Help me with my nuts? I seem to have an abundance...

Helen
I’ve enjoyed your posts!

Much good info here in above replies.  I find racking nuts on key lock ‘biners extremely better than notched binders.  Worth spending the few bucks for the 3 or 4 you might need. I rack my nuts onto gear loops, with the gate down and out and find getting the nut off WAY easier with key lock ‘biners.  Someone said 4 per ‘biner, good advice but 5 maybe ok for the smaller sizes.

Read everything rgold has to say 2 or 3 times.  Much good advice comes for that source!

Robert Hall wrote: Helen
I’ve enjoyed your posts!

Much good info here in above replies.  I find racking nuts on key lock ‘biners extremely better than notched binders.  Worth spending the few bucks for the 3 or 4 you might need. I rack my nuts onto gear loops, with the gate down and out and find getting the nut off WAY easier with key lock ‘biners.  Someone said 4 per ‘biner, good advice but 5 maybe ok for the smaller sizes.

Read everything rgold has to say 2 or 3 times.  Much good advice comes for that source!

Keylocks are easier to get a nut off but also make it easier to drop them too.  But wiregates are the worst since they have light gates which open too easy

Soooo...at some point, someone somewhere may have said something about filing the notches off, on ovals like I have? I'd assume that brings the strength down, but if they are for racking, would it matter? Or would you never want anything that's "comprised"?

Thanks, all! The simple gate seems the easiest to work with one hand, but whadda I know?

IdahoBob, you have more confidence in me than I do, but thanks! I'm kinda thinking it would be good to have placed some gear before I'm trying to lead on gear and build anchors? But, I'll try to mosey over to Window rock and look, this next trip (end of September, early October).

And no, I don't have offsets,or ballnuts....and have never seen either, lol!

Not in the picture, but I do have hexes and tricams. Hush, people. I want to at least be capable of cleaning ​anything you peeps place, eh? Which means learning how they work.​​​

Best, Helen

I personally would not file off the notch on my racking biner for nuts. I have once or twice run out of draws and used the racking biner to clip the rope to the nut. 

Absolutely do not file off the notches!

Having substandard gear on your rack that could be mistaken for good gear is a prescription for a really bad accident.

Either buy keylocks or learn to adapt to the notches.  There didn't used to be anything but notched carabiners.  We racked wired nuts on them and managed to unrack and place 'em just fine.

Old lady H wrote: Soooo...at some point, someone somewhere may have said something about filing the notches off, on ovals like I have? I'd assume that brings the strength down, but if they are for racking, would it matter? Or would you never want anything that's "comprised"?

I would recommend not doing that. It would be an accident waiting to happen. Take a look at the open-gate strength rating on the biners because that is what you can reasonably expect them to hold after modification. For an oval, this will likely be 1/3 or less of its major axis strength rating. Consider that your partners may not be able to remember which biners on your rack are full-strength, and which are reduced-strength.

Thanks! Leaving them alone is what I figured, but, I'm sure that came up at some point in the past.

Best, Helen

The standard BD ovals have a nice smooth inner radius. This makes flipping the nuts around easier. All the key lock ovals I've seen have an indentation where the gate meets the nose.
I like to think of the notch as a last ditch safety catch...

Re' keylock ovals with "indentation" at gate.  The keylocks I have are not "pure ovals" but are sort of wider at the "top" [part designed to have the rope run thru]  than "bottom" [part for the "draw" or sling. Very smooth.  I rack 4 or 5 wire nuts.

Old lady H wrote: Soooo...at some point, someone somewhere may have said something about filing the notches off, on ovals like I have? I'd assume that brings the strength down, but if they are for racking, would it matter? Or would you never want anything that's "comprised"?

Others have already pointed out that filing off the notches is definitely out.  I'd like to focus on the other side of the coin - that having those notches is actually a good thing.

Certainly it's a small inconvenience to get a nut stuck in the notch from time to time.  But if you climb long enough you will eventually have something weird happen as you're clipping or unclipping that biner of nuts, and they want to fall off.  If you have a notch, you may lose one.  No notch, and you may lose many or all.  On a multipitch climb this could hurt people below you, and leave you with insufficient gear to finish the climb.  I don't keep my cams on notched biners because you have one on a biner anyway, so you don't lose half your rack if that happens.

I also like the truly oval biners.  I have a few of the old Choinard biners I keep just for racking nuts, and for aid climbing where I also like the shape.

GO

Thanks, guys! I always assume others will read this down the road, so any "dumb" question I come up with is one someone else will think up too, lol! And, those little hints of memories, from thousands and thousands of posts I've read....

This pic from upthread includes my ovals. I added the black tape, so I can tell "up" and gate side, by feel. Good suggestion! I like having the ovals anyway, as I know they can be used for all sorts of things, in a pinch. Besides, some were gifted!

EDIT to add, three Black Diamond, two Climb High-USA, whoever that is/was.

