Everyone should climb trad—or at least know how. Proficient trad-climbing skills are like having an all-access pass to some of the most badass and iconic cliffs in the world, from Yosemite to Arapiles to the Bugaboos.
I started climbing trad at the Gunks in New York when I was in high school. Even though I’ve risen through the sport climbing ranks and don’t bat an eye at projecting a 5.13 sport route, part of me will always be afraid of any “5.9+” at Gunks.
No matter how strong you get, 5.10 trad is always going to be challenging. Doing it well is a mark of proficiency.
Trad climbing is all about the gear. From cams to carabiners, nuts to nut tools, there are so many options out there that it’s hard to know where to even begin.
There’s also the question of how much gear you actually need to get started. It’s common to see beginners racked to the nines with “kit,” as they call trad pro in the U.K. It’s also funny to see top-end climbers like Tommy Caldwell or Emily Harrington 25 pitches up El Capitan free climbing with nothing more than a quickdraw and a #8 nut on their harness. As you start out, you’ll probably want a bit more gear than that!
This guide will help navigate the decision-making process of putting together a basic “single rack” for trad climbing. With this kit, you should be able to show up at most trad crags and have enough gear to get up most routes.
Building the Rack
A “single rack” is a generic, blanket term that you’ll often read in guidebook/topo descriptions. Generally, a “single rack” refers to a single set of cams, nuts, carabiners, quickdraws and slings, as well as a number of other relevant items. A “double rack,” as you might surmise, means that you will have two of each cam / nut size—as well as all the other kit.
When you’re starting out, you don’t need to splurge on double rack, as cams are expensive, and especially if you’re climbing with other people who also have their own single racks.
Expect to shell out at least $1,500 to get going. Fortunately, this gear lasts a really long time.
Of course, every trad crag is different. For most routes in the Gunks, you’d almost never need a piece larger than a #3 Black Diamond C4, while if you’re climbing in Yosemite you’d probably want a few #3s.
Below are some straightforward recommendations for what you need—and probably don’t need. Like all things Evening Sends, I’m trying to not be too coy and give you the quick, direct, straightforward purchasing advice based on my own experiences. Lots of people will have different opinions, so if you don’t like what I have to say here, find another blog that confirms your world view. (This post contains affiliate links that help support the site, but in no way influence the recommendations made).
Passive Pro
Passive pro refers to a piece of gear that doesn’t have moving parts. Nuts, “Stoppers,” hexes, RPs, and other “chocks” are all categorized as passive pro. Essentially, these pieces of gear are all chunks of metal of various sizes, shapes, and materials, which are placed and “set” in constricting cracks with a simple tug on the cable.
The pros of passive pro include that it’s cheap, light, and easy to learn how to place. Personally, I love nuts. They can fit where nothing else will, and because they’re so cheap, it’s no big deal if you have to leave a few behind to bail.
One downside to passive pro is that it can be difficult for the second climber to remove. This is why a nut tool is important. A nut tool helps you remove stuck gear. Each climber should carry their own nut tool, as opposed to sharing one with your partner, because otherwise you’ll never remember to give it to the second at the belay. The Black Diamond Wiregate Nut Tool comes with a built-in carabiner for easy racking on your harness.
Nuts
The “standard” nut is made of aluminum alloy and has a curved surface and slightly tapered shape that helps the nut maximize contact with the sides of the crack. Every trad rack begins with a single set of standard nuts—usually around 10 to 14 pieces that cover a variety of small sizes. I recommend either Black Diamond Stoppers or DMM Wallnuts.
Black Diamond Stoppers
- This is a pretty standard set of nuts—in the right range of sizes.
- Colored pieces help you choose the right piece quickly.
- Unlike in this photograph, nuts should always be racked on a carabiner with a “key lock” carabiner design.
DMM Wallnuts
- Larger sizes are slightly softer to better bite in placements
- Tapered face and sides place better in cracks
- Color-coordinated sizing for finding the right piece faster
RPs / Micronuts / Offsets
Micro-nuts, as you might expect, are smaller nuts. They aren’t quite as strong as standard nuts, but they’re certainly strong enough to hold some if not most climbing falls. Think of micro-nuts as a last resort—you need a piece of gear and the only option is the tiniest crack where only a micro-nut fits.
Certain rock types / crags lend themselves to micro-nuts more than others. If you’re only interested in moderate crack climbing in the desert or Yosemite, you probably don’t need a set of micro-nuts. Places such as the Gunks, Seneca, Arapiles, and most places in the U.K. If you climb in one of these places, you certainly will want one or even two sets of these little guys.
The first brand of commercially available micro-nuts were called RPs after their inventor Roland Pauligk. “RP” remains a nominal name for any kind of small nut, usually made out of a softer metal, such as brass, which deforms under a shock load and “bites” into the rock better.
Offset nuts are tapered both from top to bottom and front to back. Offset nuts work really well in any kind of flaring crack, especially the pin scarred granite of Yosemite.
