Nut Tool Buying Advice

When it comes to gear for traditional routes, climbers often just think of essentials such as the pieces of protection that make up their rack, a harness, and a helmet. A nut tool is an afterthought. But in fact, if you intend to keep your rack intact, you need to invest in a nut tool.

So is a nut tool just a nut tool?
While there isn't as much difference in nut tools as there is in many other pieces of climbing equipment, there is enough variation to potentially make your life easier in certain situations.

Things to Ask Yourself
- How much do I really want to spend on a nut tool?
- How important is weight?
- How important is comfort?
- Do I want a built-in leash?
- Am I going to be wearing gloves most of the time?
- Am I going to be pounding on this with a wall hammer or an ice tool?
- Do I climb in areas with lots of smaller cracks?
- Do I climb mostly longer routes?
- Do I normally carry a knife?
- Does my climbing partner seem to bury all of his pieces?

Advantage of a Built-in Carabiner
A built-in carabiner saves on the overall weight of a nut tool. If the nut tool doesn't have one you will have to dedicate an extra carabiner to be mated with the tool for the duration of your climb.

Not all built-in carabiners are created equal, Some are way easier to clip on and off your harness. The Omega Pacific Caranut was the easiest to get on and off followed by the Ushba Titanium nut tool. Both of these were easier than the Metolius tools or the Wild Country Pro Key.




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Starting out
In the beginning, regardless of what nut tool you buy, you are bound to loose some nuts at the cliff. Cleaning nuts is an art that you will only improve on with time.
Comfort can be a big deal for folks starting out. You are bound to spend more time whaling away, trying to get out those pricey pieces of swagged aluminum. If your nut tool is really bothering your hand, try keeping a small rock in your pocket to help hammer on stubborn wires.
If you are just starting out, consider whether you will be attaching the nut tool to your harness. Not having to worry about dropping your nut tool is a big thing, especially at first when you are focusing on so many other things. All the nut tools we looked at easily facilitate clipping or girth hitching a sling to the tool and attaching the other side to your harness. While this works, the Wild Country Pro Key comes with a built-in leash that is less bulky than most you could make.