Colorado Standard Rack

I'm looking to get into trad climbing this coming summer. What pro should I look at investing in? Right now I get pro-deal on Trango, CAMP, and Omega Pacific. I wish I got a BD deal, but those are hard to come by. Also, there is a chance I will end up in Yosemite, how would that rack differ from a CO rack?

All great advice from John. A couple things to add. First rule of pro-deal: don't talk about pro-deal. Trango flex cams are not as well made as stuff by metolius, BD, wild country IMHO.

I would honestly recommend looking for a set of BD C4s probably 0.5 to 3 on sale or used here on MP. Great cams, good range, and at least a single set seems to be basis for most climbers racks. Or if your on a tight budget, get a set of trango flex cams and then a set of BD down the road.

Definitely want a set of nuts. Depending on where specifically you plan on climbing, camp tri-cams can be pretty sweet (especially the pink)

For small cams (BD .5 and below), most people favor a variety of different options. Mastercams, Aliens, Totem basics, BD c3 are all great.

I hear offsets are pretty sweet for all the pinscars in yosemite but unfortunately I've never been.

I live in CO and go to the valley nearly every year. I roll with doubles of bd camalots .75 - 3 and a number 4 if I need it. For small stuff, I have a green, red, and yellow C3 a yellow metolious TCU, 2 orange TCU's a red Power cam and a red TCU. and a set of nuts.

I find that this does pretty well for me. I tried buying other brands of cams and found that I didn't like them. Buy nice or buy twice definitely applies to cams. Though, if you racked on some light camp biners, that'd be pretty sweet.

TCUs fit in pin scars like they were made for them and they work fine in normal cracks (if there is such a thing) I'd start with something like a set of .5-3 camalots and then catch sales, or maybe buy used off of here or ebay.

I have a #2 link cam and I love it, especially in the valley. you do have to pay more attention to your placements than with camalots, but the extended range is worth it (IMO) Link cams are especially good in the valley when aiding and crack jumaring. They're not as good in CO cause I find the cracks here to be a bit more irregular and harder to find good placements for link cams, but they're still good.

In general this is a "Standard Rack". Works well in everyplace I've climbed. More small nuts and stoppers for Eldo.

Single set of nuts. From micro's to about #7ish BD stopper size.
Double set of Met Master cams 0-4
Double set of Camalot .75-3
Single #4

From there you will suppliment with tons of stuff.

Prod.

Welp!! Looks like I'll be in RMNP for the summer. Lumpy and I are going to become real good friends this summer. Thanks for the replies guys!

My rack which works well almost anywhere:

Double set BD C4's: .4 through 3, one #4, one #5
Single set BD C3's (grey, purple, green, red, yellow)
Single set Aliens (black, blue, yellow, red)
Single set of nuts from micro up to #12

Get a set of offset nuts if you are going to be in Lumpy a lot. They come in really handy for flared cracks, which abound in Lumpy. They also fit well in Yosemite pin scars. A couple of offset cams also are nice - Aliens or Metolius.

essentially a double set of cams and a single set of nuts seems to do the trick. then add your specialty gear around it (more bigs cams, offset cams, link cam, hexes or tri-cams if you wish, etc...)

prod. wrote:In general this is a "Standard Rack". Works well in everyplace I've climbed. More small nuts and stoppers for Eldo. Single set of nuts. From micro's to about #7ish BD stopper size. Double set of Met Master cams 0-4 Double set of Camalot .75-3 Single #4 From there you will suppliment with tons of stuff. Prod.

And if you are in the Flatirons, tricam it up. Nothing like having a nice horizontal or a hueco to drop your tris into.

Unless your planning on leading a bunch of newbs up something.

You don't need doubles or triples of anything

If your going to be picking up partners they'll also have gear.

A single set of nuts and Hexes will get you up a lot of easier or shorter routes.

Having some gear will at least make you a viable partner.