Here are two recommendations in this category.
DMM Peenuts
- Set of five micro-sized stoppers for trad climbing
- Offset shape fits flared and irregular-shaped cracks
- Large surface area dissipates forces in fragile rock better
- Color-coded for ease of use
DMM IMP nuts
- Immaculate Marginal Protection Nut Set, aka I.M.P., boasts full strength ratings at low weights thanks to larger cables.
- The smallest #1, for example, comes in at a 4kN rating, while most nuts of this size are only 2kN.
- Color-coded wires.
- Brass
Hexes
I’m convinced that the only people who buy hexes are rank beginners who read internet forums that convince them that hexes are a budget alternative to throwing down for a full rack of cams. For the cost one cam, you can get a whole rack of these six-sided “cow bells.”
I was once that person who opted to get hexes because I didn’t have enough money to buy cams. And technically they work. They’re kind of like large nuts, with many different options for placements. Unless you’re a cutting-edge light-and-fast alpinist weight-weenie, I can’t recommend anyone actually buy hexes in the lord’s year of 2021. Just put your money toward cams.
But if you must, I recommend these hexes over the others.
TriCams
I’d love to disparage TriCams with the same disdain that I just reserved for hexes. And there is some truth to the idea that you just shouldn’t bother with these weird, niche pieces and just get yourself some cams. But as a former Gunks climber, I have a special place in my heart for TriCams, especially the pink TriCam. These odd-shaped nuts that can be placed in cracks in either “passive” or “active” configurations are pretty impressive feats of engineering and simplicity. Will TriCams replace the need for a rack of cams? No. But I won’t look down on anyone who has a couple of these on their harness, especially the pink one.
CAMP Tricams
- Gear that “fits where nothing else seems to fit.”
- Passive and active placements.
- Dyneema slings provide higher strength than nylon in wet conditions and reduce weight
Camming Devices
Camming devices, aka “cams,” aka “spring-loaded camming devices” (SLCD), are the meat-and-potatoes of every trad-climbing rack. Cams are easy to place, easy to clean, and when placed properly in good rock are as bomber as it gets.
The companies that make cams are: Black Diamond, DMM, Fixe, Metolius, Totem, Trango, and Wild Country. I prefer Black Diamond cams above all the others, with Metolius and Totem also getting a solid recommendation. The Metolius Fat Cam, for example, is a great addition to your rack if you’re crack climbing in the Creek as the wide cam lobes really do provide extra security in soft rock. Totem cams also have a real cult following, especially in Yosemite. The only brand of camming devices that I would not recommend is Trango.
Aside from the obvious fact that cams come in many different sizes, there are other features that distinguish one kind of cam from another.
Number of lobes: Cams have either four or three cam lobes. Four-lobe cams are much more stable, and in general I prefer this design. Three-cam units (aka “TCUs”) are made to reduce the width of the cam—one less lobe means it can fit into narrower / tighter placements. However, there are small four-cam unit single-stem designs that are just as narrow as TCUs, if not narrower. Although I’ve placed TCUs many times, I don’t carry them on my rack anymore.
Stem design: Cams have either a single-stem or U-stem design. (Totem cams have their own weird stem design going on that defies categorization.) Wild Country Friends used to have rigid stems, meaning the stem couldn’t bend and flex, but nowadays all cams have flexible stems. There are pros and cons to each stem design. I prefer single-stem cams but a lot of people love U-stem cams because they like the ergonomics.
Number of axles: The axel is the metal rod that runs through the cam lobes, around which the cam lobes pivot. For decades, Black Diamond had the patent on the dual axel design, but now it’s open source and many other companies have leveraged the dual axel design to make their own cams. A dual axel cam has far more range than single axel designs, meaning that one cam can fit into a wider range of sizes. It also makes it less likely to get stuck.
Offset cams: Offsets cams feature two cam lobes of a different size than the other two lobes. Like offset nuts, this creates a taper from front to back of the cam head that allows the unit to be placed in cracks that aren’t uniform in size. People seem to think off-sets are “just for pin scars,” but this isn’t really true. Offsets don’t make a ton of sense in places like Indian Creek where the cracks are freakishly uniform in size, but just about everywhere else, where rock isn’t uniform, offsets are an under-appreciated and over-looked piece of gear that is really useful in securing safer placements than you might otherwise get with normal cams.
Below I’m going to give specific recommendations for which cams I think you should purchase. All of these recommendations are Black Diamond cams. Again, this is just my preference—but it’s also what most people use, too, which makes rack sharing and climbing with new people go smoother.
