have parking lot ledges
on them anyway.
From: Marcos
It is not that I cannot take the pain, I have participated in many
other activities in wich some pain was expected at least as a begginer
but I found that:
1. The painful shoes got in the way of my concentration whenever I got
to a difficult spot and I needed all my mind to be on the rock the
pain was there trying to intrude.
2. I unconciously tried to avoid planting my foot in the tight spots
that theoretically my tighter shoes would have allowed precisely
because the pain was bothering me.
3. I do not really see why they shoud hurt so much, my toes are curled
but that is not painful, I do not feel pain at the tips but at a point
right below the joint in the outside of my big toe just where it meets
the shoe, it seems it hits right were the rubber and fabric meet.
Those points are still sore today after two days off. I feel this
could be avoided by better designed or fitting shoes.Or may be this is
the way it should feel how should I know?
See also:
General tips on fitting Boreal Rock Shoes from Boreal
Where can I find extra-large shoes to fit my big feet?
From: Jim Cormier
I would recommend the following: Go to a custom shoe maker (Steve
Kommito in Estes Park, Colorado) and heve a custom shoe made, this will
cost atleast $300, or go to a sporting goods store and pick out a good
quality wrestling shoe and take to a good resoler and have them put on
soles and rands, this will cost about $50-$80 plus the cost of the
shoe, you will get a one of a kind shoe and actually pay no more than
for a regular shoe. I don't have big feet, but a number of years ago I
did this and my total out of pocket cost was $68 ($18 for the shoes and
$50 for the soles and rands)
From: Allard Katan
Try the largest size Sportiva
Mythos you can find. They're bigger than you'd think from the sizing.
From: Phil Moss
His best bet would be to go to one or two retailers and ask to look at the
catalogues and see if they can order them in for him. This is what I have
to do (size 13), luckily for me is that I'm friends with one of the local
retailers. Quite a few manufaturers do large sizes, but nobody stocks them :(
From: 5.10's old website:
QUESTION: What is the largest size climbing shoe that Five Ten carries?
ANSWER: Our general purpose rock shoes such as the Spire, Mojave, Hueco and the Newton go from US size 2 -15. All other climbing shoes go from US size 2 - 13, except the Diamond and Women's Zlipper, which go from US women's size 3.5 to 10.5, and the Cerro Torre, which goes from US 5 - 13. Our approach shoes go from size 5 - 13, except the Women's Mountain Master and Womens Ventura, which go from US women's 5.5 to 11.
QUESTION: I have a size 19 foot. Can you make a pair of shoes special for me?
ANSWER: As much as we'd like to make custom shoes for every individual, we can not take "special orders."
From: Red Rock Resole
You might try contacting the companies directly:
Boreal USA: (949)498-1011
From: Llewokj
Try the Boreal Ballet. They go all the way to UK size 13 (that's US 14). A
good all around shoe.
From: SRunnette
Another shoe for your friend to try would be the Sportiva Clif. They also make
a high top, though I can't remember the name (it's late). I'm a street
fourteen and I've been suffering through narrow lasts for a while now. When
something works, I'm surprised and very, very happy. These shoes made me very,
very happy. I'm wearing a thirteen in the Clifs, and may even size down a half
when I get another pair. Sportiva redesigned their lasts for this season, from
what I can tell. The toe boxes seem wider and less likely to cause that
horrible lateral crunching noise that happens when bone and shoe disagree
(usually somewhere like the second pitch of the second climb of the day, when
the heat begins to inflate the distal bits).
From: Hi
You can also try Red Chile(Sausalito) for rock shoes.
From: Daniel
Yeah I just found the Red Chili website the other day and they make up to UK
size 14 shoes YESSSSSSSSSS!
So I've contacted them directly and they are sending my nearest dealer (New
Heights, Edinburgh) three different models in size 13! Which is incredible
as I usually have to buy my shoes in the states as most uk companies stop at
size 12. I can't believe I am actually going to get a choice of different
shoes to buy for once!!!
Needless to say I'm quiet happy at the moment,
What quick
draws should I buy?
