The Metolius Ultrlight Curve Nuts from Metolius Climbing are among the lightest climbing nuts we tested. They achieve this with a unique feature, attaching the cable directly to the nut and eliminating the swage, which results in less weight and bulk. Metolius Curve Nuts pop out less frequently from rope drag than other nuts. Their features may contribute to the fact that they are the most difficult nuts to clean. Metolius offers a decent size run but we wish they could make smaller sizes in aluminum; without them they fall one or two nuts short of a stand-alone rack.
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Pros: Fits irregular rock well, light weight Cons: Cables can get kinked, no smaller sizes, difficult to clean Best Uses: Trad climbing, alpine climbing or routes where weight is a factor, areas with more textured rock
Manufacturer: Metolius
Overview
OutdoorGearLab Editors' Hands-on Review
likes
Metolius Curve Nuts, along with Wild Country Superlight Rocks, are the lightest nuts we tested. Metolius achieves this by attaching the cable directly to the nut and eliminating the swage. The absence of swage also make them feel less bulky on your rack. They have anodized heads and their swages are color-coded to match Metolius cam colors, making selection of the right size easier. The two curved sides set the nut and keep it stable, making it less likely to pop out from rope drag. This feature made Curve Nuts among the best nuts for parallel sided cracks. The taper wasn't great; they worked just above average in flaring or pin scar placements. The double curve design also helps these Metolius nuts excel in more featured rock like that at Joshua Tree and Metolius's home crag of Smith Rocks. Dislikes The cable kinks over time, although not nearly as badly as on DMM Offsets or Wild Country Superlight Rocks. The cables are burlier than many others but have limited movement; after repeated aggressive cleaning (pulling up on the cable to get it out) the cable can start to bend and fray. Also, it is disappointing that Metolius makes no small sizes for this model. So it is close to being a complete set but falls one or two pieces short. Metolius does offer the Astro Nut, which is made of bronze, but like all non-aluminum nuts these are far less durable. The curve of the Metolius nuts that helps keep them from popping out also makes them harder to remove. Best Application Metolius Curve Nuts and Wild Country Superlight Rocks are the lightest we tested. This makes Curve Nuts a great option for alpine climbers or anyone looking to save weight. Their three-point point curve is tapered nicely and works well in an assortment of placements and rock types, and excels in irregular rock. Value These are among the more expensive nuts tested. But their light weight combined with an excellent mixture of placement options makes them a good buy. They are a worthwhile purchase for climbers who will pay for weight savings and above average performance and don't worry that Curve Nut cables need careful handling to keep from kinking. Other Versions Metolius Curve Hex — Ian Nicholson
OutdoorGearLab Member Reviews of Metolius Ultralight Curve NutMost recent review: May 4, 2011
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 A set of Metolius curve nuts Credit: Ian Nicholson
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