I have a beginner trad rack of mediun sized stoppers and hexes from 1/2" to 2 1/2" and I wondered what would be two good slcd's to add. Most of the trad route descriptions that I think I may try usually say med to large pro. Thanks.

If I were only going to get 2 pieces and I was climbing in AZ, especially in northern AZ I'd get a BD.75(finger-size) and a BD #2(thin hand-size), but if I was going to be climbing around sedona, or on sandstone like that I'd get a BD #4 instead of the .75

Hope that helps,

-Ladd

Only two cams? Without question go with the omega cams. Or a Metolius supercam.

But really, how can you stop with just two cams?! Once you start buying, it will become an addiction until you have three sets.

med to large pro - uggh

If I had a choice & couldn't go with plunking down a grand to get a good range of gear (for just small to medium sized), I would get 2" to 3"

-- the large pro is it's own special masochistic animal.

Well I'll be climbing in the Phoenix and Mt Lemmon areas. I know how addicting it is to buy. I really dont do trad yet but want to start this year. I got the passive pro just in case I needed to build a TR anchor or back something up, and to practice placing while on the ground.

Based on Mark's Uughh I think I'll try to find routes that say small to medium. :).

A number 2 and 3 Camalot would be a great start to your rack. Next I'd go with a .4 and .75, then a number 1 and 4. Doubles of .75 and 2 would come later, along with a set or two of TCUs number 00 through 3. Also tech friends are nice too... but I guess you asked for input about only two cams right?

Cams are like crack, once you have even one taste, your hooked for life!

Chalk up another vote for Camalots #2 and #3. Or perhaps #1 and #2. Camalots have a wider expansion range than most other units and are usually thought of as the gold standard. If you need a lot of cams, they're an expensive way to go, but for a basic rack, they're hard to beat.

But, as others have said, it depends a lot on what you're climbing. Here in Eldo and in the Flatirons, I find smaller pieces to be quite useful (BD #.3-.75). The biggest thing I carry with any regularity is a BD #3.5 (which is about the size of a new #4?). The bigger stuff could be useful but is expensive, heavy, and I don't like off-widths enough to make the effort.

I was going to start a new thread but I think this ties in with this. I was under the impression tha hexes were originally developed for parallel sided cracks so wanting to have something for this situation and not ready to lay down $70 for one piece just yet I got some.

I was scanning the John Long Anchor book and it said that if you have a truly parallel sided crack you need cams. I know that cams have the reputation for being quick and easy to place once you get the knack, but I thought that hexes also "cam". I've looked at the drawings on using hexes and understand the camming action. I dont really have a question, just like to hear what y'all have to say.

Hexes may be used as camming devices, but they are not very good at that. The simplest camming device is a rod wedged between the sides of the crack. The problems with such a device are small range and lack of stability. A hex used as a cam works very much like a wedged rod. Contrast this with the tricam, which has the logarithmic spiral profile that confers much greater stability: It is as if the length of the rod adapted to small changes in position and deformations. Contrast this also to the Big Bro, whose length can be adjusted to fit the crack at hand.

Also consider that, for best performance, the load should be applied near the higher end of the rod. The farther the load is applied from that end, the smaller the maximum camming angle, which in turn implies a reduction in range. In hexes, the load is applied somewhere in the middle, but definitely not too close to the higher point of contact with the rock.

In sum, the chance that you'll get a solid placement in a parallel-sided crack--one that is not going to pop off if you fall on it--is rather slim.

Cams are certainly easier to place in parallel-sided cracks, but keep in mind that the FA of Supercrack of the Desert was done on hexes.

Charles, I'm not familiar with the history of that FA, but the fact that they used hexes does not imply that they used them in pure camming mode. Even a small constriction in the crack may make quite a difference, and allow one to exploit the camming action of the hex in a safer way.

If you are worried about price. I find the Rock Empire durangos, 3 small sizes very usefull on Lemmon(at gearexpress.com). Some may talk them down, but I think they place more easily than camalots sometimes and feel really solid. I haven't fallen on them though. The .75 and 2 camalot recommendation is probably good also. I tend to place smaller stuff more often, but probably in places where passive gear could go as well.

I forgot all about tri-cams. While I am watching the $$$ a bit, I like simple traditional stuff. I won't be tying into a swami belt or using the hip belay though ha ha.