You'd never get ten out
of ten climbers to agree on an answer but five out of ten might say this:
Petzl straight-gate Spirits on the bolt end, Black Diamond Hot Wires on
the rope end and Petzl draws to connect them. (Petzl draws come in
three sizes. Some people get a mixture, some get all short and some
get all medium.) It's not easy to find a place that sells all three
of those pieces. One that I know of is Mountain
Gear.
From: Bob Wightman
With quick draws you need the karabiner at one end to have a straight gate
with that at the other end having a bent gate. The straight gate karabiner
always goes on the bolt/peg. As for the bent gate karabiner basically the
wider it opens and the easier it is to open the better. When you start to
fumble getting the rope into the krab then you will appreciate this.
As for the connecting slings there are advantages and disadvantages to both
open and closed slings.
Open slings:
Allow karabiners to move to allow better alignment. I.e. moving the gate
away from a rock protusion that could open it.
You can put your hand through the sling if things get desperate!
You can always add a retainer (lamb castrating rings are good) to fix one
end.
The karbiners can move round by themselves.
Closed slings:
The karabiners are easier to clip because they are less mobile in the sling.
The karabiners are always the right way up.
If the gear is badly placed you cannot realign the karabiners.
Not so easy to cheat with.
Make your choice according to your preferences. One thing to note is that
having a selection of lengths of tie-offs/quickdraws is better than having
them all the same (usually short) length.
What rope
should I buy? [back
to top] [FAQ contents]
There's a short answer to this question and a long answer. The
short answer is: there's really no such thing as "bad" rope.
As long as you get a climbing rope and don't ever lead on a static rope,
you can't go far wrong.
The long answer is: it depends.
What are you going to use the rope for? Hauling on a big wall,
top-roping, towing your boat?
Do routes or rappels in your area require a 60m rope? If not,
would you like to save the weight of the extra 10m or haul it around just
in case?
Is the rope likely to get wet? Are you climbing ice or alpine
routes? If so, you should consider a rope with a dry treatment.
Where are you climbing? Do many of the routes traverse?
Is rockfall or ropes getting cut over an edge a concern? Are you climbing
ice? If so, you may want double ropes. See What are twin ropes, double ropes, and half ropes and how do I use them?
Do you want the lightest rope or the strongest rope? The rope
with the longest life? The rope that stands up to the most falls,
the highest impact, or the sharpest edge?
How much money do you have to spend?
Are you going to come back in a week and ask us how to mark the middle
of your new rope? If so, consider a bi-color rope.
Four ways to go:
Just get the cheapest one you can find.
Go to wherever you're planning to climb, find people climbing the kind
of routes you're going to climb, and ask them.
Beal ropes has a page on How
to Choose A Rope.
Post on rec.climbing but make sure you include the answers to all of the
above questions.
Where can I buy cheap gear online? [back
to top] [FAQ contents]
You won't find a lot of variation in everyday prices, but some good bargains can be found here and there.
Gear Shark compares prices (and helps to highlight deals) from multiple online vendors.
US vendors:
The Adventure
Source
non-US:
Barrabes (Spain, content in Spanish or English)
Manufacturers who will sell to you directly online:
Black Diamond
See also:
Mountain Goat Online - directory of climbing gear retailers around the world
Why should I buy climbing gear from my local store? [back
to top] [FAQ contents]
From: Paul Brooks
You
can go to your local climbing shop and try the stuff on for size etc,
then order it over the web.
If this attitude prevails, you will only be able to do this for a limited period. Surely there is some moral value to supporting your local climbing shop to ensure its continued
existance!
From: Rob Naylor
You
can go to your local climbing shop and try the stuff on for size etc,
then order it over the web.
And once everybody's done this for all their purchases for a year or two,
your local retailer (who's acted as an unpaid trial facility and probably
information source as well) will be out of business and you'll be stuck with
buying "unseen and untried" over the web.
Yeah, great...please carry on advising people to do this since I think my
local outdoor shop should be closed down and turned into a theme restaurant
as soon as possible (not).
