How do I build a Trad Rack?
Recently, a few folks have asked me about how I decide what to put in my climbing rack. So, here it is.
I’ve found that it is helpful to have doubles in some sizes. However, for starting out, you can stick with singles and just do shorter pitches to account for a lack of gear. OR, team up with someone else with a single rack, and you can do twice as much! I’ll do three levels of climbing rack here: Basic, Standard, and Michael’s “Perfect” rack.
Basic:
The equivalent of .3 - #2 cams in BD sizes. I’ve found Trango Flex cams and Metolius master cams to be the cheapest, but I do not like them. Wild Country friends are often found on a deal and are pretty nice.
Non-Lockers for each cam
Rack of stoppers on a non-locking carabiner
A few quickdraws for nuts
4 Single length slings with at least one non-locker
A Helmet (we can talk about the benefits of helmets all day, but when you’re Trad climbing, you should probably wear a helmet)
This level of rack should get you up most easy single pitch climbs. Always read the route description in the guidebook or on Mountain Project to see if there is a mandatory extra piece of gear. If in doubt, don’t go out.
Standard:
BD Z4 Camalot: .2 - .5
BD C4 Camalot: .75 - 4 (I don’t always take a 3 or a 4, but they’re prevalent enough to warrant buying them).
Non-Lockers for each cam
Rack of offset stoppers
The other stopper sizes that are not covered by the offsets
A few quickdraws for nuts
8 Single-length slings with at least one non-locker
A Helmet (we can talk about the benefits of helmets all day, but when you’re Trad climbing, you should probably wear a helmet)
If you double the cams, there are very few moderate routes you won’t be able to get up on the East Coast. There are routes that may need a special piece of gear or a larger cam, but for the most part, this will do.
“Perfect”:
Hopefully I don’t have to disclaim this, but this is the Rack that I personally am building towards. It’s not perfect for everyone, but It’s what I like.
BD Z4 Camalot: .1 - .5; Doubles .75
BD C4 Ultralight: Doubles 1 - 3
BD C4 Camalot: 4 - 5
Totem Cams: Black, Blue, Yellow
DMM Offset Wallnuts and Peenuts
Petzl Spirit Racking carabiners
8 Dyneema 60cm slings with two carabiners each
A few quickdraws for nuts
These racks don’t include the following items that I usually take with me:
A Grigri+locker
A nut tool
A Reverso with 2 lockers
3 loose lockers
A prusik+locker
A double-length sling
A quad-length sling
A cordelette in my backpack
A first-aid kit
A chalk bag on a prusik cord
