Favorite Piece of Trad Gear

David Gibbs wrote:

Pink Tricam - no competition.  Except, maybe, from the red and black Tricams.  Oh, and the Brown Tricam is pretty sweet, too.  But, Pink Tricam is the only gear I rack three of.

Never printed this stupid shirt. Any interest @ cost if i print a couple?

The one that caught me last. The totemic cam of luck. The one, the only, the inclusive… Black Totem. One does not simply place the Black Totem. One girds their gear loops with them, making a hula skirt of good karma, beguiling the trad gods into a trance state of good will.

I also like the ultralight #4.

My buddy Tom.

I have a theory that every route in Eldo contains at least one bomber black totem placement

Ryan Moser wrote:

I have a theory that every route in Eldo contains at least one bomber black totem placement

So many "scary & runout" routes in Eldo that "require RPs" get turned into chill G-rated routes when you bring enough blue and black totems. It's great.

Colonel Mustard wrote:

The one that caught me last. The totemic cam of luck. The one, the only, the inclusive… Black Totem. One does not simply place the Black Totem. One girds their gear loops with them, making a hula skirt of good karma, beguiling the trad gods into a trance state of good will.

I also like the ultralight #4.

Jason Pirolo wrote:

Never printed this stupid shirt. Any interest @ cost if i print a couple?

No thanks from me -- dunno about others.

Jeff Mann wrote:

DMM gold offset nut, I swear it goes in anywhere. 

I just bought a set of DMM offset nuts, and I agree the gold one is the money piece 

I was going to say black totem but that’s too obvious. So gold C4, because it means that everything is going to be ok. 

An Alien

Show me the pitches you've led with ONLY your favorite piece of gear. To avoid inspiring folks to solo climbs placing only their favorite pieces, said pieces must at least nominally protect crux moves. Here's my rack of #7 stoppers to lead Intertwine at Crow Hill. All three cruxes have 5 star #7 placements; on the order of ten 3, 4, & 5 star #7 placements in between. I put carabiners on either end of my #7 stopper instead of quickdraws at the anchor bolts, which is a trick I'm not sure I can do with a Totem. And if anyone is wondering: No. Crow Hill is not dry yet. No; you can't have too much of a good thing. And yes; I've lived in New England for much too long...

If we're going off the piece that's caught me the most, it would be a BD 0.75 cam. I don't often fall trad climbing, but when I do it almost always seems to be on a 0.75.

Blue ballnut because nothing else will work

Purple DMM peenut, gold DMM alloy offset, black totem. No other pieces on my rack get more use than those, they just fit everywhere, and they always make me feel cozy on pitches with thin gear

My talisman was a #5 Green Hugh Banner Brass Offset nut and a CCH yellow Alien, both from the early 90s. I always felt I had a good chance to get myself out of trouble with those two at my side. Sadly, my entire rack was stolen in Yosemite in 2022 ending an era. I've been putting together another rack - some donated used gear and lots of brand new gear - but I have no history with any of this gear so the vibe and connection is fundamentally different from pieces that have lived at my side, been whipped on, and plugged in at desperate moments saving the day when the world is closing in. The process of time travel through the decades transformed them from foreign bits of metal and nylon into trusted talismens.

PTR wrote:

#2 (red) Campbell Saddlewedge.  By the way, does anyone know if they ever made a #1?

Probably Gaylord Campbell did but, unfortunately, didn't market it...

When looking into some of the older gear mentioned on this thread, I came across this website. Looks like they sell vintage climbing gear for any of you who want a nostalgia trip.

VintageClimbing.com

0.3 z4 I seem to always fall on one.

Drilled Chouinard #5 hex I bootied on my 1st lead which was my 2nd climb.  

purple c3