From: Ken Cline
Shopping locally and then buying by mail order isn't exactly fair to
the shops and is counter-productive in the long run. It hurts the
local retailer who pays for stocking the boots you didn't buy and
taking the time to show them to you. This practice encourages your
area shops to have smaller selection and worse service.
Don't get me wrong, I love a bargain and shopping for price is
important. Mail order has its place, too: if you already know the
boots you need, go for it. But if you take the time to shop for boots
locally, buy them there if they have what you want.
From: Peter Clinch
You pay more in the local shop, yes. But if they provide you something
for your extra money like, say, letting you try things on for size, then
it can be worth paying them the extra. And that way they're more likely
to be there the next time you need to try something on.
From: Mike Clark
Couldn't agree more. I am reminded of an example many years ago of a new
member of our climbing club who was very proud of the bargain
climbing harness he had purchased cheaply in a sale. When we saw him try it
on it was clear that the harness was too big and thus likely to be
dangerous in a fall.
You might pay a little extra for the good service provided by many
reputable outdoor shops but what value do you put on your life?
If you do the local dealer out of their sales the ploy of visiting them to
try things on and then buying from elsewhere only has short term value, not
long term, because next time they may not be in business when you call for
your fitting!
From: Wild Bill
Small specialty shops NEED steady
business and loyal customers to survive. You'll pay a bit more, but you'll receive SERVICE,
something that really can't be measured. Most of us aren't rich, but paying a few extra % may mean
getting some solid advice from a KNOWLEDGABLE salesperson, meeting a new partner, getting hooked up
for trips and demo gear, and developing a relationship with the people who work there.
When I worked in a shop , no comission, I had a group of customers who were MINE. I treated them
well, respected them, and did the best I could for them. They appreciated that and came back to me
when they needed help, new gear, beta or to shoot the shit. One of my favorite moments was when a
beautiful woman came up to me and announced that she was Mike R.'s girlfriend, that she KNEW that
he shopped here, and that she was here to buy him two new ice tools for his birthday. I sold her
what I KNEW he wanted (though personally I hated them, and had tried to talk him into the tools I
use) and felt pretty smug knowing that he'd come in a few days all STOKED about his new toys. I
ended up as a groomsman in another customer's wedding.
Help these people out, or they'll disappear......
From: Simon Parker
I agree 100%. If you shop only on price that is all you will get. Local
knowledge, and personal service are worth that small entra amount you may pay.
The end result of buying only on price is that you'll end up dealing with a
telesales drone who takes your order for Flexi Friends one minute and
processing an order for a thighmaster the next.
Support your local shop. They tend to be knowledgable and interested in local
issues. Will a 1-800 company really care if the local crag has been closed due
to access and insurance issues? I think not.
From: Phil Sidel
Let me put in a plug for "Support Your Local Outfitter."
The few bucks you might save by finding the cheapest mail order will be
more than made up for by the service and information you'll get from
a good local shop. I've certainly found it worth my while to go to
our two good outdoors gear stores here in Pittsburgh (Exkursion and
Mountain Dreams). They provide all kinds of information and help that
I'd never get from mail order. And their sales staffs are folks I see
at the crags and at the gym and at our local Explorer's Club meetings.
Besides, they provide sales and price deals that make them competitive
with the mail order houses in almost all instances. I feel like I get
"extra" service when I go in those stores, maybe it's because they know
me as a regular customer who will be coming back -- I support them and
they support me -- very mutual.
What should I buy for a beginner's rack?
From: Robert Williams
Let me quote my friend Ratagonia when I asked him about
gear recommendations for my first rack: "you get six climbers in a room
together and ask them about what to have for your first rack and you'll
get eight answers."
From: Tim Wallace
Climb with some good, experienced climbers until you work out what kind of
gear suits you (ie. the type of climbs you like, the length, the location
etc.). Get experience with as much different gear as possible then you will
know what you want.
From: Geoff Jennings
First, your'e going to get lots of suggestions to check Google Groups. this is a topic
that comes up very frequently
Second, mountain Gear and Shoreline offer lead packages that might save you a
few bucks if oyu can swing it all at once.
