Absurd or strange pieces of kit

Last post got some good traction, let's try another. What's the weirdest thing you've seen on someone's rack or harness that was 100% unironic.

Mine would be a sport climber with 300+ ft of thin paracord (not accessory cord) on their harness to emergency rap with if they dropped the rope cleaning an anchor, on a 40ft crag with lowering hardware and a walkoff. The bundle was about the size of a football. While toproping. I don't think they knew a method to clean without untying. 

Personal confession to show that I'm not trying to poke too much fun, way early on I would take 2 tube devices up multipitches being terrified I would drop one, not knowing an alternative. If you're up to it, confess some gumby stuff of your own so this doesn't turn into a gatekeeping session.

A few years ago, I found a package of handwipes that had the ability to be clipped to a 'biner (obviously it became unclipped because the gate was facing the wrong way) about 4 pitches up a route on Tahquitz. Thought that was pretty funny.

personally a big fan of those people who feel the need to walk around the gym with 2 belay devices, climbing shoes, approach shoes, belay glasses, tape, brush, crack gloves, PAS, cordelette, and extra lockers on their harness. bonus points if everything is extra shiny too. 

It isn’t carried on your rack or harness, but I always thought those sun brim hats that slide over your helmet were super goofy. Ridiculous, even.  Having said that, though, if I’m ever on a big wall again (not likely) I would use one in a heartbeat and I wouldn’t give a crap what anyone thought. 

Daniel Joderwrote:

It isn’t carried on your rack or harness, but I always thought those sun brim hats that slide over your helmet were super goofy. Ridiculous, even…..

Da Brim. Comments about which may have resulted in legal threats and CMac killing the Supertopo forum.

Edit - I need to add this is what I remember thinking at the time and the source of the legal threats/issues were never clearly spelled out. This may or may not be correct.

When i started traditional climbing about 20 years ago i saw some guys with rubber surgical tubing to hild opposing nuts in place if they were a bit rattley.  I cared to tubes for years before i stoped do to never needing it.

Terry Ewrote:

Da Brim. Comments about which may have resulted in legal threats and CMac killing the Supertopo forum. 

Was that the source of the legal threats?

Edit: The source of the legal threats was never clear to me, either, but ‘Da Brim’ was pretty regularly mocked over many years. It would be particularly sad to know that this particular product was the source of the legal mayhem.

Ah, was just reminded of an early multipitch sport climb I did... Wasn't sure if we'd be able to make it to the top, so we (really I) thought we could bring a stick clip so we could aid through any bolts we were cruxing out at. Certainly not the worst idea in the world, especially if you have one of those retractable Trango or rolling Metolius stick clips. A terrible idea if all you have is one of those long painters poles. Can't imagine how silly it must've looked if anyone had decided to look up at us....

I forgot a chalk bag on a multiday trip once and used an empty bag of sunflower seeds threaded with cord as a chalkbag.  It was sick actually.

I see a lot of knives attached to harnesses too. I used to be guilty of this then i realized a razorblade taped inside helmet is lighter, if you feel the need to have a blade.

I have used an avalanche probe as a cheater stick on a multipitch aid route, that looked pretty goofy attached to the harness i bet.  

A gym climber top roping with an atc, a grigri, a couple cams, and a single quick draw on the harness. 

*Sees comments about too much gear on the harness after forgetting to remove it before going to the gym*

These comments are about me and I don't like them... But in all seriousness my favorite lately was seeing a person climbing in the gym with two grigris on their harness while their partner belayed them on a grigri.

Why do we need three grigris for two people in a gym? Not sure.

But hey with the popularity of biner block rappels and your partners propensity to drop gear, maybe you should have your partner carry two grigris just like some carry two atcs

apogeewrote:

Was that the source of the legal threats?

Edit: The source of the legal threats was never clear to me, either, but ‘Da Brim’ was pretty regularly mocked over many years. It would be particularly sad to know that this particular product was the source of the legal mayhem.

If memory serves me correctly(it never does) that was one of the last big brouhahas over there

I haven't seen it in a while, but guidebook w/ a hole drilled through it for a clip in loop

Chris Cwrote:

A gym climber top roping with an atc, a grigri, a couple cams, and a single quick draw on the harness. 

I remember as a fresh 20 year old taking my first rack of cams, nuts, slings, cord, everything really to my local gym (thankfully a small one with not many people in a town with not many climbers) and doing autobelay laps with the full rack on telling myself it was for weight and getting used to it, knowing I was just excited to show off gear.

Hard cringe.

Ian Dorkowrote:

I haven't seen it in a while, but guidebook w/ a hole drilled through it for a clip in loop

That's a bit excessive, but I recall seeing a similar commercial product at Desert Rock Sports. It was a small, laminated card with holes for attaching a carabiner or something, with topos and approach/descent beta for classic multi-pitch climbs. Like they had one for like Epinephrine, Birdland, Solar Slab, etc. I mean you can just take a photo with your phone these days, but honestly it's not the worst idea in the world.

On Lurking Fear we encountered a good-natured Japanese climber sporting an 8-foot DIY bamboo cheater stick clipped to the back of his harness, which he hilariously referred to as “The Reach!”

Gum Bwrote:

That's a bit excessive, but I recall seeing a similar commercial product at Desert Rock Sports. It was a small, laminated card with holes for attaching a carabiner or something, with topos and approach/descent beta for classic multi-pitch climbs. Like they had one for like Epinephrine, Birdland, Solar Slab, etc. I mean you can just take a photo with your phone these days, but honestly it's not the worst idea in the world.

yeah I've seen those before in gear shops, it was the full guidebook though that got me.

on long routes I usually photocopy the topo and put it in a ziplock (which one time doubled as a WAG bag for my partner at a hanging belay) so it doesn't sweat through in my pocket

Ian Dorkowrote:

I haven't seen it in a while, but guidebook w/ a hole drilled through it for a clip in loop

I used to do this! I think Rock and Snow used to sell the Gunks guides pre-drilled.

Pre-smartphones, the Gunks were perfect for this--the routes are just long enough that it's tough to memorize all the beta, and it's crowded enough that you need to keep your options open so you can't just photocopy the routes you want beforehand.

After I moved to CA, I drilled all of my Yosemite books. But I soon realized that if I just had one objective for a day, it made more sense to photocopy or print that route and put the topo in my pocket. The weight penalty is more significant over longer routes as well (and I started climbing harder grades). I still have a binder of sweaty topos somewhere. 

Then, pretty quickly, as phones got more reliable, it became clear that snapping a picture with your phone was the way to go.

Ian Dorkowrote:

I haven't seen it in a while, but guidebook w/ a hole drilled through it for a clip in loop

One time in the Valley, I was almost hit by a falling guidebook.

Recently observed by 2 friends: 

The obvious leader of a party of new climbers takes repeated whips in a classic local 5.10. Eventually gets to anchors. While he's being lowered, a large shiny object falls from his person and clangs against the talus below. Turns out to be a bowie knife--roughly 12" long. Neither of my friends felt like engaging him to find out why or where he had stowed the knife, but a scabbard was not visible.