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A nut (Black Diamond calls it a stopper) is a wedge of metal on a steel cable that you slot into a narrowing in a crack. It has no moving parts and it's light and cheap: UKClimbing's video points out that a full set of 11 costs about the same as one cam. That's why many climbers start their first trad rack with a set of nuts.
This post answers one question: which set to buy. For how nuts hold, the three conditions of a good placement and how to use a nut tool to remove one, see Placing Trad Protection; we won't repeat that here. By the end you should be able to decide whether your first set is curved or offset and which sizes to get, and pick a set and a nut tool from the tables below.
Four criteria
1. Shape: curved, offset, straight taper
OutdoorGearLab's nut roundup (Ian Nicholson, updated 2024) sorts today's nuts into three kinds:
- Curved: one face concave, the other convex. In a crack it makes three points of contact, so it sits more securely and is easy to remove. BD Stoppers, DMM Wallnuts and Wild Country Rocks are all curved, and it's still the most common shape.
- Offset: thicker on one side in both directions, made for flaring cracks and pin scars. OGL says it's becoming the most popular shape because small cams have improved: people place cams in parallel cracks and save nuts for spots cams won't fit. The downsides are weaker performance in parallel cracks and harder removal.
- Straight taper: OGL says these are almost obsolete. They're the easiest to judge and to remove, but less secure in flaring or parallel cracks and on coarse, crystalline rock.
Buy curved first. UKClimbing lists a set of nuts among the first things to buy and leaves offsets for once you're climbing a wider variety of cracks. Black Diamond's first-trad-rack guide also says a first rack should definitely include a set of Stoppers.
Some people go the other way: Brant Hysell of The Gravity Lab buys DMM offsets straight away for granite in the US and has barely used regular nuts (video in "Test and experience videos" below). That's granite experience; for Long Dong, see criterion 4.
Something you can do tonight: pick up a nut and look at it from the side, then turn it 90 degrees and look from the front. If it tapers in one direction only, with one face concave and one convex, it's curved. If it's thicker on one side in both directions, it's an offset.
2. Which sizes first
Advice splits into two camps, depending on whether you'll lean on nuts or on cams.
- Cams first, nuts fill the mid sizes: the gear list for Adventure Taiwan's single-pitch trad course is BD Stoppers #5 to #11. The guide from Valhalla Mountain Guides says the big nuts in a standard BD set are heavy and rarely used, so he carries only #5–#11.
- Nuts first: UKClimbing says to buy a set of 1–11 first. Almost every route in the UK needs at least one set, and longer routes need two.
Long Dong sits in between. Mountain Project's Long Dong page says most routes need a single rack of cams to 3 inches, and anyone wanting to climb everything there should add a set of nuts, including offsets and micros.
Size numbers don't carry across brands, and sometimes not even within one brand. In UKClimbing's video, DMM Alloy Offsets #7–11 correspond to Wallnuts #4–8. Compare the millimetre ranges in the manufacturer's tables instead.
Something you can do tonight: copy down the millimetre range of every size in the set you're considering, and next to it write the range of your smallest cam. Mark where they overlap and where there's a gap.
3. Small sizes: read the strength table before you buy
The smaller the nut, the thinner the cable, and strength drops fast. The standard only requires 2 kN; the real number is in the manufacturer's table and stamped on the nut (see Placing Trad Protection on reading the standard).
- Within one set: BD Stoppers #1–2 are rated only 2 kN, and BD says they're for direct aid only, not fall arrest; it takes #6 and up to reach 10 kN.
- Same shape, different brands: among #7–11 offsets, DMM rates its nuts at 12 kN, BD at 10 kN, and Trango Offset Nuts at only 7 kN.
- When sources disagree: two retailers list different strengths for the smallest CAMP Pro Nut, and we couldn't find a manufacturer page to check. In that case, go by the number stamped on the nut.
Something you can do tonight: write the kN of every size in the set you're considering on one line, and circle anything below 10 kN. Those are the pieces where you have to be especially picky about placement.
4. At Long Dong: crystal-studded, irregular cracks
Long Dong's rock is described two ways: Taiwanese sources say 四稜 sandstone, Mountain Project says quartz-rich metaconglomerate, and both call it coarse and high-friction (see How to Climb Cracks).
The most specific Taiwanese account of what this means for nuts is TOCC's How to build your first trad rack (in Chinese; Chen Zhen-yu, 2024):
- BD, DMM and Wild Country are the three most common brands in Taiwan.