Black Diamond Ultralight Camalots
- Double-axle design offers widest range for each cam unit
- Dyneema core stem design is strong, durable and low-profile
- 14mm dyneema tape sling
- Ergonomically optimized stem and thumb loop for surgically precision placements
- Color-coded for easy identification and wide range of sizes
Start with a full set of BD Ultralight cams, from .4 to 4. The Ultralights are superior to the corresponding BD C4s because they are 25% lighter and work just as well. Yes, they’re more expensive than the C4s. A full rack of Ultralights will run you around $760, while the same rack of C4s only costs around $500. The weight savings, though, is worth the extra investment, in my opinion, especially as you expand your rack to a double or triple set. You really feel it when you climb, and it’s better to be lighter when you climb!
Another option is to get C4s in the smaller sizes, and then purchase Ultralights in the larger sizes (2 and up), as this is where you’ll really notice the weight savings.
Regardless of whether you choose C4s or Ultralights, this range of sizes is going to be the real backbone of your trad rack.
Black Diamond Z4
- RigidFlex stem stays rigid in-hand for easy placement, but flexes once placed to reduce walking
- Dual twisted cable construction for uniform flex on larger sizes; single cable construction on smaller sizes to avoid buckling and reduce trigger profile
- Narrow head width for tight placements
- Sandblasted lobes for better holding power
- Lightweight yet durable Dynex sling with a unique color scheme for easy identification from other Camalots
For small camming devices, look no further than the Black Diamond Z4s. These cams are badass, and fit just about anywhere thanks to their narrow head width. Despite being so small, they have a rigid stem that doesn’t flop around when you retract the cam, which makes them easy to place, especially when you’re pumped. If you can only get one, get the .3 Z4.
If you’re trad climbing in areas with non-uniform crack placements, (i.e., everywhere but places like Indian Creek), you might also want to get the Z4 offsets, which have different lobe sizes and can give you a nice fit .
Racking Carabiners
All of this gear will need to be clipped to carabiners. I could write another 15,000 words on racking advice and techniques, but to try to keep it simple, I suggest the following: Each cam gets its own lightweight wiregate carabiner—in other words, don’t even think of putting more than one cam on a single carabiner.
Each “set” of nuts can be racked on a single carabiner. I wouldn’t rack more than 12 nuts on a carabiner. If I’m bringing more than 12, I’d divide them up—larger nuts on one carabiner, smaller nuts on another. With racking nuts, just make sure you use a “key lock” style carabiner—such as the HotForge Straight Gate—so that the nut’s wire doesn’t get caught on the carabiner nose.
I like how Black Diamond anodized a set of racking carabiners to be the same color as cams. So red cams get red carabiners. You don’t have to be this coordinated, but if you’re starting out from scratch, why not?
Quickdraws, Slings, and Free Carabiners
In addition to the rock protection above, of course you’ll also need around 6 to 8 quickdraws, a bunch of shoulder length slings, and a bunch of single carabiners.
For trad climbing, I prefer to bring the lightest possible gear in these categories—so long as it’s not so light that it’s hard to use (think: tiny, “toy”-sized carabiners that are just pointlessly hard to clip and can’t even take a clove hitch).
While I love big, heavy, durable quickdraws with nylon slings and key-lock carabiners for sport climbing, for trad climbing I only use super light quickdraws. I also look for quickdraws with longer slings since, generally, that additional length is nice for managing rope drag.
Again, I always defer to DMM for my carabiners, since I think they make the best ones. But there are a lot of options in this category so shop around to find what looks best to you.
Also make sure you check out my article “The Best Quickdraws for Sport Climbing.”
Black Diamond OZ Quickdraws
- Top and bottom Oz carabiners
- Patented stainless-steel wire hood design doesn’t snag, eases clipping and cleaning
- Wire gates eliminate any chance of gate flutter
- Equipped with a 10 mm (.39 in) Dynex dogbone with Straitjacket
- Available in 12 cm (4.7 ion) length
- Package set of six
For slings, aka sewn runners, your options come down to material and size. Slings are either made of nylon or Dyneema/Dynex. There are some geeky, technical difference between the two materials that eventually you’ll want to understand, but for right now, I suggest five or so “shoulder-length” (60cm) slings, and two or three “double-length” (120cm) slings. I suggest the Mammut Magic slings, which are super light and reliably strong. When you rack these, sling them across your chest and clip one carabiner to each sling, as well as a few free carabiners that stay on the back of your harness.
I’ll have to write a separate article on what you’ll need for your anchor-building kit, as there are pros and cons to cordelettes and all the other goofy single-purpose items you can purchase for building anchors. My personal philosophy on anchors is that you can use everything described in this article—as well as two extra locking carabiners, and the rope—to build solid anchors without the hassle of cordelettes. But that’s a separate article.
Summary Checklist
- 1 nut tool
- 1 set of large nuts
- 1 set of micro / offset nuts
- 1 set of Black Diamond Ultralight Cams .4-4
- A few Black Diamond Z4 / Z4 offsets
- Racking carabiners — one per cam (11 total) as well as a half dozen key-lock carabiners for racking nuts / free carabiners.
- 6 lightweight quickdraws
- 6 60cm and 3 120cm Magic Slings
- 2 Locking Carabiners for anchors
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