What are /r/tradclimbing's favorite Products & Services?

From 3.5 billion Reddit comments

It's great you are approaching the skill of anchor building with caution, but I wouldn't put too much weight into what any stranger on the internet (myself included) says. You could learn a lot more by reading a book, taking a class, or hiring a guide. A lot of people put a lot of weight into finding a mentor, but you also have to be cautious to not blindly trust that they know what they're doing - I've met people who have climbed trad for a while but with terrible gear knowledge who just don't fall often enough to know that their gear is shit.

Read this book on anchor building and hire a guide if you can - you'll feel a lot more confident afterwards.

I am seeing 70 but still a good deal. I generally don't like buying gear from amazon, but it says it is from the petzl store.

https://www.amazon.com/PETZL-Traxion-Ultralight-Progress-Capture/dp/B0078FWCJW/ref=sr_1_2?crid=NCQV30SHH00U&keywords=micro+traxion&qid=1664563328&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIzLjAwIiwicXNhIjoiMi4xNyIsInFzcCI6IjIuMDAifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=micro+traxion...

Nice one! Always good to see people trying new things and building their own solutions.

I dislike the "hook" for getting stuck nuts/cams out. Given there's already M8/M10 sockets in the handle, I don't understand why you'd sacrifice the flat "heel" (the part perpendicular to the long shaft/stem, between stem and hook tip), for duplication of what already exists? You took away the main part of a nut tool. Check other nut tools for comparison, they almost all have flat surfaces perpendicular to the stem for pushing and pulling with, so that when you're trying to get a stuck piece out you can predictably apply forces rather than rotating the stuck piece because of weird contact areas. By all means put bi-hex cuts in the handle but without the perpendicular "heel" it's lost a lot of the usefulness as a nut tool and may as well be one of those "All-in-One CreditCard Multitools" https://www.amazon.com/Credit-Multitool-Pocket-Upgrade-Folding/dp/B01N4X1BVK?th=1

Hmmm... I just looked them up. That's It bars cost around £44 per kilo. Dried apples cost £15.4 per kilo

If you don't need a disposable mask, then the Outdoor Research mask is worth every penny. Much more comfortable, and has the nose wire which both makes it more effective at being a mask, and helps to prevent fogging of glasses.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BH52KZV/

I use one of these in combo with a very light non-climbing carabiner (only for the tether, not the nut tool) and its perfect. Super ultralight, compact an functional. Plus enough of them in the bundle to share with your friends!

That system was introduced by Jim Erickson in <em>Rocky Heights</em>, but only included PG, R, and X.

The Gunks Guide uses the full range (G, PG, PG13, R, X) and mentions that PG13 used to be sometimes referred to as "PG/R", so possibly that is how "PG-R" should be read. BTW, that guide rates the whole climb as 5.7+ PG (page 120), but it doesn't cover the route variations from the MP beta.

Your interpretation sounds more likely to me: it depends on the protection you have available, and where you make your placements. Not really helpful in that case.

I have a hard time spelling it correctly myself, that's why I noticed, haha.

Yeah true, Youtube videos are often awful, I don't think I would recommend learning from them. I think the trick is figuring out if the person you're learning from is actually safe or not in general and then deciding if their practices work for you. Like you said though, sometimes you end up on a climb with someone and then you realize they might be sketch, that's not a good feeling.

Since you mention guide standards, you might find something useful in this book, I don't think you mentioned it in your initial post.

https://www.amazon.com/Mountain-Guide-Manual-Comprehensive-Reference/dp/1493025147

Looks like it could cover a lot of the content you're looking for.

And again, I was just fooling around. I'm always stoked when people are getting after multipitch stuff, I think it's what climbing is really all about.

Lol luckily I haven't needed to pee during a climb yet. If I did, I would have used something like this.

I love my Terra Nova Laser 20 for multi pitch. it's extremely water resistant, lightweight, durable, and has convenient pockets and features. I wouldn't use this as an approach pack though as it has no structure and a rack inside would be annoying.

If you are cost conscious and want to buy a guidebook that covers a lot of areas but has isn't quite as good for Seneca as the Barnes guide, this works: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0762784342 Unless you are mid-week, you will not be alone, so be prepared with a backup plan if your route of choice is taken. Much time can be saved by having pre-planned some alternates near your first choices.

Don't be afraid to ask for specific beta on routes you want to do here or elsewhere - I think there's a relatively active "Climbing Seneca Rocks" facebook page.

I'd get some cams or ask the local guides for recommendations on which routes go best with passive pro if you really want to do the 5.6 - 5.7 stuff first. Certainly most of the classics were put up with passive gear and big boots, and I think you'd have a good time on the classics (Ecstasy Jr 5.4, Old Mans, Old Ladies, Gunsight to South Peak, etc).

If I had to choose between a #3 cam and a helmet I'd bring the helmet any day - it's not a choss pile but there are lots of ledges and little rocks.

If you have the money and run short of partners, both guide services in town are great.

Relevant archived post: https://www.reddit.com/r/climbing/comments/1m14zr/first_trad_climb_at_seneca_rocks/