Third, it does depend on where you climb.
From: mpahl
Start with a totally passive rack... cheap and you will become a master
of passive gear in no time flat... nothing is more impressive than
seeing a guy (or gal) one-hand a tricam into a vertical pocket, stack
nuts as fast as a normal climber could place a cam, or hammer a hex into
a placement with a loose rock...
get a set of nuts, a set of hexs, and a bunch of small tricams... the
pinks and reds are especially important...
From: Charles Tarzen
But the advice i give
to new climbers is camalot .5-#3 and a set of nuts for a rack. fill in the
tcu's w/ metolius, fill in the larger sizes w/ wild country.
From: Steven Cherry
One strategyy is this:
Phase 0 - gym gear
shoes, harness, belay device, belay biner
Phase I - seconding gear
several locking biners, several 2-foot slings, one cordalette,
nut tool, helmet
Phase II - toproping gear
more locking/nonlocking biners, webbing, more slings, climbing rope
a few nuts, cams, and/or hexes as needed in your climbing area
Phase III - sport leading
10-15 draws
Once you've gotten this far, you've spent at least a third of what a
rack would cost if you started from scratch.
Then design your rack, but buy it in pieces if need by. First a set of
nuts, then some more passive gear (hexes, tricams, another half set of
nuts) then a few cams. Keep buying the biners you need for racking when
you buy the gear they will rack.
Try not to let price determine what you buy. You'll have the gear
a long time and it's very painful to buy something to replace something
you already have just because you don't like what you bought first.
See also:
Rack Recommendations on Gunks.com
Which bouldering pad should I buy?
From: Tom
Although Misty Mt. does help sponsor our web site, I can honestly say they
make the most durable pad I've used. Just an all around quality product that
will last for years (both the foam and the shell). We just reviewed both of
Misty's pads - check it out here: http://www.bouldering.com
The latest improvments in the Cordless line also make these pads hard to
beat - and they look cool, too, if you care. My only complaint here is
breakable buckles that require sewing to replace...
I've seen lots of other pads hitting the market recently, but I would look
carefully at the craftsmanship. I have seen pads fall apart in less then a
year of normal use, and cheap foam will break down quickly, leaving you with
nothing more than an oversized bouldering carpet.
From: chris watford
Cordless, Cordless, Cordless!!!!! (no, I don't work for them, but I've used
and seen many. They are THE BEST, hands down. Well worth the $150-$160
bucks.
From: Robert Bolton
My vote gets the Fish Maxi. I've owned the Kinnaloa and beat myself
stupid on cordless and Pad industries pads. Russ's design works well
(plus it looks soooo suave). More comfortable in an impromptu drunken
bivi as well.
From: StubbornMonkey
I have owned both a metolius and a cordless crash pad.
While the Metolius is a bit stiffer and good for highballs, it
has injured the ankles of two of my bouldering partners.
The edges are very squared off, and if you fall on the edge of
the pad, you can twist you ankle. The Cordless pads have
more rounded edges, and are much less likely to sprain
your ankle.
From: Bobby
I would go with either a Fish MaxiPad or Cordless large. The Metoluis is
smaller than the others and has a hinge design for folding. The taco
shape folding of Cordless or Fish allow you to shove all your bouldering
essentials into the pad. I was able use both the Cordless and Metoluis
before buying one; of these I went with the Cordless and have been very
happy with it. I have not had the chance to use a Maxi pad but have
heard good things about them. They seem to be the best pad for the
money.
From: Kim McCleskey
I like my Metolius pad best. I've got a large (but still portable)
Cordless, and my biggest complaint is the buckles. After only taking
it out three times one was already cracked -- it still closes, for
now, but the Metolius ones seem impossible to break.
The Metolius is also easier for me to store. That may not be a
concern for you, but the Metolius is okay stored folded, whereas the
Cordless really needs to be laid flat, which takes up a LOT more
space. Since I don't have tons of storage space, this is pretty
key for me.
Of course, the Cordless is slightly larger and has a pocket to keep
keys & little things (ID, lip gloss for us girls) in, and seems to
be made out of slightly more durable fabric.