I'm thinking this looks pretty complete, as a set, considering no two are the same, lol! I have at least this many more, in the nuts, if I want them.

Best, Helen

Somebody said not to rack the smallest nuts. IMO these are the ones that are indispensable! If you can place a half inch nut, you can likely find a placement for a half inch cam as well. If you are going to lead on all passive gear, remember to bring plenty of slings to extend your placements. Also its a reasonable idea to set the placements that need it with a little tug. It really isn't much harder to clean if your partner is proficient and it can mean not having to watch as your last pro pops and slides down the rope as you climb above it.  As a newer trad leader using only passive gear, it is likely that many of your placements won't be ideal, and anything that keeps your gear in the crack is a good thing.

Have fun!

Ryan Pfleger wrote: Somebody said not to rack the smallest nuts. IMO these are the ones that are indispensable! If you can place a half inch nut, you can likely find a placement for a half inch cam as well. If you are going to lead on all passive gear, remember to bring plenty of slings to extend your placements. Also its a reasonable idea to set the placements that need it with a little tug. It really isn't much harder to clean if your partner is proficient and it can mean not having to watch as your last pro pops and slides down the rope as you climb above it.  As a newer trad leader using only passive gear, it is likely that many of your placements won't be ideal, and anything that keeps your gear in the crack is a good thing.

Have fun!

I'm the one who said not to rack the smallest nuts because her smallest nuts are micros and brassies. Given the low tolerances for placing those sort of tiny pieces and the fact that Helen has never even lead a trad route before, I still feel that way. Size #4 BD nuts and above are what she needs. I agree with you entirely, though, Ryan, that the smaller ones in that range are the primo pieces for learning how to use nuts. Nobody REALLY needs a size #13 BD stopper but those 4-10 sizes are sure handy all over the place. 

Señor Arroz wrote: Take all those tiny nuts and just set them aside. That means up to about #4 BD size. Keep a set of BD #4 to #11 (or equivalent. I'm a big fan of DMM nuts). File the rest away in your cabinet for later.

Too many choices makes for paralysis analysis. You've got enough of that already.

I agree.  You won't need very small nuts unless you're climbing pretty hard grades.  Lower grades will have larger cracks, fissures in which to place larger nuts.  I don't agree with earlier comment of dumping half esp if you bring cams.  I have a preference for placing nuts over cams, but that might be because of where I climb (Mount Arapiles) which eats nuts.  I generally rack all my nuts on  the left of my harness (several biners, large at back.

Here's a list of my setup and a pic.

Wow, thanks guys! Never knew the tiny stuff (my favorites) would make such a stir! Hmm. Guess you missed the bit on page one where I mentioned the tiny gear got placed....on a sport route. Our local stuff is old school bolting, not beginner friendly, and just doesn't fit what I keep getting told I should expect in a lower grade, lol! I've now had the great fun of being on a little of what everyone else expects of lower grades, at Smith, City of Rocks and Maple Canyon, including my first ever 5.4s, lol! I'd love to climb with any/all of you, if I ever have the chance.

Thanks! All of this helps, not just me, but anyone else who meanders along down the road.

Carl, those are beautiful! I'll have to figure out the offsets and others down the road. Haven't actually seen them, or ball nuts, yet, let alone fiddled around with them.

Ryan, nice to bump into you here! You gotta standing belay offer, whenever you want, and time allows. Thanks for taking the time to reply, too. You can borrow my tiny stuff for Fat Ankles! I'm thinking I know how the route got the name, based on the groundfall if you fall bolting, lol!

Best, Helen

Señor Arroz wrote:

I'm the one who said not to rack the smallest nuts because her smallest nuts are micros and brassies. Given the low tolerances for placing those sort of tiny pieces and the fact that Helen has never even lead a trad route before, I still feel that way. Size #4 BD nuts and above are what she needs. I agree with you entirely, though, Ryan, that the smaller ones in that range are the primo pieces for learning how to use nuts. Nobody REALLY needs a size #13 BD stopper but those 4-10 sizes are sure handy all over the place. 

Roger that. Good advice.

Helen, thanks for the offer! I'll take you up on it sometime! Hopefully sooner rather than later!

Old lady H wrote: Wow, thanks guys! Never knew the tiny stuff (my favorites) would make such a stir! Hmm. Guess you missed the bit on page one where I mentioned the tiny gear got placed....on a sport route.

Nah, didn't miss that at all. Just being honest with you, Helen, I don't think most micro stopper placements made by a beginner are likely solid. And I'd rather see you back off something than climb on above dubious gear. 

i will buy some of these nuts if you don't want them all

Tim Greenwood wrote: i will buy some of these nuts if you don't want them all

Not for sale, but if you can meet me somewhere when I'm in CO in a couple weeks (gym? coffee? dark alley?) I'll gift you five or six off the set of "spares". 

Best, Helen