Talk:Hex (climbing)

Issues

A seriously weak article -

1. the correct spelling is "Hexentrics".

2. they are a brand name trademarked by Black Diamond Equipment

3. they are just a big nut. This should be merged with nut (climbing), or deleted altogether.

Will work on it, but... Ratagonia (talk) 05:07, 5 December 2009 (UTC)

I moved the page to the common name which is supported by freedom of the hills and google searches. In responce to your third point ,I don't think they are just a big nut. First they have a significantly different configuration then nuts. This configuration gives them the ability to be set for active camming, not to the same extent as a tricam but none the less its still active camming well beyond a nut. You are of course right this page needs a lot of work.--OMCV (talk) 05:25, 5 December 2009 (UTC)

• • it has gotten a LOT better quickly. Thanks to Cullen for digging out that patent! Ratagonia (talk) 03:52, 20 December 2009 (UTC)

You are welcome, Ratagonia. My pleasure - Cullen328. Jim Heaphy (talk) 00:56, 29 January 2010 (UTC)

Incomplete description

As a person unfamiliar with climbing equipment, I'd like to comment that this article lacks some technical description. The layman reader remains uneducated as to how a Hexentric device is typically used by a climber and what is the mechanism of operation. Currently all the article says is it's "...used to protect climbers from injury during a fall" and is "...placed actively by orienting the webbing so that a pull causes a camming action against the rock" -- both rather vague phrases. It's like saying a hammer is used to enhance the hand's inertia: true but doesn't explain how it works.

So in conclusion I'd ask for someone with the appropriate knowledge to add:

1. Concise description of typical usage scenarios

2. How the device is mounted; what wedges against what

3. Why do such dramatically different sizes exist (for different rock types? different loads? personal preference?)

4. How many Hexentrics are typically carried by climbers and how often are they deployed in a climb

Mike002 (talk) 21:10, 8 August 2010 (UTC)

I've added several sentences in response to your questions, Mike. Thanks for getting involved. Cullen328 (talk) 01:35, 10 August 2010 (UTC)

Incorrect comparison with friends

Hexes are not interchangeably used with Friends (spring loaded camming devices). The original design requires a flared crack, where friends are specifically designed for parallel cracks. more modern designs like DMM Torque Nuts and WildCounbtry Rockcentrics allow for a camming action similar to tricams and hence for placement in parallel cracks. another alternative for both flared and parallel cracks are big bros. --Ramon1928 (talk) 18:29, 2 March 2011 (UTC)

I know ammended this section --Ramon1928 (talk) 11:37, 15 July 2011 (UTC)

• Well, actually, Hexcentrics do have a camming action. Not so common to use it, but... it does work and they can be placed successfully in almost parallel cracks. Ratagonia (talk) 23:16, 15 July 2011 (UTC)

• • I asked someone at a crack to have a look at his old style Hexcentrics. You are right, my mistake. I like your amendments to the paragraph. Active and passive protection are treated equally. --Ramon1928 (talk) 10:56, 22 July 2011 (UTC)