Best products from r/tradclimbing
We found 25 comments on r/tradclimbing discussing the most recommended products. We ran sentiment analysis on each of these comments to determine how redditors feel about different products. We found 20 products and ranked them based on the amount of positive reactions they received. Here are the top 20.
1. Climbing Self Rescue: Improvising Solutions for Serious Situations (Mountaineers Outdoor Expert)
- CLIMBING SELF RESCUE
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3. Rock Climbing Anchors: A Comprehensive Guide (The Mountaineers Outdoor Experts Series)
Author: Craig LuebbenISBN: 9781594850066

4. Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills
- Covers everything from the basics of equipment, knots, rappelling techniques, and leave-no-trace principles to the more advanced skills of setting up complex anchors, evaluating avalanche terrain, and developing your leadership skills. Completely revised and updated to include the latest in gear and techniques. Written by a team of more than 40 expert climbers and climbing instructors.
- Features hundreds of technical illustrations. Includes extensive revisions to self-rescue, aid climbing, waterfall and ice climbing. Significant new chapter on physical conditioning.
- All-time bestselling climbing instructional book. Printed on 100% recycled paper. 8th edition, 2010.
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5. How to Rock Climb! (How To Climb Series)
- Author: John Long
- ISBN#: 9781575400785
- Publisher: Falcon Guide
- Publication Date: 1997
- Jacket: paperback
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6. Climbing Anchors (How To Climb Series)
Author: John Long, Bob GainesISBN#: 9780762782079Publisher: Falcon GuidesPublication Date: 2013Jacket: paperback

7. CRC 05089 BRAKLEEN Brake Parts Cleaner - Non-Flammable -19 Wt Oz
- The original brake parts cleaner
- Formulated to quickly & effectively remove grease, brake dust, brake fluids, oils, & other contaminants from brake parts, lining, pads
- Cannot be sold for use in ca or nj
- Non-flammable
- This item is not for sale in catalina island
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8. Liquid Wrench L512 Dry Lubricant with CERFLON - 11 oz.
- specs: Dry Lubricant, Size: 11 oz, Notes: Dries quickly Lubricates and quiets Lubricates with no oily residue
- Replaces OEM Number: Liquid Wrench: L512
- Stens one-year warranty ensures reliability and performance for every part.
- Stens branded parts are trusted by professional dealers to perform OEM quality repairs. The Stens name is featured on all Genuine Stens product packaging.
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9. The Mountain Guide Manual: The Comprehensive Reference--From Belaying to Rope Systems and Self-Rescue
- GLOBE PEQUOT PRESS THE MOUNTAIN GUIDE MANUAL
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10. Beal Dynaconnexion 40Cm and 80Cm
- Very compact USES: Climbing / mountaineering / canyoning
- Strength: 22kN
- Developed by the Quebecer Mountaineering and Climbing Federation
- CE Certified
- Comes in assorted colors.
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11. Advanced Rock Climbing: Expert Skills and Techniques (Mountaineers Outdoor Experts)
Mountaineers Books

12. Metolius Ultralight TCU Grey #00
LEFTnotruc(The world's best-selling mini cam,500)Narrow head width for the most placement optionsDirect Axle Technology (DAT) makes Ultralight TCUs the lightest cams in the worldDAT allows for more placement options in shallow, narrow, or bottoming placementsDAT makes tricky placements easier due to...

15. High - Advanced Multi Pitch Climbing
- STRONG COLORATION: Tint your brows and fix them as you desire with this amazing eyebrow tint
- EVEN MORE LONG-LASTING: Additional tanning ingredients are used in this version to intensify the coloration so it stays on even longer
- SOFTLY APPLIES AND EASILY PEELS OFF: Applies softer and peels off better, which makes it easier to color brows
- NATURAL AND ELEGANT BROW COLOR: You can get an elegant and natural brow color by selecting the shade that matches your hair. The tinted color will naturally come back to your original brow color over time
- INGREDIENTS THAT MAKE YOUR BROW HAIR HEALTHIER! Panthenol, green tea extract, black bean extract brings an equal effect of doing a face mask
Features:

