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Wild Country Rockcentric Hex on Dyneema

$13.95 - $15.95

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    • Silver, #4.0
      $13.95
    • Red, #6.0
      $14.95
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      $15.95

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    11 Reviews

    Rockcentric Hex on Dyneema

    Count on the simple, solid protection of the Wild Country Rockcentric Hexes when you need to save weight on trad and alpine climbs. These Dyneema-slung hexes are lighter than cams, and their passive camming design allows them to be placed in a variety of cracks. Wild Country Rockcentrics are tough enough to take an ice-tool beating when you're placing them on a steep alpine wall, and their anodized heads help you pick the right size when it matters most.
    • Item #WDC0006
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    Material
    [head] aluminum, [sling] Dyneema
    Strength
    14 kN
    Claimed Weight
    [3] 1.19 oz, [4] 1.51 oz, [5] 1.89 oz, [6] 2.42 oz, [7] 3.19 oz, [8] 4.13 oz, [9] 5.46 oz
    Recommended Use
    trad climbing
    Manufacturer Warranty
    1 year
    Learn more

    Tech Specs

    What do you think about this product?

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    not dead yet

    Familiarity:
    I've used it several times

    Used a #6 as an essential part of a TR anchor last week (repelled off it and fell on it a bunch of times). Placing it was a dream and it held perfectly. What more could you need? The ends of the Dyneema- where the stitching is seemed to scratch against the opposing side and caused a little fraying. I put little tape on the ends and the world is right again. Over all I like it and will probably get a few more in other sizes.

    Brand new...for now

    My WC #9 next to my BD #11

    My

    Just got it, think ill love it.

    Familiarity:
    I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions

    Got #9 for christmas this year. Like it so far. Put right on my rack first thing. Shape looks great, seems like it will snug right in on my local rock. Not sure about Dyneema band yet as almost all my pieces are wired and thats what I'm used to using. Willing to give it a try though. Haven't check weight yet but #9 seems heavier than my BD hex #11. Just saying.

    Hey Dan, Recognizing that this is a very old comment, but that someone else may find use in this information, I'm going to place an answer here. I own both of these size and brand hexes too. So out of curiosity I placed them one in each hand and found I couldn't really tell a difference. Officially, the #9 Wild Country Rockcentric is 149 grams, and the #11 Black Diamond Hexcentrics is 206 grams. Reference links: http://www.wildcountry.com/UniversalFieldsOutput/DownloadFile?downloadGuid=fb60fac9-e0e2-4f5a-89bf-1dab113e9528&entityId=11&entityType=Product http://www.backcountry.com/black-diamond-wired-hexentrics?ti=U2VhcmNoIFJlc3VsdHM6aGV4Y2VudHJpYzoxOjE6aGV4Y2VudHJpYw&skid=BLD0830-ONCO-S1 Unfortunately, Black Diamond does not list the individual weights for the Hexcentrics on their own web site, so I've used Backcountry's own page and hoping the weights are accurate. My own observation of the wired versus slung hex debate is that wired hexes really only are helpful in placing if the hex is light enough not to flop over when placing it by holding the wire stem. And even then you are typically limited to the sideways wedge position and the smaller cammed position, assuming it goes in properly in the cammed position. I've had problems with the Black Diamond Hexcentrics not sitting properly while trying to place it in the small cammed position with the wire stem such that I had to manually manipulate the hex anyways, which defeats some of the advantage of a wire stem. If you want it in the large cammed position, you absolutely have to hold the hex in your fingers to place it. On top of that, I find that even with properly extending a wired hex, there is always a chance that it will loosen in the rock and possibly be pulled out of it's placement from rope movement. In my own opinion, I'd rather have all my hexes be slung.

    More cow bell!

    Picked up a set of these as part of my first trad rack 7-8 years ago. Great lightweight supplement to cams,I find the curved camming side fits more places and more securely than hexes with all straight sides. Still debating whether slings or wire is better, less walking with the slings, but I really appreciate the wires on my friends hexes to give stability when going for those just-out-of-reach placements. I also usually bring a few along in a light alpine rack for ice climbing, better in icy cracks than cams. Plus the clanging makes you feel old school.

