.. I have been doing some gear research (again) and a question popped in my mind - how to use a hex as a cam? What are advantages/disadvantages? What is the recommended way to place it?

Have a look at a tri cam and see how that works, then apply the same principle to hex. You can also do it with wires as well, for when you have nothing else to place in shot holes - I prefer to use my aliens for this mind!

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Mountaineering Instructor and Asp. Level 5 Kayak Coach
Supported by : Team Pyranha | Peak UK

Paul has a small team of highly trained aliens who swoop down and rescue him in a flying saucer if he fluffs it. They are all SPA assessed...

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Developing Nicely.

As paul says you use them like tri-cams, you have to make sure that its well enough wedged or weighted so that they dont just fall out. It's difficult to explain how to do it but you have the sling/rope coming out into the back of crack then around the hex to the quickdraw and that way if you fall it twists into the crack rather than falling out... Quite a good thing to know how to do but you're probably better off with tri-cams or friends if you're doing it lots

Lol... I must be behind the times re gear... check out link penises! They're crazy! More moving parts to worry climbers such as Mr Gadd... For those who don't want to google.....

http://www.omegapac.com/op_products_linkcams.html

Just scroll down and roll over the bottom two images! They're mad pieces of gear!

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"I'm not mad, I just see things differently"
No longer VP : But still Vaguely Philippino
FYI: Actions speak louder than wombats

Apparently link penises aren't all that, Ben Cossey of Committed fame said they're "shit mate" (with an austrailian accent as you might expect) only good for rich punters...

Tri-cams on the other hand are really good (although no one in the club believes me), I have a few, so you can have a go with those some time if you like.

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Girls like three things: Danger, Boners and R1oss' guns.

Tried the cammed hex yesterday at Burbage. Needless to say it stripped and I got a solid kidney punch from a gritstone boulder

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Developing Nicely.

Tri-cams are also useful for mountaineering.

Tom won't rest until every climber loves and swears by tri-cams

Well they are pretty good, if a little fiddly.
Although i've probably only place one no more than 3 times (especially since tom became best friends with his bouldering mat )

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Miss Jeanes

I placed between 5 and 10 tricams yesterday.... on one shag, none of them failed...

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Girls like three things: Danger, Boners and R1oss' guns.

By 'failed' do you mean fell out? or did you actually fall on 5 to 10 tri penises on one route and they didn't pop?

By fail i mean fail to hold a fall... but now you mention it i didn't actually fall on any...

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Girls like three things: Danger, Boners and R1oss' guns.

but how do you know unless you actually fell on them?? Huh?