17. Rock Climbing: Mastering Basic Skills (Mountaineers Outdoor Expert)
ROCK CLIMBING: MASTERING BASIC

18. Self-Rescue (How To Climb Series)
- Author: David Fasulo
- ISBN: 9780934641975
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19. Nexcare Tape, Flexible Clear, Value Pack 2 , 1 Inch X 10 Yrds Each Roll, (Pack of 4) 80 Yards Total
4 packs each pack has 2 rolls, 1 in x 360 in (10 yd) ea roll, Total 2880 in (80 yd)Flexible Clear - Flexible, transparent, stretchable, breathable. For knees, elbows, fingers, Secure dressings, Flexible, transparent, stretchable, breathableAbsolute Waterproof - stays on in water, stretches. Advanced...

20. PETZL - Mambo 10.1, Single Rope for Gym or Crag Climbing, Blue, 60 m
MULTIUSE: The MAMBO's diameter is appropriate for gym or crag use.UNBELIEVABLY DURABLE: The core and the sheath are bonded together at the rope ends by an ultrasonic process called UltraSonic Finish; gives greater durability and avoids frayed ends.READY TO USE: Features ClimbReady coil that makes th...

Not specifically climbing but definitely a great resource for mountaineering is Freedom of the Hills
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1594851387
Love my copy, teaches you about self rescue, navigation, all the different techniques etc.
Defs worth having on your shelf!
Here's a couple of books that i found useful when learning. For the cost of your class, you could buy some gear. I bought my rack and went out and started leading the easiest things i could find. I asked my partners to look at my placements and didn't climb anything where i wasn't at ease fiddling with my placements. After a season of this, i spent a day with a small group climbing with a guide and a pro climber. It was really useful then to have someone evaluate my placements and look at my technique. In short, spend the money on a rack. Get out and play with it.
http://www.amazon.com/How-Rock-Climb-5th-Series/dp/0762755342/ref=pd_sim_b_2/191-6286848-7768056
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0762782072/ref=pd_sim_b_1
These two will get you started. Once you're comfortable with your gear and are starting to think about multi-pitch climbing, it's a really good idea to read this one as well.
http://www.amazon.com/Climbing-Self-Rescue-Improvising-Mountaineers/dp/089886772X/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1395103810&sr=1-3&keywords=self+rescue+for+climbers
There are many books out there on these topics. I've read the three above and can vouch for their quality. When looking for the Jon Long books, be sure to get the latest edition.
A lot of great advices. Few more. Tie knots at the end of the rope. Too many people are dying because of this. And use autoblock. Extra 15-30 seconds to tie it. But adds a lot of safety.
Read Climbing Self Rescue: Improvising Solutions for Serious Situation. Try to practice some of the scenarios in safe conditions.
I'm probably gonna die, but I use a quick blast of automotive brake parts cleaner to get my cams clean, dry them with compressed air, and apply Liquid Wrench Teflon spray lube. Seems to get the cams good and clean without scrubbing, and keeps things nice and smooth operating for a long time without attracting gunk.
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.
It's a bit expensive but I've ended up really liking it. And it also uses dynamic instead of static line -
http://www.amazon.com/Beal-Dynaconnexion-40Cm-80Cm-LDCO40-80/dp/B004R1KG9S
The late great Craig Leubben also has a very good climbing anchors book published my the Mountaineers.
http://www.amazon.com/Rock-Climbing-Anchors-Comprehensive-Mountaineers/dp/1594850062
For potential multi-day routes have a look at the Grade V+ alpine traverses like:
https://www.mountainproject.com/route/107070687/evolution-traverse
https://www.mountainproject.com/route/111399193/cirque-of-the-towers-traverse
There are also remote routes in places like the Sierra, Cirque of the Towers, Bugaboos, Cascades where you could backpack into a basecamp, then climb. For example:
https://www.mountainproject.com/route/105842793/edge-of-time-arete
https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105879391/titcomb-basin-area
