Starter trad rack for Squamish?

[Remi]

So a friend and I are putting together a trad rack soon. The intended use is single and mulch-pitch routes in Squamish. To give a rough idea as to expected routes; I have followed on "Skywalker" and lead a few trad 5.10s in the smoke bluffs on others racks. I would really be interested to hear what you guys recommend as a good starter set of cam's specifically, not the brand as that has already been decided (helium friends) but sizes and quantities of each.
Thank you

[PJH]

A good starter rack would be

one of each Helium Friend from 0.0 to 3.5
set of nuts
biners and dyneema slings to build 8 trad draws
4 double shoulder length slings
6 locking carabiners

Eventually you'll probably want to double up on some of the smaller cams, and get some bigger cams. But the above rack will get you up 95% in Squamish. I find the combination of slings and lockers makes for a nice versatile low-weight and low-bulk system for building anchors on multi-pitch climbs. I'd skip tricams and hexes, but some people like them. If you've got cash to burn, pick up a couple small Link Cams.

[MarkR]

I'd argue you could skip the trad draws for a beginner rack, assuming you have regular draws to fit the bill with a bit of rope drag. Trad draws are sweet though, so if you don't have regular draws and can afford it then definitely buy some.

[Lurch]

Yes, If you allready have draws then you can just get some slings and break them up. Buying biners and slings is the cheapest way though. Get some small nuts too right away (rp's). They are cheap and you'll thank me later.

+1 on everything else. Omegas are nice but you gotta use them right, the are no good anyplace the stem will contact the rock.

[jstone]

Hey, I'd recommend a set of BD from .3 to 3-4 then add finger sizes in either aliens or master cams dependant on what you can find or what to fit your fingers better (master cam triggers are kind of slippery for those with bigger hands)
Ultimately the choice is yours, play with as many cams as you can and go for the ones that feel the best in your hands. Also double up on nuts, two types will allow you to fill in between sizes with each type.
Best of luck for the season.
Eric.

[Dru]

If you've got cash to burn, pick up a couple small Link Cams.

Link Cams will apparently break in a fall if you about so much as look at them. every week there is a new story about someone whipping on one and having it snap, sometimes with tragic consequences. Personally I'd rather spend my cash on cams that don't break.

[Lurch]

Link Cams will apparently break in a fall if you about so much as look at them. every week there is a new story about someone whipping on one and having it snap, sometimes with tragic consequences. Personally I'd rather spend my cash on cams that don't break.

Not exactly true. They have had issues with them yes and they aren't your everyday cam.

The CEO of OP wrote this

Hey, Everyone ...

It's true this investigation has taken some weeks, but it's been necessary as we've looked at it from every possible angle and have been experimenting with possible solutions from a manufacturing end.

However, the report is due this week, in fact, and, as is our policy, we'll respond to the climber (Bradley) before releasing any information to the public. I'll do so, though, when we've done that.

However, speaking generally, I think a few things said in this thread are accurate.

Link Cams are specialty pieces and have held up well for hundreds or thousands of climbers since we introduced them. They are, however, vulnerable to damage and failure if subjected to torsional loading that requires the relationship of the head/axle and the rock to change much during a fall, especially if the placement is bottoming or loads the lower-end linkages to be stressed over any kind of edge or intrusion. This isn't a surprise,really ... the fact that their lobes consist of hinged components when other cams are made of a single piece of material made this an obvious characteristic from the start.

Bottom line is that the technology that provides Link Cams their greatest benefit (range) is also what introduces their clearest limitation (durability during weird loads).

We're doing a couple things to address this:

1) We're looking at new link designs that strengthen the hinges to make them stronger.

and

2) We'll be rewriting our literature to emphasize proper placement of Link Cams with a clear warning about the potential consequences of placing them in ways they could be subject to damage.

Both these changes are in effect now.

Link Cams are safe, but they must be placed in direction of pull and in a manner that eliminates the likelihood of the cam rotating during a load. They are ideal pieces, but not necessarily for every placement you come across. Do we like this? Nah. I wish they were as bombproof as the burliest piece of gear you can imagine ... and we're working on how to get as close to that ideal as possible ... but the truth is they'll always be a specialty piece.

We've been talking a lot about this, as you might imagine and we're not resting until we can wring out every bit of improvement in the design we can.

In the meantime, we welcome your feedback and observations. You can contact me, directly, any time you like if you want to talk more about it.

And ... regarding #3 ... we hear you! But to do a #3 with the same range and ratio of the other four would require a trigger pull/length of such a size as to, pretty much, eliminate anyone without King Kong-sized hands. If, however, we changed it up a bit and reduced the overall range/ration to, say, 2:1 (the others are 2.5:1), would that still be of interest to you? Let me know ... I don't know if this violates rc.com's policy about manufacturers doing market research, but I'll throw it out there.

Best Regards,

--ML


_________________________
Michael Lane
Omega Pacific
800.360.3990

And this is from the OP web site

Be sure to anticipate direction of load, should you fall or weight the cam. This is particularly important with Link Cams, due to their unique construction. Since they are built using trisected cam lobes, Link Cams can become damaged—and the placement may fail—if a load is placed that makes the cam “shift” when a climber falls onto it. We are constantly researching ways to improve the strength and durability of Link Cams, but it is critical that Link Cams be placed with direction of load in mind. You should always place any removable protection with this principle in mind, of course, but Link Cams in particular should be placed so that the stem is aimed directly toward the ground and, when loaded, the position of the axle does not rotate during a fall or when bounce-testing. Although Link Cams’ flexible stems can help “correct” a less-than-ideal placement, it is still important that the initial placement be made in proper alignment with anticipated load.

So yes they do fail more than other cams typically do. I have 3 and have been climbing on them for years. I have taken falls and weighted them and had no issues but i am very concious of how i place them.

They are a specialty piece. Don't make your rack out of them for sure.

[Dru]

Not a really convincing argument. For the same cost as two link cams I can buy three to four other cams (non-Omega) that cover the same total range, weigh less, don't get stuck as easily, and best of all don't break. And then I have four pieces to place instead of two.

[PJH]

I can buy three to four other cams (non-Omega) that cover the same total range, weigh less

Not true, especially the small sizes
#0.5 Link cam: 13.5mm-35mm, 95g
#0.5 C4: 20-33mm, 97g

But I agree they are subject to misuse/over-use, so maybe it's not the best recommendation for a starter rack, and definitely not for anyone on a tight budget.

[Lurch]

Not a really convincing argument. For the same cost as two link cams I can buy three to four other cams (non-Omega) that cover the same total range, weigh less, don't get stuck as easily, and best of all don't break. And then I have four pieces to place instead of two.

Wasn't really arguing. Just proving that your inflamatory statements weren't exactly 100% true...

You are right you could buy four cams for that price, and I would never suggest omegas instead of a traditional rack, rather as an addition.