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No 186, June 15, 1999
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Rock Craft | Trad Rock | Destinations | Training
Recommended Reading | Gear | Higher Education | Ratings

Tools of the trad

Trad is a many-splendored thing, and for every new facet you explore, there's a new trinket — or 10 — to buy. If you're starting from scratch, get your personal gear first — shoes, harness, belay/rappel device, locking carabiner, helmet, and day pack. This way, you can tag along smoothly with someone who's got ropes and a lead rack. Next, buy a rope. After that, the list gets more complicated: slings, quickdraws, carabiners, nuts, and cams.

  • Shoes may be the most important item for a fun day on the rock. Find an "all-around" pair — sturdy hightops work well for the aspiring trad climber — that fit snugly but comfortably, without pressure points. Price range: $75 to $150.
  • Your harness should fit over any sort of clothing you plan on climbing in. Trad climbs involve a lot of scraping around in cracks and chimneys and hanging belays, so avoid lightweight sport harnesses. You'll want waist loops for racking gear. Price range: $40 to $100.
  • Buy a belay device that you can rappel with — some variation of the slotted block or tube — and mate it with a beefy locking carabiner. Price range: $10 to $25 (belay/rap device), $8 to $20 (locking carabiner).
  • Fat ropes — full 11mm lead lines — wear better than thinner, lightweight ones, and are less likely to cut over edges. Trad climbers get stormed on, so water-resistant rope treatments are a good idea. Sixty-meter (200-foot) cords are nice for one-rope retreats and long pitches. Price range: $150 to $225 (11mm x 60m).
  • Don't be a tightwad and try to get by with your biking helmet. Buy a dedicated climbing helmet that is either (or both) UIAA or CEN certified. Price range: $40 to $85.
  • For a basic starter rack, buy a half dozen over-the-shoulder slings of .5-inch webbing (two of those double length), four or five quickdraws, two dozen carabiners, a set of stoppers from .25 to 1.25 inches, a handful of larger hex nuts up to 3.5 inches, and a set of six or so camming devices (from 1.5 to 3.5 inches). Camming range (and usually price) varies directly with the size of the unit, so one large camming device will fit quite a range of crack sizes. Later, add micro-nuts, TCUs, and double up on frequently used sizes/pieces, according to the specific requirements of the areas where you climb.

Price range:

  • quickdraws and slings (each): $2.50 to $10
  • carabiners (each): $5 to $12
  • set of nuts (.25-1.25 inch): $80 to $100
  • set of micro-nuts: $50 to $80
  • hex nuts (each): $8 to $12
  • cams (each): $40 to $100.

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Rock Craft | Trad Rock | Destinations | Training
Recommended Reading | Gear | Higher Education | Ratings

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