...just take the pink one.

I'm planning on climbing this weekend, and as normal I was sorting/inspecting through all the gear/pro in preparation. It will be a solo trip, so I try to bring only what I need.

The pile of gear that is to go starts to slowly grow; the Totem Basics, green/red/yellow Dragons, green/red Totems, these couple of C4s, carabiner of assorted nuts, my cenders, Pivot, slings, static rope, climbing rope, shoes, etc.

There was a pile of leave behind gear that was slowly growing too; Slings, locking & wire-gate carabiners, this set of nuts, that set of cams, etc.

One piece of gear, though, kept moving back and forth between these two piles of gear - the damn pink Tricam.

Why can I not leave this funky little wedge thing with a pink strap at home? I have no problem with any other gear, and almost all of the placements I use for this Tricam can be easily covered with a cam or nut.

I don't know, but pink is definitely a hardcore color here - maybe even tattoo worthy. :)

Anybody else got this problem, and what, if not the Tricam, is your cannot leave behind Kryptonite? My green Totem Basic always comes along too, but for superstitious purposes only.

Sink the pink! Definitely a versatile little piece.

I have a DMM gold offset nut that I probably place on 90% of the pitches I climb. That thing will never be left in the gear bin haha

I've placed my Metolius #2 Mastercam (yellow) on every trad pitch I've led. Don't know why, but I never fail to find a spot for it.

I have an old tube-style belay device as a backup I always bring. I haven't had to use it and I know there are other belay methods I could use in an emergency, but for whatever reason, I always have it on my person.

The pink tricam always comes too, but I tend to have a full set (0.25 - 3.5) on me. I might be the odd one out, but I find myself running out of tricams by the end of a pitch. They just seem to go in everywhere: odd pockets, horizontal placements, uneven cracks, uniform cracks, as chocks, etc.

I have a black Camp Photon wire gate that was given to me by a pro climber. It's my good luck charm.

Some friends it's definitely marijuana! Rock, Ice, cragging, alpine, trad, sport etc.. It's never left in the gear bin :)

Blue Totem Basic for me. It barely weighs anything, and when I need it, I REALLY NEED IT.

It's taken me about a year and a half to finally take my tricams off my harness and onto the rack. I used to keep them on the harness for good luck but about a week ago, I felt my harness and decided it was too heavy (too much stuff on it). In the southeast I haven't led a pitch without placing a tricam and I haven't led route at T-wall without placing an orange metolius

+1 for the pink tricam. Everyone at the shop I work at is obsessed with it.

Personally, the orange Metolious TCU is a piece I always rack with... and pretty much always place.

Another vote for the orange Metolius, I don't own or foresee ever owning a single tricam

love my Climbing Technology Alpine-up belay device. never leave the ground without it if I'm doing multi-pitch

No other piece seems to ever save your ass in "oh &$@&" gear situations like the pink.

2 pink 1 brown... tricams that is

Ted Pinson wrote:No other piece seems to ever save your ass in "oh &$@&" gear situations like the pink.

GOD..burn the pink tri cam and then burn all the rest of them...all of them. Most overrated piece of gear ever....crap. sucks..shit

"it's the only thing that works" Bullshit..Like Aliens, but even more useless.

LOL. Why don't you tell us how you REALLY feel John! I personally love my tricams, especially for gear anchors because they can be substituted for cams and nuts so you can save the easier to place gear for leading and still have a bomber anchor. I think most people hate them because they don't practice placing them enough to recognize the placements where tricams shine: anything where a nut or cam just doesn't sit right. Can't bring myself to leave the ground without my pink through violet.

john strand wrote:GOD..burn the pink tri cam and then burn all the rest of them...all of them. Most overrated piece of gear ever....crap. sucks..shit "it's the only thing that works" Bullshit..Like Aliens, but even more useless.

green alien/basic! caught me on my first trad lead fall that would have been a grounder from 35 and was undercammed in a super shitty crack! saved me when
ass-tards or trad-asses didnt protect a traverse like a normal leader would do for someone they love so i had a piece i could walk with me. it goes everywhere with me and yes for super-superstitious reasons. who needs a condom when you have a green alien for protection

What do you do when your pink Tricam was reslung by Mtn Tools with WHITE tape? To make matters worse, the red Tricam is now brown. Arghh. My head hurts. Might just start over and buy new ones. I used to have a fetish for the #2 Saddlewedge (on perlon) and an old-school #1 Kong-Bonatti wired nut. Had doubles of both!

Oh Pink's the one I love to place
when I'm alone way up in space
on some exposed and airy face.

They sink where other gear won't go.
When all you've got is manky pro,
This tricam saves your butt from woe.

...

swarpa.net/~danforth/climb/…

I love tricams, especially pink. My favourite gear.

Matt Carroll wrote:I have a DMM gold offset nut that I probably place on 90% of the pitches I climb. That thing will never be left in the gear bin haha