Cams vs. Nuts vs. Hexes

Whats your price range? Here on MP or on Ebay you can often find a pretty decent start at a rack (cams and nuts) for a pretty darn reasonable price, or some shops/websites sell packages. 

If we're talking about it purely academcially: It totally depends on where you climb. Some places a set of nuts will get you up almost everything. Lots of places most nuts are to small for the cracks, then we're talking cams or hexes. Hexes advantages over cams are usually only weight and price... So if I'm just guessing blindly without knowing anything about where you climb: cams. They can protect down pretty small, and much larger than easily available nuts.

Jake Jones wrote:

For most budding beginners, cheapest to more expensive is typical.  A set of nuts, a few hexes and a couple cams is far cheaper than trying to build a set of cams from micros to fist size.  You'll be somewhat limited by this at first, but it will foster good habits learning how to place passive pieces because that will be what you have the most of.  And, as mentioned earlier, if you climb with people that already have gear, it's likely that they'll have cams you can use.

Totally agree with this advice.  The order I would go: Set nuts, metolius curve hexes 6, 8, 10, pink&red tricam, then eventually fill in 0-8 metolius mastercams, starting with 5-8 first to fill in the hexes.

The subject of hexes has been beaten to death here; it seems people love them or hate them.

I don't always carry mine, but when I do, I use them. For me, a well-placed hex is the most confidence-inspiring piece to climb above that there is.

My recommendation is not to get hexes as cheap cams but to get hexes if they work in the rock you climb.

There are places where the rock is suspect for falls on cams or on cammed tricams and hexes but it is good enough for falls on passive gear.

If you mostly climb on good, reliable rock, then yeah, stoppers and then cams is the way to go.

ETA: Just remember that opinions on trad racks are like assholes...

s.price wrote:

Tongue in cheek and all. Some of you guys are always so serious. 

Without making that clear in your first post, why would you expect people to not take you seriously?

I find that in most California granite the BD nuts place better than all the other brands. Def start with a set of nuts, a set of cams (doubles if you can afford it). Go to the local crags with that rack, see what everyone else has, try out their gear at the base, and if you can, borrow some for a route. Chances are, hexes and tricams won't be needed, but there are some areas where they are great. I personally only use hexes in Alpine rock, but I love them there.

I always wonder why this question is such an evergreen on climbing forums. I mean, hell, you want to get into a sport. Buy the damn gear. Enough to actually participate. Or find someone to borrow it from. But you'd never see a downhill ski forum question, "What should I buy first, boots, skis or poles?" Or, "What part of the bike should I buy first, wheels, a frame, or cranks?"

You can buy a complete good rack of cams, nuts, slings and carbiners for <$500 here on MP or on eBay. If you want to get into trad climbing you need to make some investment. But make the minimum investment that you can actually safely and pleasantly do the sport. 

Also, don't buy hexes unless you can see a very specific local use for them. I own some but mostly I use them for anchoring top ropes. And only then because I feel like using them for SOMETHING. My cams could do it just as well. 

BD nutset #4-13. Then C4 0.75 to 3. Preferably get both at the same time..

Or during winter/off season.