Gear Review: Trango BallNutz
Value Rating: 8
Durability Rating: 5
Overall Rating: 7
Location of Test: Rock Creek, Tuolumne Meadows, Broughton Bluff
Duration of Test: 1 year
Product Name: Ballnutz
Product Brand: Trango
Best Use: Trad climbing where pro is sparse and small
Sizes:
#1 Weight: 31 g Strength: 7 kN Range: 3.7-6.4 mm
#2 Weight: 39 g Strength: 8 kN Range: 4.8-9 mm
#3 Weight: 49 g Strength: 8 kN Range: 6.1-11.6 mm
#4 Weight: 58 g Strength: 8 kN Range: 7.8-13.8 mm
#5 Weight: 73 g Strength: 8 kN Range: 10.3-17.5 mm,
My rack of BallNutz
The Full Review:
One of the much-maligned pieces of climbing gear is the elusive BallNut. Manufactured by both Camp and Trango, BallNutz are far from a typical piece of climbing gear. Based on the same principle as a dynamically placed Tricam, BallNutz consist of a sliding brass semi-globe that is spring loaded and retracted by a trigger.
The “ball” retracts into a grove of a crack and then release when the climber lets go of the trigger.
Though rarely useful, BallNutz are a lifesaver when you need them. Because they’re so thin, they’re able to fit in tiny parallel cracks where a cam would be too big, and a nut wouldn’t lodge.
While climbing a 5.8R in Rock Creek, I found myself attempting a sandbagged 5.8 move with only friction slab foot placements and tiny crimps. Of course, the only protection I was able to fit in was the second-to-smallest BallNut.
The other cool thing about BallNutz is their strength rating. Unlike many small pieces of pro, BallNutz are rated at 8 kN (for reference, all but the two largest C3 cams are rated below 8kN).
Admittedly, BallNutz are not the most practical piece of pro. That said, they are extremely useful in certain situations where other pro might leave you hanging, or not as the case may be.
The only photograph I have of a placed BallNut, which I placed in the dash of my car while practicing anchor building on the way home from Yosemite.
My rack of BallNutz
The Full Review:
One of the much-maligned pieces of climbing gear is the elusive BallNut. Manufactured by both Camp and Trango, BallNutz are far from a typical piece of climbing gear. Based on the same principle as a dynamically placed Tricam, BallNutz consist of a sliding brass semi-globe that is spring loaded and retracted by a trigger.
The “ball” retracts into a grove of a crack and then release when the climber lets go of the trigger.
Though rarely useful, BallNutz are a lifesaver when you need them. Because they’re so thin, they’re able to fit in tiny parallel cracks where a cam would be too big, and a nut wouldn’t lodge.
While climbing a 5.8R in Rock Creek, I found myself attempting a sandbagged 5.8 move with only friction slab foot placements and tiny crimps. Of course, the only protection I was able to fit in was the second-to-smallest BallNut.
The other cool thing about BallNutz is their strength rating. Unlike many small pieces of pro, BallNutz are rated at 8 kN (for reference, all but the two largest C3 cams are rated below 8kN).
Admittedly, BallNutz are not the most practical piece of pro. That said, they are extremely useful in certain situations where other pro might leave you hanging, or not as the case may be.
The only photograph I have of a placed BallNut, which I placed in the dash of my car while practicing anchor building on the way home from Yosemite.