- BD Stoppers are the cheapest, but Long Dong's cracks are irregular and covered in crystals. The Stopper's flat faces give a bit too little contact and friction, and the rope often tugs them out of place as the leader climbs, sometimes all the way out.
- DMM Wallnuts and Alloy Offsets have grooves that can find a matching feature or crystal in Long Dong's cracks. TOCC calls these two "arguably the best-performing products on the market".
That's the experience of one Taiwanese article. OGL's US roundup also says Stoppers tend to shift when the rope pulls on them, which points the same way.
Something you can do tonight: read the TOCC article. It also covers hexes and Tricams at Long Dong, which this post leaves out.
Nut tool: hard, rustproof, with an end you can hit
You need one to clean gear as a second, and Adventure Taiwan's course list includes one. Brant Hysell says a pair of climbers only needs one, carried by the second; besides prying out nuts, it can hook a cam's trigger or work a stuck lobe loose (video from 16:28).
TOCC's criteria are practical: pick a thick, hard stainless-steel tool that won't rust, ideally with a flat end you can strike with your palm. We found no nut tool roundup from 2024 onward, so for the two tools below we list only what the manufacturers say:
| Model | Price (manufacturer, 2026-10-24) | What the manufacturer says |
|---|---|---|
| Metolius Torque Nut Tool | USD 19.95 | Built-in wrenches fit common bolt sizes; the curved shape lets you get behind a nut to hook and pull; the tapered nose reaches the tiniest nuts; the hooked nose works on cam trigger bars |
| Black Diamond Wiregate Nut Tool | USD 23.95 | Wiregate clips straight to a gear loop, so no extra carabiner; rounded heel for pounding |
Comparing 6 nuts
Only models still sold on the manufacturer's site on 2026-10-24. Prices are the manufacturer's list price that day in its own currency; where the manufacturer lists none, we give a retailer and say so. "Who it suits / downsides" only says what the specs or reviews support.
| Model | Shape | Sizes | Strength (manufacturer) | Price (2026-10-24) | Who it suits / downsides |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BD Stopper | Curved | #1–13 | #1–2 2 kN, #3 5 kN, #4–5 6 kN, #6–13 10 kN | USD 13.95–16.95 each; #5–11 set USD 99.95 | Beginners on a budget who lean on cams; sizes match Adventure Taiwan's course. OGL says they shift when the rope pulls and do poorly in pin scars; TOCC says they shift at Long Dong |
| DMM Wallnut | Curved, grooved face | #1–11 | #1 7 kN, #2 9 kN, #3 11 kN, #4–11 12 kN | GBP 14.50–15.50 each; 1–11 set GBP 130 | People who want one set for years and climb a lot at Long Dong; TOCC names it for Long Dong. Pricier than Stoppers |
| Wild Country Rock | Curved | 14 sizes | #1 7 kN, #2 9 kN, #3–14 10 kN; only 3 kN for #1–3 placed sideways (manufacturer manual, 2025 edition) | GBP 12 each; 1–10 set GBP 115 | A classic on par with the Wallnut, for people who want to match their WC cams; we found no dedicated review since 2024 |
| DMM Alloy Offset | Offset, grooved both faces | #7–11 | 12 kN all sizes | GBP 15.50 each; 7–11 set GBP 71 | People who already own a curved set and are starting on flaring cracks or Long Dong; OGL's 2024 Best Overall. Worse than curved nuts in parallel cracks, hard for the second to remove (OGL, UKC) |
| BD Offset Stopper | Offset | #7–11 | 10 kN all sizes | USD 19.95 each; 7–11 set USD 94.95 | People already on BD Stoppers who want BD's colour scheme; lower strength than DMM, and OGL slightly prefers DMM on coarse rock |
| CAMP Pro Nut | Curved, deeper curve | 7 sizes | #3 and up 10 kN (retailer pages); #1 differs between retailers, check the stamp | No openable manufacturer or retailer price page found; not listed | People who want easy removal; OGL calls it the easiest to remove. Only 7 sizes, and OGL says you'll often need a second set alongside |
Others we left out of the main table, and why:
- DMM Peenut: small aluminium offsets, OGL's 2024 pick for small nuts. An advanced add-on for small sizes; the smallest is rated just 4 kN.
- Trango Offset Nuts: every size #7–11 is rated only 7 kN, well below DMM and BD offsets of the same size.
- Climbing Technology Carved Chocks: we found only a CE declaration from the manufacturer, no product page and no review since 2024.
