Help me with my rack.

So over the last few years I have been buying gear hear and there and below is what I have accumulated. Started to do a little trad climbing and learning to with some folks a few years back and then had a kid so I have taken about 2 years off and am ready to start back.

Looking to do some climbing down in socal, obviously easy stuff but wanted to get some opinions of some folks with some experience and see if folks see anything that is glaringly obviously missing from my little rack.

I have already ordered some more carabiners and I have a 60m rope, harness, shoes helmet etc. And yes, doubles of some of the cams would prob be helpful, but anything else?

I like having some small cams too. Mastercams, Totem, X4, Aliens...

I would suggest having some more draws and adding some smaller cams in the size equivalent of Metolius 1-4. At that point you would have a solid rack for most climbs.

you can get pretty rad with what you have! I would totally look into some c3 or other small type cams also some offset nut and cams are nice to have as well as brass RP type small nuts! a hand full of shoulder length slings with single biners are also great for extending pieces on the fly

Do have any belay/rappel devices other than your four figure eights?

Forget the figure eights, get an ATC

Finish up your C4 sizes. Probably don't need anything bigger than a 4 but you definitely should own the rest of the sizes.

Looks like my starter rack years ago. Way to get after it, and congrats on the rugrat Dad!

Go lead some long moderate routes, and you'll quickly learn what gear you need. I carry doubles from #3 to 0.3 plus a few C3's and offsets for piton scars.

I got rid of my hexes cause they are noisy, but they're fine for the first few seasons.

You'll want a guide ATC to bring up your follower.

You'll want a 2nd cordelette for multi-pitch routes (I use quad slings)

I placed my first offset nut a few seasons ago - I immediately got rid of the BD nuts and mostly carry offsets - so good.

Hand Jammies for JTree cracks! JTree weather looking awesome!

Happy to do some laps with you if you ever come to N Cal.

Our kit for Overhang Bypass - multipitch 5.7 in Valley

You should review how to make an alpine draw . Yours aren't quite right. Play around with it until you understand how doing it the way you did can actually lead to your easily dropping the sling.

If you buy a few more wiregates, you can turn that pile of nylon runners into more alpine draws.

You don't have any extra non-licking biners. When you place a cam, you can grab one of your slinds with a single biner and then clip it to the biner that is paired with the cam. That saves the alpines and draws for other pro. And like was mentioned, your alpines are not done up right.

You have enough gear for most sport routes, and if you had extra biners, you could make up more alpines if you needed them. Smaller cams would be good. Metolius makes good ones. The single axel design does not have the same expansion as a C4, but in the smaller sizes, that is not as big an issue. They are also cheaper.

I would get an assisted braking belay device, or at least an ATC guide. I like the Mammut Smart Alpine, it feeds well and it is way cheaper than a GriGri. Oh, and get a helmet.

Finally, find some local partners that have had more time and money than sense and have plenty of gear (wait, that's me) and use your rack to complement what they already have.

Sorry should have mentioned I have atc/locker and chalk bag harness it's just at my office at the moment so not pictured (the figure 8s are only used for rappelling). And yes grabbing more biners of all my slings already so I can have a single biner for each sling to clip to my cams. Gues I should have explained that.

Ah didn't realize the alpines were done up wrong but now that I see diagram makes way more sense.

Why would I need a second chordelette?

Yeah I figured I needed some smaller cams too eventually. I have some small nuts that I figured would cover most placements that small (and would help me get better and placing passive). Eventually when I get some more money off the money tree I will pick some up.

If you're doing multipitch, you'll need a second cordalette for the second anchor. Your belayer will stay tied into the anchor as you climb and you'll need the second one to build the next anchor when you get to the next pitch.

Nick Y wrote:If you're doing multipitch, you'll need a second cordalette for the second anchor. Your belayer will stay tied into the anchor as you climb and you'll need the second one to build the next anchor when you get to the next pitch.

That's true, but I assume that's why someone recommended he get a second cordalette.

Ah. Thanks. Tying in with the rope I feel is a good skill to have and allows one less piece to be carried. But now makes sense why have the second. Again thanks for insight.

My ultimate goal is multi pitch just need to find some fiends willing to learn with me and some folks willing to mentor lol. Easy right? Lol

I've had good luck with MP partner finder:

mountainproject.com/v/south…

In general looks like plenty to get started and climb the easy stuff. As you climb more, you'll figure out what you want. no need to spend more money before you go out again.

+1 on the guide style ATC, or similar. Ditch the figure 8's and rappel with your ATC.
+1 on learning how to triple a draw into an "alpine draw" and ow to use it.
+1 on some biners for those loose nylon slings.

I'd also recommend tieing up a 12"+ loop of 7mm cord to use as an autoblock on rappel.

Yup, those alpine draws, double strung up that way are just begging to be misused, and eventually get dropped. Tripled, you can place and extend using one hand without question.

I would pick up a few more draws. Suggest you consider a few longer dogbones.

Some of us might avoid multipitch unless we have a partner with rescue skills, or very least, a partner who will look to learn those skills first. Should a catastrophe ensue, I'd like to think my partner is as capable of getting us both down by the wall by themselves as I am. Very least, you should have the ability to stabilize your partner before going down for help.

Alpines are fixed. Thanks for all the advice!