Passive protection forms a key component in the equipment used by the traditional rock climber, the alpinist and the winter climber. If you'd like to find out more about nuts, hexentrics and the other varieties of passive protection on offer, then read on and download our free, handy guide.

Passive protection is a term used to cover the many different types and names given to leader placed protection which has no moving parts but which is more than just a sling.

Climbers of yesteryear realised that pebbles could be jammed into cracks with a cord tied around them for protection. Soon it was discovered that metal nuts fitted even better and could be permanently slung with cord, and we now have a wide variety of equipment to choose from which will fit cracks from the very big to the very small.

For most traditional rock climbing venues, a good selection of passive protection will form the most useful part of your rack of gear. At one end of the spectrum, for easy scrambles you might take half a dozen pieces to fit medium to large cracks. In contrast, for the long pitches at somewhere like Pembroke, you might take a triple set to fit small to medium cracks and still have to be careful not to run out in particular sizes!

Find out more and download our free guide here.

Want to print a copy? Link to a hi-res download here.

WATCH: How to place a nut on BMC TV

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