All nuts are not created equal, but in this modern age filled with bolts, cams, and tricams, climbers seldom put enough thought into their choice of nuts. Many climbers favor the placement of cams, but when the rock won’t take a good cam, the right set of nuts makes all the difference.

Most nuts on the market use the same general design—a flat bottom with a subtle curve on top— distinguishable by only a few tweaks in geometry. DMM Offset Nuts and Wild Country Superlight Offset Rocks eschew this traditional shape in favor of a tapered design which allows them to fit into unique features in the rock. Shallow flares, atypical constrictions, and pin scars often reject cam placements as well as traditional nuts, but offsets are purpose-built to protect these features. These nuts are solid where other gear won’t even fit.

DMM Offset Nuts

DMM Offset Nuts are available in five sizes, from 12mm to 30mm, roughly matching the medium to large sizes of popular models of nuts. Their heavy taper affords a wide range of possible placements in addition to the ability to protect unique features.

Available only in larger sizes, DMM Offset Nuts shouldn’t be treated a replacement for your current nuts; they should instead be an addition. All nuts are rated to 12 kN and the complete set weighs 195g.

Wild Country Superlight Offset Rocks

These nuts stay true to their name, boasting a protection range from 12.5mm to 23mm with 6 sizes and weighing in at an airy 163g. The Wild Country Superlight Offset Rocks offer a less aggressive taper compared to the DMM Offset Nuts. Therefore, they are a more suitable choice for replacing a regular nut rack.

The Superlight Offset Rocks offer one more nut than the DMM Offsets, while still maintaining a significant weight advantage. Replacing the equivalent sizes of Black Diamond Stoppers will cut your nut rack’s weight in half!

Which offsets are best for you?

Climbers who love cams should consider incorporating the use of Superlight Offset Rocks as a primary nut. When those beloved cams can’t fit, these subtly tapered offsets will save the day. For the nut lovers out there, consider carrying DMM Offset Nuts in addition to your regular nut rack; they weigh about the same as a hand sized cam and offer many more opportunities for protection.

Community input: DMM Offsets

DMM Offsets boast near-perfect online reviews from other climbers, with 4.8 out of 5 stars on Amazon and 4.9 out of 5 stars on Backcountry. One reviewer shared his experience:

Any time I opt against placing a cam, the first thing I reach for is my DMM offsets over a set of regular stoppers.

Community input: Wild Country Superlight Offset Rocks

Rocks are slightly harder to find online, yielding a smaller assortment of reviews. Andy Kirkpatrick, accomplished alpine climber and author of Psychoverticaloffers a strong endorsement due to the Rocks’ weight savings and ability to work like ordinary nuts:

I think these Superlight Offsets are a game changer, and after using them you don’t want to go back …

 

Conclusion

It’s a misconception to think that offsets are reserved for pin scars; almost all trad climbers could benefit from the additional protection capabilities offered by these tapered nuts. Having a set on your rack might mean the difference between a solid placement and a scary runout.

Consider incorporating a set of DMM Offsets as a supplement for your nut rack, while Wild Country’s Superlight Offsets could even work as a replacement for your standard stoppers. Try them out for yourself and see what these amazing little pieces of metal can do for you.


Gear You Ought to Know is a series that showcases underrated, underappreciated, or just plain innovative gear in a discussion-based format. If there’s a piece of gear you’d like featured, let us know.

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