As far as landing goes, I like them both. Nice and soft, even over
lumpiness. And both work fine when using them as a backpack and
stuffing your gear in between the folded sides.
From: Mick Ryan
They are all the same in my book and I've tried them all. They are all as durable as each other - even
those made of ballistics, rather than that cordura stuff. Center seam makes not one iota of
difference : covential wisdom says that the hinge is an ankle breaker or a weak spot- that's bollocks,
the real danger is hitting the edge of your pad - all pads have edges. Advantage of hinge is the
ease of putting it away.
Go for metal buckles or velcro over those stupid sand-filling snappy plastic buckles. Also three
carrying points is very useful - shoulder strap, back pack strap, and handle.
Cordless, PAD, Metolius, Mysty - they are all good.
See also:
Crashpad Reviews on PawnClimbing.com
Which fingerboard or hangboard should I buy?
From: Mike So
Any suggestions which I should get?
Yes. None.
I am new to climbing and am only going in the gym so far but man are my fingers weak!
Be patient. Climb regularly and be very careful to avoid
overtraining. Strength will come in time. Sometimes less is more.
From: Kelly Rich
I've seen a few of these things, and they all are sort of the
same. What I can recommend is that you get one with
a variety of hold types--pockets, crimps, slopes, and jugs.
This may sound pretty obvious, but you'd be surprised at
how many boards don't have a good variety. Like the
Met. Simulator. While this thing is big compared to
the PowerFinger, I don't think it has near the variety
of hold types.
From: Simon Isbister
While I've only owned one commercial board (and made the one out of wood-
worked out very well...), I have played on lots at various gyms, etc., I
think the board you use is less important than what you do with it.
Obviously, the board has to interest you, for you to keep using it, but that
is more a personal choice. A finger board regimen can get tired pretty
fast, so you do have to have a certain degree of dedication to stick to it.
But if you can do this, they certainly can help to gain back strength, etc.
From: Chris Leger
I like the Metolius Rock Rings. More important than which one you get
is how you use it, I think--I put mine up in my office and they saw much
more use than when they were at home.
From: Robert Behrens
I prefer rock rings by Metolius. I don't know if it is true for everyone,
but the rotation of the rings allows my arms to rotate freely (thus
allegedly reducing strain on the elbow joints).
From: Mark, 7/23/2002
I put up a nice Franklin finger board in my hall about a year ago but to be
honest I quickly lost interest in using it and now it's just a strange
curiosity for visitors passing under it...
From: Adam J Beavan
Why not make one, or is that to much like hard work!!!!
See also:
How do I build and use a finger board, hang board, campus board or HIT strips? on Tradgirl
Should I buy slung hexes or wired hexes? [back
to top] [FAQ contents]
From: Dave Virdee
I reckon the wired hexes are superb - used them this winter
for mixed climbing and found them easier to place and less fiddly than
the slung hexes - put a bit of duct tape below the hex to pull strands
of wire together and then hex doesn't slip down the wires - you can
teeter on your crampons and thread that perfect hex placement above you
before going for the crux axe-mantle move...
From: Hans Lehman
I'd say that wired hexes are the way to go. They're stiff
enough to give you a little extra reach when placing them. I've seen some
people fix up the slung hexes with really long slings (we're talking as long as
a single runner), to avoid having to add a quick draw, but I could never really
get into that idea.
From: John Byrnes
I totally disagree. Sling your hexes with cord long enough that
you don't need to use a draw in most cases. Clip them on the rack
with their own biner. A lot lighter per placement than wires and
draws, and take half the time to place.
In addition, hexes are cams and they work better when the
cord is flexible.
From: John Kramer
My rack started off with a full set of the wired hexes but my limited
experience thus far has caused me to switch to something less rigid. I am
by no means a trad guru, having just started placing gear recently, but
these are the problems with wired hexes that I have found so far.
