What type of Climber/Pad combonatin do most of you use and why?

[rbtree]

Yo Rocky,

25 yrs ago, I had some of those pads you currently have. Didn't like them much, but they weren't the ones with the angled shank attachment. With added padding, they were wearable.

The "Cadillac" pads come in two shapes, one for large calves, one smaller. Perhaps the ones you had weren't the right ones for you.

 

[Stumper]

rb, re the wolfs I'll give you less

I've only been using gaffs a couple of years. I've got a set of Brooks with 1.5" pole gaffs- very easy to use on thin bark but hard on the instep. I'm using standard pads which aren't great but are bearable for an occassional hour or two. I picked up a set of Buckinghams with the 3 and a quarter mile long fixed gaffs. They seem okay in thick bark but I do not like the way they act in small diameter wood-I can't swing my heels in against the spar for stability like I can with the Brooks. I picked up a used set of Kleins with wide stirrups, adjustable shanks and fixed 1.5" gaffs that had been poorly sharpened. I'm refitting them with 2" gaffs (disclaimer-don't modify climbers) and I think that they will be just about perfect for most jobs-we'll see.

 

[rbtree]

stumper,

I have some old 2 3/4 inch Klein gaffs that I'll send you for a six pack of microbrew. If you file them aggressively, they'll back to a good profile, but no longer than 2 1/4 inch...or less, as they are pretty worn down.

You were joking about the Wolfies, eh?

Actually, if they had normal straps instead of the awkward ratchet setup, they'd be quite wearable, I'm sure.

 

[Stumper]

Would you accept money instead? I'm not sure how to send microbrew.
Sort of half joking about the Wolfs-I find them interesting but don't want to spend much to try them after so many negative comments.