Before buying second-hand: the Wild Country Superlight Rock recall
In 2023 Wild Country recalled the Superlight Rock (its lightweight single-cable nut, model 40-RSL; set 40-RSLSET). The US CPSC recall notice gives the reason: in seaside conditions the cable can corrode, weaken and break. Long Dong is right on the sea.
The manufacturer's safety notice recalls every Superlight Rock produced before the end of 2022 (in the US, units sold from January 2017 to February 2023). The corrosion happens inside the swage, where you can't see it. The regular Rock and the Superlight Offset are not part of the recall.
The product name and batch code are printed on the swage. Fixed new production has batch codes starting with 06 or higher and a UKCA logo. If a friend or a second-hand group is selling Superlight Rocks, check the batch code on the swage against that notice, hosted by the UIAA.
Test and experience videos
We only include videos from 2024 onward, and we checked the subtitles of every one. Wallnuts and Rocks are the two most common nuts in the UK, but we couldn't find a written review of either since 2024, so for how these two hold up today we rely on the 2025 videos from UKClimbing and JB Mountain Skills below.
UKClimbing's video covers the first set of wires from 1:31: nuts have no moving parts, so you can see whether a placement is good, and a full set costs about the same as one cam.
From 11:13 it covers Alloy Offsets: from the leader's point of view the most satisfying piece to place, but the second has to wiggle them more to get them out. He swaps them in for the matching sizes in one of his Wallnut sets so he isn't carrying three of the same size. The whole video uses DMM gear and the description links to DMM's site; it doesn't say whether it's sponsored.
UK climbing instructor JB Mountain Skills talks through his rack and gets to nuts at 9:55. When he first built a rack he carried a set of Wallnuts and a set of Wild Country Rocks, whose shapes differ slightly. Now he carries only Wallnuts, one full set and one that stops at #7, plus a set of DMM Offsets.
From 16:36 he says that if you're starting out in the UK, buy a set of nuts first and cams when you can afford them. The description has only a tip link and a T-shirt link, and the nut section mentions no sponsorship.
James Pearson explains why, on a tight budget, you should buy nuts first: they're cheap, you get more pieces for the money, and they teach you more about reading placements than cams do. From 6:28 he says how much to carry depends on the crag: two or three sets of nuts on the sea cliffs of Pembrokeshire in the UK, and almost none in the parallel cracks of Indian Creek in the US. The description says he's a Wild Country athlete and links to Wild Country gear in the EpicTV shop.
If you're tempted to start with offsets, watch this one. Brant Hysell's 2026 beginner gear list from The Gravity Lab gets to nuts at 15:45: start with the five or six most useful for your kind of rock. On granite in Yosemite or Squamish he wants DMM offsets; he once bought a set of six regular nuts and has hardly used them, and says you might want them on sandstone.
From 16:28 he covers the nut tool: besides getting nuts out, it can grab cam triggers or wiggle a stuck lobe, and a pair only needs one, carried by the second. The gear links in the description go through RockPorch and Backcountry shopping links, and he also promotes his one-on-one consultations; no brand sponsorship is mentioned.
Valhalla Mountain Guides' three-minute short explains why he carries only #5–#11: the big nuts in a standard BD set are heavy and rarely used. The description links to their own blog, with no sponsorship disclosed.
Among Chinese, Japanese and Korean videos, we found none since 2024 comparing nut models, only placement tutorials and climbing logs.
Which to pick, by situation
Taking a course or seconding at Long Dong: build your first set
- A BD Stopper #5–11 set plus a nut tool. The sizes match Adventure Taiwan's course list.
- If you know you'll climb at Long Dong a lot, go straight to DMM Wallnuts; TOCC says they hold better there. TOCC's starter rack for a limited budget is also 7 cams (BD Z4 #.2, C4 #.3–#2) plus a set of Wallnuts #1–11, for 18 placements.
- When buying in Taiwan, read the product name carefully. Shops sometimes label cams as 岩楔 (nuts) too; BD Taiwan's site, for example, lists the C4 as "CAMALOT C4 .4 岩楔".
You own a curved set and are starting on Long Dong's irregular cracks
- Add a set of DMM Alloy Offsets or BD Offset Stoppers #7–11.
- Follow UKClimbing: on days you carry offsets, take the matching mid sizes out of your curved set so you aren't carrying three of one size.
- Already on BD Stoppers? BD Offsets fit in. If strength and bite on coarse rock matter more, choose DMM (12 kN versus 10 kN, and OGL also prefers DMM).
You want the easiest to remove
- CAMP Pro Nut: OGL calls it the easiest nut to remove.