    Sling em up

    Having used these, I'll never go back to wired hexes. The slings help to keep them from getting knocked loose and leaves the possibility to load over a dull edge if you have to. Given the options for placement too it make it easy to find something that works. Until I can afford to double up on some commonly used cam sizes, these will come along on every climb.

    Dyneema Slings on Rockcentrics

    /

    Rockcentrics 5 and 6

    /

    Overall very nice; some limitations compared to wired hexes

    These shapes fit (and stick) easily in plenty of different cracks. I have yet to find any placements that fall between sizes, so the overlap is good. Advantages of the dyneema slings vs. wired hexes: * Color coded slings make it easier to identify individual sizes, especially when they're racked on a single biner * No worries about wires getting kinked from running around corners * Stem doesn't get in the way of placements * Lighter (not sure how much this really matters; the heads are the heavy part) * Less prone to walking (I usually extend beyond the attached sling, so using these doesn't typically cut down on the number of draws used) Disadvantages: * Can't use a stiff wire to position hexes in deep cracks * Easier to lose hexes in tall, inward-flaring cracks (this happened to me once and it was a pain to fish the thing out) * Slings degrade over time and need replacement * Slings tangle easily if they're next to cams on your rack Overall I prefer the Dyneema slings, and only occasionally miss the ability to use a wire stem to position a hex.

    why buy cams ?

    the engineering behind these are great. similar to the chouinard design, but with improvements. the dyneema is much better than wire, this allows multiple placements with the contoured surfaces.

    As much as I love placing hexes in rock, and love the Rockcentrics the best out of all the hexes I've tried, they do have limitations which you may have already figured out since this is an old post. When I started buying my trad rack I thought much the same as you and didn't buy cams. The problem is that you cannot protect a vertical parallel crack with a hex, and a horizontal parallel crack can only be protected if it fits very snug in one of it's cammed positions, set hard, and extended long so it doesn't pull straight out from the crack. Within a couple months of first buying pro, I added cams to my rack and still continue to carry hexes. They all have a place and purpose where they excel at in different rock formations.

    clink clank

    i agree with some of the other reviews as the fact that you can achieve a better placement with a slung hex esspecially on the larger sizes. however in my experience having wired hexes can come in very handy for reaches and deep placements and if you dont happen to just have to totaly free hands. also the idea of the wire making hex want to walk easier can simply be taken care of with and extendable alpine draw which is often times neccessary to prevent rope drag in the first place. all in all these are a very good piece especially for beginers to learn perfect placements, cheeper than other options, all in all a good band for the buck.

    these rule

    I highly recommend them to anyone who climbs.

    Good Design, esp. w/Dyneema

    Been using BD/Chouinard hexes slung on perlon, then kevlar, and lately wired, since forever. Picked up the #6-#9 Rockcentrics last season to use at the Red, and it was almost a relief. (I use .5-3.0 Tri-Cam for smaller size passives in the fingers-thin hands range.) I loved the old hexes in this larger size range, but the WC Rockcentric offering is way better. The curved surfaces, great lateral taper, and thin casting of the body all make a lightweight, highly usable passive piece for thin hands and up in these sizes. Great complement to the usual cams, and the Dyneema slings keep 'em where you put 'em. I did notice that every once and a while I'd be placing in a particular crack section and one Rockcentric would be a little big and the next down a little small no matter which way I rotated them or worked them end-to-end in the crack...not a feeling I ever experienced with the old hexes...maybe the dimensional differences between numbers in the Rockcentric series are slightly larger than those between the different hex sizes, I don't know. But that was a pretty rare feeling, and absolutely the only minor hassle I've experienced with the Rockcentrics, and easily cured by plugging a cam. Love 'em, great Wild County design enhancement of a classic.

