Hexes, not necessary if you have cams?

Is there anything that hexes can do that cams can’t? I see people use them in winter mountaineering but are they needed at all of you have cams? 

Nope. Not needed. 

Cams don’t work well in icy cracks as there is not enough friction. So passive pro is used.

Maybe someone else can comment on the efficacy of actively-set hexes/tricams.

Hexes can be made into wind chimes. Never seen cams used in this way.

They can lighten your load a little bit, but who really wants to replace an expensive, beautifully engineered, trigger pulled piece of pro? 

Dan Daugherty wrote:

Me. I choose good passive pro over a cam every chance I get.

No worries, my friend. You are not alone in this choice.

You don't see many hexes on the instagram pages of Brette Harrington or Uisdean Hawthorn... Just sayin.

Even back in 2005, Steve House and Vince Anderson were using cams to climb Nanga Parbat... With an 8.1mm rope!!! Which is quite telling when you consider their weight saving priorities...

Maybe there's still still a place for hexes if you're looking for the lightest weight option for easy mountaineering, but it looks to me like the hard ticket winter mixed climbers are using cams these days and have been for some time.

Passive pro is great and an essential skill to have but cams are just sooo much faster and less likely to get stuck. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve followed a partner who insists on placing nuts or hexes and over sets them.  Now I have to dick around trying to remove them, do that a few times on a pitch and it’s a massive time suck.  Cams allow for much faster smoother and enjoyable climbing.   I always rack some nuts but will always place a cam if at all possible.    

Kevin Mokracekwrote:

Passive pro is great and an essential skill to have but cams are just sooo much faster and less likely to get stuck. 

are hexes really getting stuck? i only find smaller gear fixed around here. 

petzl logicwrote:

are hexes really getting stuck? i only find smaller gear fixed around here. 

No, because hardly anyone uses them anymore.  Larger and mid size hexes didn’t get stuck that often anyway.  I’ve got a full set of hexes I haven’t touched in over 10 years.   What’s the point if I have cams?   I don’t climb icy cracks so no need. 

Kevin Mokracekwrote:

... I’ve got a full set of hexes I haven’t touched in over 10 years... 

Do I hear the sound of wind chimes in your future, sir?

One advantage of passive gear over cams is the price if you have to bail. But no one plans on bailing so you have to carry gear that you don't plan on using. 

Spend as much money as possible on shiny cams I say! God bless 'murica!!

M Mwrote:

Spend as much money as possible on shiny cams I say! God bless 'murica!!

Spend as much money as possible on shiny clanky things I say! God blesses those who sink a bomber hex.

They aren’t necessary, but they are awesome and fun. They also make a nice hammer when you have to give your nut tool a love tap to free stuck gear.

Greg Rwrote:

One advantage of passive gear over cams is the price if you have to bail. But no one plans on bailing so you have to carry gear that you don't plan on using. 

This sort of encapsulates alpine style in a nut shell. Bringing bivy gear slows you to the point of needing to bivy, and bringing bail-specific gear slows you to the point of needing to bail.

- You can’t smoke weed out of a cam

- Hexes don’t walk

- Cams don’t let everyone know you’re coming

- Cams can’t be used as draws in a pinch

- If nuts are useless to you, hexes are probably useless to you as well.

You gonna place a cam in a sharply constricting bottleneck?

Hexes are great for top rope anchors at Devils Lake.  Other than that, I haven't even brought them along for leading. 

Greg Rwrote:

One advantage of passive gear over cams is the price if you have to bail. But no one plans on bailing so you have to carry gear that you don't plan on using. 

That's why I carry a set of nuts on my climbs

Here is my 2.5 cents:

Hexes have become more of a niche piece of gear but in my opinion they still have a place in climbing. I think if you are going to be doing any mixed climbing, climbing wet routes, adventure climbing, climbing on loose flakes or features, or really anything that might have some expansion where a cam would be a bad idea then hexes are the way to go. They do have their place on big walls and other routes where it is more cost efficient to leave a hex as opposed to your new UL #2. I find that they are also useful for alpine 4th and 5th class where maybe you need a light rack with some protection just in case. As mentioned they do make great wind chimes and are great nut busters in a pinch. 

Hexes are really not ideal if you are just going trad climbing. They are noisy and often tricky to place and cams work much better. I would rather have my parter bail off a hex as opposed to one of my Friends. I do have a soft spot for them having climbed with crusty old school New Englanders, but I sold mine and bought more cams instead. They can still be fun to use if you feel like challenging yourself by doing an all passive ascent of a route, really good at getting in touch with your roots. 

Overall, I would say if you are going to be doing any of the the climbing I mentioned in the top paragraph then for sure get hexes. If you aren't, then chances are you can get by with a standard rack of cams and nuts. Maybe throw in a few tricams if you feel like it. Like anything with climbing there are many things that have specific applications in climbing and really are only useful in those circumstances, but ultimately the choice is yours. Hope that helps. Good luck, be well, and always check your knot. 

Depends on the rock. I've found them sometimes better/easier/faster than cams for placements in the the weird convoluted sandstone in Red Rock Canyon, when you need something bigger than a nut. That rock has a lot of inward flaring cracks that the bigger hexes seem to fit comfy in and where cams could walk back in and open up or just don't fit at all. Splitter granite is another story. 

It's not needed