What's a piece of gear not many people own, but you use/recommend?

+1 for the DDM Revolver carabiners. I carry one or two on longer routes when there is high potential of rope drag.

Compression socks for really long routes. I've always had a problem with foot pain and swelling and compression socks have drastically reduced that.

Not every "bail" is off a bolt. Quicklinks are fine to use as bail biners on webbing or cord tied around a tree, for example.

This guy apparently brings a wrench...

jive-assanchors.com/2015/04…

JRM89 wrote:This guy apparently brings a wrench... jive-assanchors.com/2015/04…

adjustable cam size

DRusso wrote:Revolver biner on the rope end of a draw. dmmclimbing.com/products/re… Use them on first draw, roof/bulge draw, or wandering placements to reduce drag.

Great for the flatirons where you have those meandering lines.

I second belay glasses. A little strange on the first wear, having the direction of your vision altered. But once used to they do save craneing the old neck back for hours on end sometimes.

There is a cheap method if you don't want to spend a healthy amount of money on something you're unsure of. It involves repurposing lazy reading glasses.

Chris Rhys wrote:I second belay glasses. A little strange on the first wear, having the direction of your vision altered. But once used to they do save craneing the old neck back for hours on end sometimes. There is a cheap method if you don't want to spend a healthy amount of money on something you're unsure of. It involves repurposing lazy reading glasses.

never understood this one. When I first started climbing, my neck hurt from looking up but now it takes a very long time for my neck to get sore. I think that eventually your neck muscle grows to make it a non-issue

NorCalNomad wrote:#11 Hex ie COW BELL. Super light and cheap way to protect #3->#4 sized cracks.

I love how old threads pop up, i think a graduate thesis is in order!
To the point though, I carry a #10 hex. We play a game w/it. If there is a place to put it it goes in.
I have retrieved 'fixed' gear (not the kind that needs to stay, the kind what are BOOTY) with the nut tool and the hex. In that mode it's name is Mjolner. Works a charm. I have retrieved nuts and cams with it, and yes, it is a perfect large hand piece.

i'll second the #11 hex. It's great for those time when you need a #4 sized piece or 2nd #3 sized piece and you're just too cheap to buy a #4. Plus, it weighs significantly less than a #3 or a #4 so I don't mind bringing it just in case I need doubles.

eli poss wrote: never understood this one. When I first started climbing, my neck hurt from looking up but now it takes a very long time for my neck to get sore. I think that eventually your neck muscle grows to make it a non-issue

Wait til you turn 40.

Seth Jones wrote: And you can use it like a hammer to beat on your nut tool when your partner gets a stopper welded.

Hence 'Mjolner'.
Thor's hammer

NorCalNomad wrote:#11 Hex ie COW BELL. Super light and cheap way to protect #3->#4 sized cracks.

+1 Or the blue DMM torquenut, use it all the time..

Everybody should have a puffy tee

I don't see a lot of people with techweb slings: edelrid.de/en/tech-web-slings/

I'm slowly replacing all of my slings with them, I find that it is really easy to get knots out - far more so than any nylon or dyneema sling I have.

divnamite wrote: Wait til you turn 40.

Or belay a major hangdog/aid sesh...

doligo wrote: Or belay a major hangdog/aid sesh...

Ahahah! No kidding!