Small Gear and Nuts

I'm looking to expand my rack into the smaller sizes, as well as add a set of nuts. I'm currently thinking of the dmm brass offsets from 2-6 and the dmm alloy offsets from 7-11, but I thought I'd see if the people of MP have any input. I'm mainly looking to carry small, light pieces that I can place to reduce runouts and gain peace of mind. I'm located in CA, so I climb in Tahoe and Yosemite. 

What do you guys think are the best pieces of small pro? This thread is intended for free climbing, but input regarding aid gear is welcomed!

If you don't already have a regular set of nuts, you're definitely going to need one of those. After that, the DMM alloy offsets are a good next step. After that, it really gets much more area specific or even route specific. Are you looking to have a good rack you can take anywhere and be fine or just looking for a good rack for Yosemite and Tahoe?

DMM IMPS

1. Eli, I have heard that the dmm alloy offsets fit much better in flaring/offset cracks, but still well in more parallel cracks. I've hear similar things about the brass offsets. Do you think regular nuts fit better in most cracks? And I'd want to be able to take the rack anywhere, but with emphasis on Tahoe/Yosemite. 

The DMM alloy offsets 7-11 seem pretty universally beloved. I've never heard a serious complaint about them.

For micros:

Like Eli Poss said, it's more specialized. The DMM brass offsets are great pieces of pro, but I like them more in softer stone.

In harder stone, I prefer the Black Diamond offset micro stoppers. I haven't climbed in Tahoe or Yosemite, so I can't speak to the rock there, but in the hard rock in the Gunks the BD offsets are awesome. My partner took not one, but two falls on the same #4 BD micro offset just yesterday and it held, and I cleaned it with moderate ease.

I have used HB (offset) and RP brass nuts as well as BD micro nuts. My suggestion would be to look at the DMM offsets as they are probably the most versatile.

When out climbing without any specific need I typically have a double set of BD micro nuts and one set of HB offsets. I have second set offsets as well.

I should note that BD is now making offsets as well.

Michael Lieb wrote:

1. Eli, I have heard that the dmm alloy offsets fit much better in flaring/offset cracks, but still well in more parallel cracks. I've hear similar things about the brass offsets. Do you think regular nuts fit better in most cracks? And I'd want to be able to take the rack anywhere, but with emphasis on Tahoe/Yosemite. 

Jay, have you used the brass offsets, how do the IMPs compare?

I would guess that this varies by area but my experience has been that for 9/10 placements an offset will either be just as good or better than a regular nut. However, I always carry my regular nuts too for 3 reasons:

1. I don't want to be screwed for that 1 out of 10 placement 
2. The alloy offsets don't cover the full range of nuts that I want to carry regularly
3. On routes where I'm placing the offsets, I usually end up wanting doubles for some nut size or another. 

eli poss wrote:

I would guess that this varies by area but my experience has been that for 9/10 placements an offset will either be just as good or better than a regular nut. However, I always carry my regular nuts too for 3 reasons:

1. I don't want to be screwed for that 1 out of 10 placement 
2. The alloy offsets don't cover the full range of nuts that I want to carry regularly
3. On routes where I'm placing the offsets, I usually end up wanting doubles for some nut size or another. 

This.  If I’m doing something easy or going light my default is the dmm offset line brass&alloy.  Works 95 percent of the time.  I mostly climb on granite though.  The majority of the time  1-6 wallnuts get added.  Works for me.

I mostly climb around Tahoe and the high Sierra. I have DMM wallnuts, offsets, and peanuts. If I'm going with a basic rack I carry the offsets and maybe some other bits like the bigger peanuts depending on the route. On multipitch I like to carry the wallnuts plus the offsets because I love a good nut. The peanuts are basically offsets in the smaller end of the wallnuts size range, plus a couple aid pieces. Not much you want to fall on, but you can often double them up with the wallnuts for solid pro.

One more thing to think about is width of the nut face and how large the crystals (or friable the rock is). You may want a wider face if there is a chance of crystals crushing altering the placement. In those cases I’ll place my small wallnuts instead of a brass offset or imp

As a relatively new trad climber I love having a set of the DMM offsets and the BD nuts on my harness.  I climb also mostly Yosemite and Tahoe and find the offsets invaluable (especially the smaller size) in helping to get a perfect nut placement.

After my dmm nuts and brassies, when I think of small gear, I love my ball nuts (#'s 1,2,&3.)