How useful are Micro-nuts for leading 5.9s and easier .10s?

Micro nuts are fine, but you can never have enough green aliens!

As for brands, I've got the BD Micros, and I like them. But take this with a grain of salt, as I use them more on NH granite than I do on the Gunks.

Actually, my opinion is probably pretty worthless, since in addition to using them for NH granite more often than Gunks conglomerate, I also:
- Am only just breaking into Gunks 9s and 10s myself, and
- Only get to the Gunks maybe a half a dozen times a season.

So there's my $0.0002. Take it (or leave it) with a few grains of salt.

GO

HB offsets. They rule at the Gunks.

#5 is my personal wubbie. I have placed it so many times where other gear wouldn't go, I've lost track.
There are pitches where I've placed both #5's, and several of the other sizes too.
( I have doubles from 3-6, but this is admittedly overkill)
The #5 is to offsets, what the green is to Aliens.

Sizes #3-#6 are the 'real' gear, they are very strong and can hold a decent fall.

The smaller ones are good for oppositional pieces, or as headpieces maybe. (or for aid, if yer into that sorta thing)

You'd be surprised how often you can find a home for one on an 8 or 7 too; but for 9's and easier 10's (which is exactly where I'm at, or was at when I left off last yr) they are damn near indispensable IMHO.

Pick up #6, 5, 4, and 3 and a biner to rack 'em. You'll be glad ya did.

And don't bother with another green Alien, get a green/ yellow offset instead.
mmmmMMMMmmmmmm Alien offsets, mmmMMMMmmmmm

PS - edited to add: 2nd or 3rd of 4th the idea that a screamer ain't a bad idea either.... 'specialy on the smaller guys.
See attached for kN ratings:

no dims wt strength color price
inches gm kN lbf
0 .15 x .22 4 2.5 562 black $13.95
1 .15 x .31 4 4.5 1012 burgandy 13.95
2 .17 x .24 8 6 1350 red 13.95
3 .24 x .31 9 6 1350 orange 13.95
4 .28 x .37 13 8 1800 yellow 14.95
5 .31 x .43 16 7 1575 green 14.95
6 .38 x .51 24 10 2250 blue 14.95

if you travel you'll really like the micronuts as well. many 9s and 10s in places like little cottonwood or eldorado canyon pretty much require them.

If the green/yellow offset is a choice, I'm voting for that one. More useful than either a second green Alien or a set of micro-nuts IMO.

what murphy said, but with one caveat:

HB BRONZE offsets. They make bronze and alloy offsets, and he (and evrybody else) are talking about the BRONZE ones.

I would rather have my trusty HB Bronze set than just one cam.

Ditto on the green/yellow Alien. I place it as much as any other alien in the Gunks.

For small nuts, I LOVE the DMM peenuts. Rich Gottleib sold me on them and I use them all the time. Still haven't fallen on one, but their skinnier wire helps them fit into placements where a thicker wire would be excluded.

An example of loving them (gear beta alert!): I led the Winter for the first time this weekend and at the stemming crux got a perfect #6 or 7 bd stopper overhead but was able to back it up with an equalized peenut and #3 stopper underneath. Having the peenut in definitely helped me focus on the moves.

It's been a few months, and I've been debating whether to get some HB Offsets. Since I had some free time today, I began looking online for them, and it turns out HB has gone out of business.

Guess I should have gotten them right after the discussion. Oh well.

QtM:

I think someone else may have already noted this, but just in case:

Word is that another gear maker (DMM, I believe) bought the molds - or whatever they're called - and will be turning out the same product in not too long.

Remains to be seen what will actually happen, but apparently there's hope.

I LOVE my aluminum offsets, and occasionally place a bronze as well (usually just before soiling my shorts...)

Cool. I found the thread at r.c that said 4 weeks, which I think has come and gone but guess I can wait.