1. Hard to tell the difference between a hex and a stopper on the rack.
2. Harder to place a wired hex under an overhang. (stiff wire doesn't like
to bend)
3. Requires yet another quick draw and thus more weight.
4. One of the little wires that makes up the cable on the #4 hex broke just
from holding my body weight (not sure how found it later that evening while
checking the gear after the climb)
All in all I like the hex as a placement but prefer the gemini2.
From: Alistair Bruce
as to wether wired or slung, both have advantages, but I prefer the slung
variety as it gives the option of using the hex 'round a corner' without the
nasty kinked wire thing happening, also you choose the length of the cord
and can choose to have 'em long and dangly and forego the need for an
extender/quickdraw (they do good cowbell noises this way too!)
From: BigBrain3
I've pulled two loose hexes off of ropes when following two separate leaders
with entirely different styles - both of them wired. I only really use mine
for top rope anchors. The slung units just seem to stay in better with lead
rope drag.
From: Hal Murray
The answer probably depends upon what sort of climbing you do,
what type of rock you are climbing on, what your friends like,
and various other things. Onterwise known as "it depends".
I suggest borrowing some from friends to see how you like them.
Your opinion is what's important.
See also:
How do I sling my hexes? on Tradgirl.
Buying Rock Climbing Gear: Page 1 2
Most of the information in this FAQ was originally posted on rec.climbing. If you would prefer to have something attributed to you removed from this FAQ, please contact us.
Where can I find extra-large shoes to fit my big feet?
What quick draws should I buy?
What rope should I buy?
Where can I buy cheap gear online?
Why should I buy climbing gear from my local store?
What should I buy for a beginner's rack?
Which bouldering pad should I buy?
Which fingerboard or hangboard should I buy?
Should I buy slung hexes or wired hexes?
What should I use to make a cordelette?
How does buying stuff from Barrabes work if I live in the US?
What cams should I buy?
Which helmet should I buy? / Should I get a foam helmet or a hard shell helmet?
Which harness should I buy?
See also:
Gear Reviews
Is it safe to use dropped gear? / Is it safe to buy used gear?
What should I buy/carry for a second rope?
Which aiders should I buy? / How many aiders should I use?
Which ascenders should I buy?
Which portaledge should I buy? Should I buy a single or a double?
What harness should I buy for big walls?
Buying Rock Shoes from Yale Climbing
LaSportiva USA: (303)443-8710
Scarpa (via Black Diamond): (801)278-5552 (I *think* this is correct)
Altrec
Bent Gate Mountaineering
Black Dome Mountain Sports
BoulderingGear.com
Bugaboo Sports
Campmor
Climber's Choice
GearPro
Gendarme Online
Moosejaw
Mountain Gear
Mountain Tools
Northern Mountain
Supply
REI
REI Outlet
Rock Creek Outfitters
Shoreline Mountain Products
Snow Leopard
Starved Rock Outfitters (aka
Gear Express)
Telluride Gear
Cotswold Outdoor (UK, content in English)
Chamonix 3S (France, content in French or English)
Decathalon (France, content in French, Spanish, English, Italian, Belgium, and German)
Ellis Brigham (UK, content in English)
Mountain Equipment Co-Op (Canada, content in English, most climbing gear can't be shipped to US)
Needle Sports (UK, content in English)
Outside (UK, content in English)
Rock + Run (UK, content in English)
Rocup Mountain Shop (Germany, content in German)
S.O.eScaldae (France, content in French or English)
Sportextreme (UK, content in English)
Up and Under (UK, content in English)
Urban Rock (UK, content in English)
Climbingshoes.com
Fish Products
Metolius
Trango
The Outdoor Gear Factory Shops Guide (UK)
ODP's Directory of Climbing Gear Retailers
ODP's Directory of Climbing Gear Manufacturers
Basic Climbing Advice on Needle Sports
Building up a Climbing Gear Rack from the Ipswich Mountaineering Club
Your definition of a Standard Rack (4/97)
What cams should I buy? on Tradgirl
Should I carry tri-cams? on Tradgirl
Should I carry hexes? on Tradgirl
Crash In Review on TopRope.com
What should I use to cushion my fall? / How can I self-belay on my home wall? on Tradgirl
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