You have a solid rack, so why buy more cams, biners, slings, shoes, headlamps? Can't Mgear quit sending me news of their sales? Then there's Steep & Cheap... where do they come off with those deals? Can't they see I have a problem? Where do I go for help?

You just need to develop into a wall climber. Then you'll beat up your gear faster than you can replace it, especially ropes, and justify 4 cams of every size. Sandstone is best for this purpose. Canyoneering doesn't need the cams so much but rapping on a wet, sandy rope does wonders to your biners and rap device, requiring weekly replacement. Go get 'um.

Chip. Bless your thoughful considerate God-fearin' heart. You don't know D personally, but your dealings with troubled youth should give you a feel for when a man is calling out for help. Delvis probably read your kind reply and was honestly confused about your phrase "beat your gear up". He buys gear cuz he wants it not kuz he needs it. Some of his stuff has yet to have the anodize scratched (not that theres anything wrong with that). But thats what happens when gear spends its time aitting in the Delvis archives instead of sitting in Gunks horizontals.

Hey Dennis,

I've got new packs...

no, no, no....

He needs to develop a crack habit, preferrably of the Indian Creek type of habit. At 5 cams in each size (like my rack), it will seem absolutely puny and you will wonder what routes you can do. 6-8 of each size is more sufficient....

Mim do you remember Phil. The first time that Bdawg and I spent a day with him I should have put more thought into what Phil had said about my rack being for a big wall and that we would be using his( 8 nuts,3 tri cams, a red and gold camalot(( the wires on the gold were cut and useless)). Unfortunatly I did not know this until we had started climbing......