What's the smallest cam size you frequently use?

Thinning the herd as I go through my rack and I'm looking at some of smaller sizes I own but almost never use. I own #.1 and #.2 BD X4s and a Metolius #0 (same as the BD .1, basically). The few times I've ever placed these in retrospect were just "mental" protection. Other than as aid pieces do many of you frequently place those sizes in free climbing situations? What about the #.3 BD size?

I'm no longer interested in hauling around gear that's primarily theoretical in its usefulness.

Personally a metolius 1 (blue) is the smallest I own and have no interest in anything smaller (given where I climb). I favor nuts if there is an option as I get toward the smaller sizes. Never fallen on the 1, but I'm sure it would hold in a perfect placement in good rock and not much else. Small cams are very light and small so there's not a lot of harm in having them right?

I regularly use everything down to the blue metolius size. I also have the green c3 and the two smallest ballnuts that are usually carried but rarely used. If placed well in solid rock, these small pieces can be more than just "mental pro", but they have to be damn near perfect placements since there isn't much margin for error. I would ever call something that small "bomber", but they can be good enough for at least some small falls. 

I use blue Metolious or BD .3 all the time. Smaller than that is more rare, but still common enough that I would not get rid of those pieces. In fact, I'd buy your .1 if the price is right. 

As I get out to the ends of my rack I find I use the extreme sizes less and less.  I regularly place my blue metolius and .3 BD cam.  I also find myself placing my .2 but less frequently.  .1 Is a piece I rarely rarely place but when I need it i'm happy to have it.  Small cams are not heavy so I don't mind carrying them.

OP I'd ditch the extra .1 size.  I've got singles in those sizes and never feel the need for doubles unless specifically called for on a thin route.

When I was buying my first BD 0.3 I remember thinking "I hope I never fall on this one."  Ironically I've fallen on that size more than anything else, due to the prevalence of finger cracks in my former local crag.  The caveat is that none of those falls were that big, and the only piece I've ever pulled was a small cam (red C3).  So of course, the protection is only as good as the placement and the rock.

I knew someone who preferred small to medium cams, as you can "nest" them in constrictions more easily than the larger sizes.  Personally I'm still nervous thinking about falling on anything smaller than my trusted 0.3, although MP has its share of stories of people taking big whips on tiny gear.

I've only ever whipped on 0.2 and 0.3 X4s, so definitely not decoration pieces.

blue and yellow metolius... often feel super solid climbing above either of those (mostly granite here). have fallen on the blue one at least a few times and it's always held, i don't worry about it. actually i get excited when I find a placement for it! I believe these are roughly equivalent to BD .2 and .3. The yellow metolius / BD .3 is probably my favorite size cam for whatever reason. They seem solid.

I carry the purple metolius and place it more often than I expected, never fallen on it, and I agree that nuts are better in that size. don't carry anything smaller than that unless specifically called for.

the other day I placed a white tricam backed up with a black alien. felt pretty good about it, but didn't test it XD. climbing on someone elses rack.

I regularly use the .3 and carry two of them.  I rarely use the .1 and .2 and sometimes do not bother bringing them along.  Some of my partners really want the 0.1 and 0.2 so I will bring the small cams if I am climbing with that partner.

I carry a small of nuts for smaller cracks.  And a pink tricam, of course.  If I think the route is going to be really scary with small gear I bring lowe balls (or whatever they are called now).

It all depends on where you climb.  At the Waterfall in Arizona 00 and 000 cams get used all the time.  And they are often bomber.

I place a green alien on damn near every pitch. Blue aliens about half the time. Green/purple C3 on maybe a 1/4 of the pitches. 000 c3 or #1-3 ballnuts maybe two pitches a year.

Two largest DMM brass offsets get placed very frequently as do the 0-3 wallnuts. 

I've fallen on a purple metolius, on granite. They are definitely not only mental. I've caught fall onto a 000 C3 on red rock sandstone. 

John Wilder wrote: 0.2 and 0.3 BDs are pretty common for me. The 0.1 is pretty rare for me in red rock- a cam that small in sandstone is often just mental if I only have one and/or the rock isn't super varnished.

Do you ever use ballnutz in red rock? I was thinking of picking up the smallest sizes. 

Rarely leave the ground without a red c3 in Squamish, often two. Green and purple c3 come in handy all the time unless it’s 5.10- or mostly hand sized cracks. Grey dmm peanut goes in all over the place.

 I've caught fall onto a 000 C3 on red rock sandstone.

My sphincter tightened just reading this

Stephen Lander wrote:

My sphincter tightened just reading this

Me too. I remember placing a yellow zero which is about a green c3 size (2 sizes bigger than the 000 c3) on the last pitch of tunnel vision in red rocks. About 20 ft above it, I got to the knobby headwall and the wind was threating to blow me off the rock. I really did not want to fall on that one. 

I use a blue alien (totem basic)(equivalent to BD 0.2) surprisingly often on alpine rock climbs.  You can often protect sections that the old-school hardmen just had to run out.

So far my most memorable red rock experience was being run out 30ft above a cam with 2 lobes engaged equalized with a shitty nut. What fun! At least it was a totem....

I use cams down to Metolius #1 (blue) and Totem blue. Below that, I rack Ballnutz 5, 4, and 3. I think that's the best way to go because in those Ballnutz sizes they are rated stronger (8 kN) than the micro cam sizes (5 kN).

Green #0 C3, then Yellow #.2 X4.
Much prefer a good nut at those sizes though.

I used the green, red, and yellow C3’s a lot! The 000 and 00 saw less use but every now and then I was happy to have them on the rack. If you are getting rid of any let me know Arroz, I’d gladly do business with you again, rack got stolen in SF 

I use .3 C4 (blue)  and the .2 X4 (yellow) all the time. I also use a blue TCU, which is just slightly smaller than the blue camalot. I do have a couple of smaller pieces and ballnutz that only come out for R rated special occasions.

Also, my .1 X4 (red) has never taken a fall but is incredibly deformed just from pulling a rope through.