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The other option is backpacking routes in the canyons in places like SW UT like the ones in Steve Allen's books (e.g. https://www.amazon.com/Canyoneering-Loop-Hikes-Utahs-Escalante/dp/0874805457). The ones he outlines are more scrambling than climbing and are usually low 5th max.
The Mountaineers put out a great anchor books as well (I've never read the Long so I can't comment on how it compares):
http://www.amazon.com/Rock-Climbing-Anchors-Comprehensive-Mountaineers/dp/1594850062
Topher Donahue's book fantastic!
Advanced Rock Climbing: Expert Skills and Techniques (Mountaineers Outdoor Experts) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1680510126/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_Zz6XzbKH1BSKG
better deal on tcus and its on amazon smile (
5%0.5% goes to access fund, I was misinformed...)The CLASSIC is Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills - should provide some interesting info for you.
Trad Climbing+ is another option, but from a british perspective so some of the stuff might seem a bit strange to you...
High by David Coley & Andy Kirkpatrick has a huge amount of information on modern techniques, gear etc. But it's aimed more at tips & new tricks for the already experienced than at teaching the basics to beginners.
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.
I have the other two in this series;
rock climbing anchors
and
rock climbing mastering basic skills
would that do?
john long's anchor book. it has tons of pictures and describes placement in minute detail.
http://www.amazon.com/Climbing-Anchors-3rd-How-Climb/dp/0762782072/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1375126110&sr=1-1&keywords=john+long+anchor
For $9 there is no reason at all for anyone doing multipitch not to read this.
To be proficient at getting yourself out of trouble you have to practice it but at least having an idea of what you could do is better than having no clue at all.
I use Nexcare hypoallergenic tape. Kinda pricey but so far no problems whatsoever. Would only use it for my fingers and not crack/ offwidth climbing though.
Let's plug in some numbers to find out! Let's say my gear and I weigh
650 newtons (146 pounds)(edit: no, see below), I take a fall from 1 meter above this placement, and the angle between the nuts is 150 degrees (note that the image in question has 1 nut significantly higher than the other; to make the math easier, I'm going to assume they're at the same height). I will fall 2 meters before the rope catches me, and that'll take a total of 0.64 seconds, resulting in a final speed of 6.3 meters per second. I'll thus have a momentum of 6.3 m/s 650 kg = 4095 kg m/s. The rope is a little stretchy, so let's suppose it takes half a second from when the rope goes taught to when I'm stopped (is this a good estimate? I have no idea. Longer times will lead to smaller forces edit: it's a bad estimate; see the re-re-edit below). The upward force exerted on me during that half second is now 4095 kg m/s / (0.5 s) or 8190 N, and thus the force on each nut is 8190 N / (2 cos(0.5 150 degrees)) or about 15.8 kN.Yes, they're going to rip right out.edit: oh, crap. My estimate at the very beginning was wrong because I mixed up mass-pounds with force-pounds before converting to metric. Suppose instead my gear and I weigh 65 kilograms (143 mass-pounds). Now, my momentum is a mere 409.5 kg m / s, the force needed to stop me is only 819ish N, and the force on each nut is just 1.58 kN. The nuts will hold just fine. Serves me right for not having enough familiarity with metric units.
re-edit: even if I start 2 meters above the nuts and fall a total of 4 meters, even if catching the fall takes a quarter second, that only exerts 4.5 kN on each nut. I'll be alright. Thanks for pushing me to run some actual numbers through this!
re-re-edit: my estimate of how long it takes to stop a fall is way off. I should just look at the impact force (the force exerted on the rope when an 80 kg weight takes a 4.8 meter factor-1.7 fall). As an example, the Petzl Mambo rope has an 8.5 kN impact force, which means the force exerted on each nut in that fall (with my weight instead of a standard weight) would be 8.5 kN / (2 cos(0.5 150 degrees)) (65 kg / 80 kg) or 13.3 kN. I'm back to thinking this isn't so safe.