Sport Anchors

Does anyone have suggestions where to get quicklinks, chain, and rap rings for sport anchors? All bolts/hangers are stainless steel. Should I also go stainless for the quicklinks, chain and rings? Obviously price is a factor, but a brand with a good reputation and thorough testing is more important to me.

Thanks,
Dan

Fixe hardware at libertymountain.com.

Why are you using so much stainless here in Colorado? It has its place if your route sees a lot of runoff, but it is generally overkill. Keep in mind that 98% of the time in construction we use plated hardware. That means that in a world where engineers triple-rate specs just for liability, plated anchors are still specified in situations where failure could mean a massive disaster. As we speak I am seeing 20+ year old bolts with only a superficial amount of corrosion.

For quicklinks, go to White Cap and ask for a cash sale, pretend you work for one of the big contractors. Get the lowering rings from Fixe, DO NOT USE RAP RINGS!

Price wrote:Fixe hardware at libertymountain.com.

I definitely wouldn't waste my money buying quick links from any climbing company. Go to the hardware store/home depot and pick up a bunch on the cheap. Same thing, only they are $2.50 instead of $6-7.

As far as buying an anchor system? I would go with the Mussy hook setup. You can look (and buy) the whole setup here:

maximuspress.com/shop/produ…

You will notice that the quick links are even cheaper there, $2. The Mussy setup is great because those tow hooks are totally truck and they last for fricking ever. On top of that, by combining the hook with a quick link, you have installed an anchor that is very easy to replace in the future. You just unscrew the quick link and put on a new tow hook. Way better than a bolt with a rap ring like Fixe sells.

I disagree with Mike. I always use stainless because I have replaced enough of other peoples crap bolts to not want others to have to do the same for me. You cannot compare climbing anchors to industrial anchors for many reasons, one being you never use a single anchor in an industrial setting where it's failure could result in your death.

The biggest reason to use SS bolts is because most hangers sold are stainless.

If you want to use plated hangers and plated (hopefully removable) bolts, it will probably be fine in many situations on the Front Range. Just realize that you may be up there in 30 years or less yanking those bolts or wishing someone else would.

Oh yea, and those Rap Rings are dangerous!!! Not.

Kevin Stricker wrote:Yea those Rap Rings are dangerous!!!

Kevin, I'm not sure if you are being sarcastic or not, but those Omega rap rings are not intended for use in anchors. Rap anchors are different than sport anchors.

J. Albers wrote:As far as buying an anchor system? I would go with the Mussy hook setup.

J., it is becoming more common (though far from universal, as that thread shows) to use old 'biners instead of the Mussy hook. Much cheaper and just as "truck." :)

Well I was being sarcastic, and they are just fine for lowering and are more durable than most carabiners in my experience because they rotate to distribute the wear. I agree that for sport anchors mussy hooks or carabiners are a better option.

Yeah, they are stronger than the (plated) Fixe rings. I think I'm just biased against rings. :)

Thanks everyone for their replies. I know better than to mix SS with plated with my bolts and hangers (SS for both in my case.) however, does the same principle apply to the anchor material? Do SS hangers require SS quicklinks, etc?
When I spoke of rap rings, I had the Fixe rings in mind. The fact that rings do not wear at the same spot for a while, was a big selling point. But that was before I looked into the Mussy hooks. If the Mussy hooks really do hold up for a long time, they may be an option. How sharp are the hooks themselves. Take the worst case scenario where someone starts to clip in but blows a foot hold. Is there any chance of the rope being skewered on the hook itself? I checked out a similar hook on the Fish website and it appeared to be more rounded at the end of the hook.
Thanks,
Dan

Listen to Kevin Stricker . He is THE authority on bolts and hardware. (including anchors )

Dan Godshall wrote:...I know better than to mix SS with plated with my bolts and hangers (SS for both in my case.) however, does the same principle apply to the anchor material? Do SS hangers require SS quicklinks, etc?... Dan

The stainless bolt and hanger will corrode your plated quicklink.
But you can see that and easily replace it, unlike a plated bolt inside its hole.

