hexes are goody style

There's a climb in Josh (right in HVCC) called Good to the Last drop. The pro for the crux runout (5.9R) is a #6 or #7 hex. There's no way you'll get a cam to work there, even a stopper in that size range is less than confidence inspiring. But that hex? Bomber.

Jeff Dull wrote: Hex's work as a hammer when you got to beat on a nut tool.

Good one ,

Let me add this to my list...

The pro for Alpha-C at The Lake suggests a crash pad for the bouldery start, but a #3 hex will prevent cratering before the pin (might have to lift your feet a little). No way a cam or micro-nuts will fit. 

Fast Eddie McBradish wrote: Hexes are great on multi-pitch as belay anchors so you can save the cams for rapid fire placements when sh!t gets real. I like the corded ones so I can girth hitch (troll treat/YGD) them in those deep ugly cracks without the biner getting sideways. And finally they make great retreat pieces when sh!t gets too real. I will say that I did carry the three smallest tri-cams for years and only ever placed the pink one once.  

^^^ This. +1,000

Tetons come in larger sizes.

There is little more frustrating than try to place a #1 wired hex in it's middle dimension while cruxing.
Give me a pink Tricam any day.

There is absolutely no placement that I trust more than a solid hex.  I've placed some that slotted in so perfectly that I've sworn each time I would give up climbing if they popped in a fall.  I wouldn't suggest to a beginner that they get a set of hexes prior to a set of cams, but everyone should at least give them a shot before investing in a second set of small hands to fist sized cams in my opinion.  If they didn't work then every major climbing gear manufacturer wouldn't still be producing them.  Heck, DMM recently cam out with a wired version of their tried & true Torque Nuts.

A wise man once told me, It’s not a send unless you place a hex. 

Who else out there just hates the sound of cows jangling their bells at the crag? Abolish hexes.

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Mmmm...looks like a BD #11.

The hex rack for most hard climbs sounds like, "tink, clink, tink." If your rack sounds like cowbells you are probably overprotecting easy 5th class and should practice your jamming skills. Hexes racked between your spring-loaded, wires-everywhere gadgets keeps those cams from snagging on each other and slowing down gear placement. If you can't slot a hex in a constriction faster and more securely than a cam, then you are lacking some basic trad-climbing skills. Unless you just like that extra training weight, or hate new/old things! Not that I've ever had to bail off a climb where stoppers or down-soloing didn't suffice, but friends tell me they have saved hundreds by having hexes on the rack on big routes.

Samuel Hoffman wrote: Who else out there just hates the sound of cows jangling their bells at the crag? Abolish hexes.

I hate the clang but still usually rack my set of torque nuts because I know they will hold, no matter how grungy or slick the crack.

"If you can't slot a hex in a constriction faster and more securely than a cam, then you are lacking some basic trad-climbing skills."

I totally agree.  

On a separate thread here, about a guy's 1st rack, I suggested buying hexes 1st.

Why? so as to better learn the intricacies of placing passive & dynamic pro, as well as the myriad nature of cracks.  

Was surprised how many responses did not understand the value of hexes to prepare a new trad leader for fissures.

CHOUINARD EQUIPMENT Hexentrics 1975

Matthias Holladay wrote: "If you can't slot a hex in a constriction faster and more securely than a cam, then you are lacking some basic trad-climbing skills."

I totally agree.  
On a separate thread here, about a guy's 1st rack, I suggested buying hexes 1st.
Why? so as to better learn the intricacies of placing passive pro, as well as the myriad nature of cracks.  
Was surprised how many responses did not understand the value of hexes to prepare a new trad leader for fissures.

It's weird all right.
Around here, (Southern Ontario) many climbers ridicule hexes and consider anyone carrying them to be one step away from a rescue. 

Stick a PAS on the "gumby" leader and as far as they're concerned, a call to EMS is imminent.

I’m a few sizes short of a complete set. Looking for 2,3,6,9. No, they will not be sitting on a shelf!

I've used hexes fair bit in Southern Ontario, Canada and used it when I visited TWall, Tennessee as well.
I love/trust them but lot of climbers look at me with "what the heck is that" expression   

BTW, I hate how loud it is... 

J Achey wrote: The hex rack for most hard climbs sounds like, "tink, clink, tink." If your rack sounds like cowbells you are probably overprotecting easy 5th class and should practice your jamming skills. 

Even just bringing 3 hand sized hexes on a long alpine route creates a lot of noise. Though, they are kind of indispensable when you know you're gonna be climbing long pitches of granite-splitter hands and you don't like soloing. 

S2k 4life wrote:

...

1. They are cheap
...

You sure you're not underestimating how cheap climbers are when there's no insta-spray opportunity coming out of it?

My first rack consisted entirely of stoppers and slung hexes.

My rack now consists of a shitload of cams and a rack of stoppers and offsets. How times change.

When I TR solo I place my torque nuts and old stoppers so the kids won't steal them...they don't know what they are.