I'm finally committing to an ice rack. I have screamers and two grivel 360 22cm. What is a good assortment of other sized screws to start out with?

I built an ice rack last year, it's not complete, it'll never be complete, but here's what I got. All turbo express.

One 13cm
Three 16cm
Five 18cm

Basically I got a great deal brand new off a mtn project user. I bought everything he had. I would have preferred more blues, they feel like the real bread and butter size. I'll probably get a 10 another 13 and a 22 soon for this winter.

I climbed with that rack (actually a little less) quite a bit in Peru this summer and never felt like I was lacking.

So to answer your question, I'll trade you one of my 18's for a 16.

I agree with John, the rack is never complete. It's worthwhile to use the same brand of screw and trying to refine and improve your system to lighten the overall load necessary to protect a climb. Early season I go heavier on the stubbies up to a 16cm. I carry only 1 22cm to make v-threads on routes and place it only rarely. 16cm or the 13cm turbo express are really the shit in my opinion, with 10cms for early season and mixed. Grivel screws place very well but the crank wires are sometimes a clusterfuck with other gear and each other. I usually carry for a 200' ice route;

2x13cm
10x16cm
1x22cm

always assuming I'll need two for an anchor and I'll drop one.

So I'll probably not place 3 of the screws until the anchor.

I do waterfall ice so here is my 2 non-sense.

Grivel makes a V thread hooker called a Candela

Here is what Grivel says

"New tool to remove the ice core frozen inside ice screws. Fold-out hook to pull cord through Abalakov anchor (V-thread) and retractable blade to cut cord or sling material. Clip it to your harness or stash inside a screw (soft plastic material won’t scratch a screw’s surface finish). "

I like it because I leave my knife behind and it cleans out the ice in the tube.

I do 2 22 cm screws only. No more at that length. One must be a Grivel so I can do the V thread and only it can get into a deep concaved area.

I'll do short BD Express screws for the thin and tuff stuff. 2 or 3 I can get them in fast without the moving parts (big lever of the Grivel).

Some of the guys are using the pan pipe type screw holder and they love it and will go with Grivel. I do BD screws in the mid range and carry about 6.

Grivel 360 all the way........

2 stubbies, 4-6 mid size, 17cm, and 2 22cm.....

Unless your going to be climbing multi pitch ice and your using screws for the anchors this will be a start....

One thing I found with the layers you get at the Ice Park, going more with 19s than 16s & 13s seemed to offer better placements. I like the BD turbo express screws.

I also took the biners from my sport draws and put them on some Yates screamers. I kept similar type biners to designate hanger side & rope side; I think it works well. Also got a couple of those larger plastic biners & ice holster (ice screw up) as accessories.

Mandatory also is scotch, beer, &/or tequila.

Thank you, thank you everyone. You are giving me lots of ideas. Does BD make a heated holster for the scotch and tequila?

Beer doesn't have enough alcohol content and can freeze. Got to go with the scotch!

Jody,

I generally agree with Allen's and Jim's recommendation. IMO, try to keep your rack you actually climb with comprised of 3 sizes or less... this helps cut down on the confusion and organization CF associated with trying to rack up with different sizes and picking the right one!

Generally speaking, if you're in Colorado and not climbing mixed, 85% of your placements can be made with a ~16cm screw.

Also, it's my opinion that sticking with the same mfg/model of screw is important, and you can't convince me to place a screw that doesn't have some sort of spinner knob on it (express, 360, etc).

And yes, Mark, tequila. But more specifically, good tequila. The cheap stuff makes you climb like crap the next morning!

Don't forget proximity to a soaker -- everyone needs a good hot springs!

One minor thing, I wouldn't recommend skimping and starting with those cheap titanium screws to fatten the rack...unless you want bail screws. The best thing those things were for was probably to inspire you not to fall on lead.

Good call on the titanium screws, they're inexpensive but probably made from melted down Russian file cabinets and toilet seats. Let's review:

Good screw (with spinner knob)recommendations-check
Liquor vs beer examinations-check
BD needs to make an ice tool/flask to hold tequila-check
Hot Springs/Hot Tubs mandatory-check
Cheap screws usually suck-check

The only thing missing here is the best ice rack option. You take a bottle of GOOD tequila to the hot springs, party with some climber types and then use someone elses rack the next day.