Wild Country Rockcentric on Dyneema

Ben Hedley
Reviewed: 21 May 2004

PRETTY GOOD AND GIVE GOOD CONFIDENCE WHEN PLACED PROPERLY

Very lightweight and makes a cheaper alternitive to friends.

Dyneema makes them less likely to lift out and much more extendable.

When placed well you really can beat the confidence boost a big size 9 can bring.

The shape means 4 different ways to place them which adds to versitility

Pretty cheap and i'd much rather leave one of these behind than the equivilent size friend!

Dyneema means you can flick them in above your head.

The music they make when hanging off your harness!

Apart from i cant place the damn things and they fall out when i do on grit:

I find (especially on grit) they get stuck very easily and placing them with 1hard is very tricky. plus they are difficult to remove after being loaded especiall when placed lenghtways.

Really good gear if (unlike me) you can get them in well. Not that expensive and therefore wont break you heart/wallet if you lose/drop/get one stuck than friends.

Some people prefere them on wire for arms reach placements but the dyneema means the dont lift out as much.

Oliver Preece
Reviewed: 06 May 2003

NICE WEIGHT REDUCTION TO YOUR RACK.

I bought a set of these the moment I lifted them of the shelf in the shop. I couldn't believe how light they were in comparison to the old hexes. This is their main strength. Both the dyneema sling which is lighter than normal cord, and the choice of metal which they are made from give a truly lightweight piece of protection. They are very user friendly, exept for in flared cracks. The fact that you can place them in four different orientations make them particularly useful.
A year or two ago I took a fall on a route whichhad a rockcentric two pieces of gear below me. Above it was a camming device which had walked and popped when I weighted it. The rockcentric...and a very astute belayer, stopped me decking out, (admittedly only a couple of feet from the ground). I'll always carry a set of these if there are suitable placements for them. A good piece of winter pro.
Which climber hasn't felt that buzz of anticipation/excitement when approaching the crag to the sound of clinking gear? Rest assured if you have these hanging off your harness or bandolier then you'll be giving a good peel of bells to those approaching the crag below you...and setting off that nice internal feeling of excitement for them.

Sometimes difficult to place at a distance. They can be difficult for the second to remove, if they have been weighted or jammed in too hard. This is because they are on the dyneema tape. Use another rockcentric to give your nut key a good clout and hey presto they double up as a hammer!!

A great product. Save yourself form a nasty fall...if placed correctly, save a load of weight on your rack. This is particularly good in winter with those long trail breaking walk-ins.

ben brockway
Reviewed: 03 December 2001

MONSTER COWBELLS ARE BACK

Much lighter than the equivalent size range of any other bit of pro. Simplicity.

Limited use in flared cracks. Difficult to place high as dyneema wobbly - wired version would be better for really arms length pro.

Not so much a hex, more a cross section of the factory where they make hexes. The big cowbells are great, they hang around your neck and make a lovely bonging sound when they bump together. Let's face it they're not as hi-tech as friends but they're still very useful. Good passive protection, very light (much more than the old Camp Hexes), good in winter, can be larksfooted together and used as bolos when you get bored. The weight/price/usefulness index is very good for these....