- It comes in few sizes, so you'll probably add another set later. Check the strength stamp on the small sizes before using them.
Heading to the UK or another nut-heavy area
- One set of 1–11 is the baseline; bring two for long routes. James Pearson takes up to three on UK sea cliffs.
- Before you go, ask locals or check an online guide whether the area is cam terrain or nut terrain.
Inspection and retirement
Black Diamond's older Stopper instructions (archived by WeighMyRack) are specific about checking nuts:
- Inspect before and after every use. Retire a nut immediately if the cable has abraded or frayed strands, the head is cracked, or any part is corroded or deformed.
- Don't keep bending the cable at sharp angles. If a nut won't come out, loosen it with a nut tool instead of wrenching the cable; repeated bending weakens the cable until it breaks.
- Wash and dry after salt water or sea air. Long Dong's air is salty, and Wild Lily Rocks' care guide (in Chinese) also says to wipe gear with a damp cloth every time you get home, and every two or three months to deep-clean metal gear in warm water and dry it before storing. The Superlight Rock recall was caused by exactly this: cable corrosion in seaside conditions.
- Second-hand nuts: BD strongly discourages using gear of unknown history, because you have to know what it's been through to trust it.
For full inspection and retirement rules, see the last post in this series, Inspecting, Caring For and Retiring Climbing Gear.
Practice: four scenarios
Answers are below each question. Think first, then look.
1. You can afford one piece of trad gear, and your partner already has a set of cams from .4 to #3.
Answer
Buy a set of nuts. A set costs about as much as one cam but gives you many placements, and your partner's cams plus your nuts make exactly the course gear list. If you'll climb at Long Dong, consider DMM Wallnuts first.
2. A shop assistant recommends a set of offsets as your first nuts, saying "everyone uses these now".
Answer
OGL does say offsets are getting more popular, but they do worse in parallel cracks and are hard for the second to remove. Buy a curved set first, and add offsets once you have it, replacing the mid sizes.
3. You see a cheap second-hand set of Wild Country Superlight Rocks 1–6 in a climbing group.
Answer
Check the batch code on the swage first. Every Superlight Rock produced before the end of 2022 was recalled in 2023, because seaside conditions can corrode the cable inside the swage and weaken it, with nothing visible from outside. Unless the batch code is new production starting with 06 or higher, don't buy them and don't use them.
4. You want a few nuts smaller than #4 and find one whose #1 is rated just 2 kN.
Answer
2 kN is the standard's minimum. Some manufacturers say outright that 2 kN micros are for aid only, BD Stopper #1–2 for example, so read the instructions. Small nuts that are rated for protection still hold far less than mid sizes and only belong in excellent placements (see Placing Trad Protection for how to judge one). Small sizes vary a lot between brands; the smallest DMM Peenut, for example, is rated 4 kN. Read the manufacturer's table before choosing.
Next
Nuts go in tapering cracks; parallel-sided cracks call for cams. Next: Part 11: Cams.
References
Manufacturer product pages and prices (checked 2026-10-24) are linked in the tables above.
- Best Climbing Nuts (Ian Nicholson, OutdoorGearLab, updated 2024-10-31)
- How to Build Your First Trad Rack (Black Diamond)
- Passive Protection (Chocks) User Manual (Wild Country, 2025)
- 如何打造第一套傳攀裝備 / How to build your first trad rack (Chen Zhen-yu, TOCC, 2024-07-12, in Chinese)
- Long Dong (Dragon Cave) (Mountain Project)
- Adventure Taiwan: single-pitch trad climbing course (in Chinese)
- Salewa USA Recalls Wild Country Superlight Rocks (CPSC, 2023-07-20)
- Wild Country Superlight Rocks Safety Notice (UIAA, 2023)
- Buying your first Trad Rack (UKClimbing, 2025-09-01)
- Building a Trad Climbing Rack in 2025! (JB Mountain Skills, 2025-09-08)
- Nuts Or Cams? James Pearson's Trad Climbing Tips (EpicTV Climbing Daily, 2024-11-08)
- How to Build a Standard Trad Rack (Valhalla Mountain Guides, 2024-10-07)
- Watch This Before Buying Climbing Gear in 2026! (The Gravity Lab - Brant Hysell, 2026-04-24)
- Stoppers & Hexentrics instructions (Black Diamond, older version, archived by WeighMyRack)
- 淺談傳攀裝備保養 / Notes on trad gear care (Wild Lily Rocks, updated 2022-10-20, in Chinese)
- Placing Trad Protection
- How to Climb Cracks