Dan Godshall wrote:Thanks everyone for their replies. I know better than to mix SS with plated with my bolts and hangers (SS for both in my case.) however, does the same principle apply to the anchor material? Do SS hangers require SS quicklinks, etc? When I spoke of rap rings, I had the Fixe rings in mind. The fact that rings do not wear at the same spot for a while, was a big selling point. But that was before I looked into the Mussy hooks. If the Mussy hooks really do hold up for a long time, they may be an option. How sharp are the hooks themselves. Take the worst case scenario where someone starts to clip in but blows a foot hold. Is there any chance of the rope being skewered on the hook itself? I checked out a similar hook on the Fish website and it appeared to be more rounded at the end of the hook. Thanks, Dan

There isn't anything on the Mussy that is going to cut the rope. Also, in response to the comment that it is more common to use biners instead of Mussy's, I would say yes that is true. I have replaced more anchors with old biners than with Mussy's, but there is absolutely no way that an old biner will last anywhere near as long as a Mussy and I think this is worth noting for one important, albeit annoying, reason.

For the most part, people either don't seem to understand, or are to lazy to care, that toproping directly off of the anchors is bad form. Thus what inevitably ends of happening, is that you put old biners up as anchors and they wear out in a year or two (in heavily traveled areas anyway). This is where the Mussy is a worthwhile investment, because even with people toproping off of the anchor, the Mussy anchor is going to last a pretty long time.

Best.

edit: Also, with respect to the difference between the Mussy hooks at Maximus versus Fish Products. Those are the same hook. Both Marty (Maximus) and Russ (Fish) are Sierra eastside folks and they are hawking the same product. The reason for this is simply that the eastside community has more or less decided that the Mussy hook setup is the anchor of choice, and since Marty etal. do the gross amount of anchor maintenance, they have made the gear available that they are using.

In Red Rock, the LVCLC has been using Mussy hooks that we've been getting through the ASCA for awhile now. They're not universal by any stretch, but are being placed on sport routes that have been rebolted. We've had pretty good success with them, even with the inevitable amount of folks TR'ing on them. For some reason, on any glue-in anchor, folks feel the need to steal the hardware because you can lower through the bolts directly (not that you should), so make sure you loc-tite the hooks on.

smassey wrote:In Red Rock, the LVCLC has been using Mussy hooks that we've been getting through the ASCA for awhile now. They're not universal by any stretch, but are being placed on sport routes that have been rebolted. We've had pretty good success with them, even with the inevitable amount of folks TR'ing on them. For some reason, on any glue-in anchor, folks feel the need to steal the hardware because you can lower through the bolts directly (not that you should), so make sure you loc-tite the hooks on.

wait, wait, wait..... You actually know of people who lower directly off of bolt hangers?!?!? Not just rappel, but lower?? Wow, I guess people like abusing their ropes. Smart ones they are.

mussy hooks:

J. Albers wrote: wait, wait, wait..... You actually know of people who lower directly off of bolt hangers?!?!? Not just rappel, but lower?? Wow, I guess people like abusing their ropes. Smart ones they are.

I think smassey is talking about lowering through the type glue-in anchors that are one-piece and smooth & rounded on the inside of the "hanger" part of the anchor as shown below (common in many places where these are used). I don't think folks are lowering through bolted-on hangers (at least I hope not!)

Doesn't somebody now make a hanger that has smooth edge for running a rope through directly? Thought I saw it once on some internet shopping site.

Jason Halladay wrote: I think smassey is talking about lowering through the type glue-in anchors that are one-piece and smooth & rounded on the inside of the "hanger" part of the anchor as shown below (common in many places where these are used). I don't think folks are lowering through bolted-on hangers (at least I hope not!)

ahh yes, I went back and read smassey's post more carefully and he does mention the glue-ins, which as you mention are not any harder on your rope than a biner to lower from. Still, anyone who is pilfering hardware off of an anchor is a douche sack with an inability to recognize the implications for the future of the anchor if everyone lowers directly off of the glue-in. Eventually the lower out point will wear and need replacing and it is far easier to put a new mussy hook/biner/quick link on than replacing the glue-in.

J. Albers wrote: II would go with the Mussy hook setup. You can look (and buy) the whole setup here: maximuspress.com/shop/produ… You will notice that the quick links are even cheaper there, $2. The Mussy setup is great because those tow hooks are totally truck and they last for fricking ever. On top of that, by combining the hook with a quick link, you have installed an anchor that is very easy to replace in the future. You just unscrew the quick link and put on a new tow hook. Way better than a bolt with a rap ring like Fixe sells.

FYI, note to Marty already sent. His site is outdated and no way he can provide Mussyhook set up for that price. Great product but expect a price increase to be posted. Same holds true from Mussy himself at fishproducts.com

~Susan

Thanks for the note Susan.

Some of the folks at Rumney have started using links of 1/2" chain. Beefy as hell and discourages TRing through them.

Like this except a link of chain attached to the quick link instead of the rap rings. Quick links are probably lock-tite'd so they won't walk away.