From: tom@afthree.as.arizona.edu (Thomas J. Trebisky)
Newsgroups: rec.climbing
Subject: Re: Climbing Rack?
Keywords: Climbing Rack
Date: 28 Aug 92 20:56:04 GMT
Organization: University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ

ufessex@mcl.ucsb.edu (Aristophanes) writes:
>
>Hi, appologies for any misspells, I am a terrible speller and lazy (I could 
>have used the spell checker!!)
>
>I a tring to compleate my climbing rack, I got some stuff, but obviously not a
>compleate rack. I would like to get some input from the more experienced
>climbers on what I should have in my rack for rock climbing as well as an
>alpine rack (whatevr that may be) I will compile and repost for everybodies
>benefit, so please send via e-mail!!!
>
>
>Thank you in advance to all of you!!!
>
>
>Fabian E. Schonholz
>ufessex@mcl.mcl.ucsb.edu

Well, I am sure opinions widely vary. Here are my ramblings.

Some folks these days will just carry quickdraws and biners.
(for sport climbs).  I have seen people climb with a rack of 
10 or 12 camming devices (Expensive! and other factors make me wonder).
I am a bit of an old timer and carry a big mixed rack of passive and
active pro.

The first consideration is to carry a range of sizes from small wired nuts
to big jobs.  You want a range of sizes to fit different cracks, and enough
pieces to provide protection at your chosen interval for the length of the
pitch you intend to climb.  On some unusual pitches I have unloaded my whole
rack. (Be careful to save some for the belay).

If you are on a budget, I would suggest this:

Hexcentrics for sizes in the 1 inch to 3 inch range (4 or 5 nuts)
Stoppers for the 3/8 to 1 inch range (4 nuts at least)
Steel nuts for the really small cracks.

Some people really like tri-cams instead of hexes (I have a smallisth
tri-cam on my rack, it can be really handy in wierd little pockets).
There are other brands besides stoppers for wired nuts.

Then if you have the money, add some friends or (better I think) Camalots
to cover the same size range as the hexes.  I have one giant Camalot
(a #4 I think) and it is really useful on a surprizing number of climbs.
And I have 3 or 4 friends an old buddy who is no longer climbing lets me
carry.  I have a number 10 and 11 hex and only carry them if I know 
(or suspect) the climb requires them.

(You can play a game with the big nuts of seeing if you can use one on every
pitch -- sometime the game is motivated by wanting to get rid of it so the
second can carry it up. You can always use them to weight a runner. :-) ).

I carry a very big rack, but I often climb moderate multi-pitch climbs and
like to get in all the pro I can.  I am not a sport climber (you want to
go very light in that game and carry only what you need).  An alpine rack
boils down to what you are willing to haul in on some multiday load.
Typically you pare your rack down as thin as you dare.  If you are talking
mixed snow, ice and rock, that is a whole nuther game ....

Start with a smallish rack with a range of sizes and keep adding stuff as
your budget and total rack weight allow.  Can't get too many biners.
--
	Tom Trebisky	ttrebisky@as.arizona.edu
...."There's no sense in being precise when you don't even
.... know what you're talking about." 
                       - John von Neumann  
Newsgroups: rec.climbing