    The sizing problem you noted for me is taken care of by also owning a set of DMM Torque Nuts (these are another type of modern hexes if you didn't already know) in addition to cams. The four sizes are slightly different in sizing than the Wild Country Rockcentrics and I've found they compliment each other well even though I still prefer the Rockcentrics.

    Get these not wired

    Big wired hexes rock way too much, these hexes on Dyneema stay put and are the only type to buy in the big sizes. Big wires help with deep placements but you can achieve that in other ways. Lighter than cams and way cheaper learn to use them and you'll learn to love them. Correct placement is critical, just like cams.

    Cow bells kick

    May take a bit to get used to placing, but will give the most solid placement u will ever find. Bomber for anchors! Dyneema slings help prevent walking too

    I am building up a basic trad rack, and...

    I am building up a basic trad rack, and want to get these hexes on sale! :) Will have BD cams .4-3, and a full set of stoppers. What sizes should I get in these hexes? Will be climbing mostly in Leavenworth, the Cascades, etc. Thanks!

    I

    I find that the Green and Red hexes are very useful and I can always find placements for them. I just added a Silver, but I don't find it particularly useful. Any bigger and they're annoying, smaller and they're fiddly. GREEN AND RED!

    Okay cool, thanks a lot!

    Thanks for the advice! Just bought #6 red off of Amazon (since I have a gift card).

    Aren't these made in the UK? Every other...

    Aren't these made in the UK? Every other site I've seen these on state their country of origin as the United Kingdom.

    Wild Country is based in the UK. They probably have their manufacturing done in China like everyone else.

    Like Ryan said, yes Wild Country is based in the UK. But historically DMM which is located in Wales, has done a lot of manufacturing for Wild Country due to them having their own foundry. So it's much more likely these are made in UK.

    What is the protocol for re-slinging these?...

    What is the protocol for re-slinging these? Is it something easy to DIY or better to send off somewhere?

    You can easily re-sling them with cordelette, as long as you tie a good knot, but if you want to use webbing you'd have to send them in. Bar-tacking is important and technical and very difficult to do at home. I'd suggest just taking the cord approach.

    Also tubular webbing is very useful if you tie the ends together with a water knot

    Yatesgear.com claims to be the official authorized re-sling service for Wild Country and DMM here in the USA. They do say the service is for cams, but I don't see why they couldn't re-sling Rockcentrics hexes. Though you'd probably want to ask them before sending them in. Otherwise, there are a number of other companies that re-sling gear that could likely do this. http://yatesgear.com/climbing/slings/index.htm#9 If you are going to do it yourself with a tied loop of static accessory cord, you are probably going to want to use some sort of tech cord that has a dyneema or spectra core in it. I just measured the holes in my Rockcentrics, although I don't have dial calipers to get exact measurements, it appears to be about 7mm in diameter. Cord possibilities are: Blue Water Titan Cord with Dyneema. 5.5mm, 13.7Kn. New England Ropes Tech Cord 3mm, 13.3Kn. Or 5mm, 20.9Kn Sterling Powercord 5.9mm, 19Kn With these types of tech cords it's usually been recommended that they be tied in a loop with triple fisherman knots due to their more slippery nature. Backcountry does stock some of this cord. And please be careful with using water knots in webbing if you go that route. It's been shown in testing that water knots fail under repeated cyclic loading and unloading by one of the tails slipping through the knot. Double fisherman while ugly and hard to inspect when used in webbing doesn't have this problem. See the link below. http://user.xmission.com/~tmoyer/testing/Water_Knot_Testing.pdf

    How long will the Dyneema last compared...

    How long will the Dyneema last compared to the wires?

    Wires last for as long as you avoid fraying and kinking them (they could be done after a few times out, or keep going for decades, just depends). Dyneema has something like a 3yr lifespan, but opinions vary wildly. That said, dyneema slung hexes are about a jillon times more useful than those on wire, because they can acctually cam. Avoid those on wires, the extra $20 you have to spend every three years to resling them is well worth it.