UKC

What do people use these days for bunches of wires, needs to be fairly large to allow for separation of the wires/ease of id, doesn't need to be hugely strong just comfortable in the hand to avoid accidentally throwing all those expensive wires down the mountain

Ta!

In reply to GravitySucks:

Interested in this as I love my BD oval wires but my main climbing partner hates them and there have been quite a few wires lost because of them (or so he claims....)

In reply to GravitySucks:

Any normal size (proper climbing) snapgate.

Personal prefrence: solid gate rather than wire gate. No hook on the nose. 

In reply to GravitySucks:

Beware mixing non-rated gear into your rack. you might know what's what; your partner might not.

Stay cautious

In reply to GravitySucks:

For me DMM Oval. Some people like gates with a nose as it could stop all your wires sliding off but I prefer a keylock for smoothness. The other thing to note is its quite symmetrical which means you run the risk of opening it upside down, but this also stops your wires bunching.

In reply to GravitySucks:

If you like ovals, DMM's PerfectO are very nice. Fairly light, solid gate, clean nose, nice to be able to identify by colour, wires sit nicely on them.

But I'm still in two minds about whether I like ovals. The symmetry does sometimes make it harder to identify which way around the gate is. And I think seconds who are unfamiliar with them are more likely to drop wires off them.

In reply to daWalt:

I predict the fullest possible variation of personal preferences to follow in this thread.

I am much the same as your preferred option except I like a nose on the gate.

Must have saved me from losing hundreds of dropped wires over the years .

In reply to GravitySucks:

Black Diamond wiregate ovals. As others have said, the symmetrical shape means its possible for them to get upside down. But I've found in practice that doesn't happen once they're racked properly. Also the absence of a solid gate makes it easier to see at a glance where the nose is. Mine have a notched nose which has never been a problem. I don't exactly climb hard though...

In reply to GravitySucks:

DMM shadow straight gait, by a mile. Like lots of my climbing partners. With ovals it's hard to see where the gate is facing when you pumped and open it in the wrong side a drop all your wires. 

In reply to GravitySucks:

I've been using a pair of Wild Country Oxygen krabs for normal wires and a second pair of DMM aero bent gate krabs for offsets for around 7 years now which has always worked well for me.

My experience of using hooked nose krabs for this purpose has involved me fumbling the wires and dropping them so I have no desire to move away from clean nose karabiners when I eventually conclude that mine are too trashed to be of use anymore (which is likely to be some time).

In reply to Luke90:

I added my tough tag at the top of the back bar of my Perfecto's to help identify  orientation and it works well

In reply to GravitySucks:the black diamond oval wire gate is amazing imo. the only thing you will have to get used to is not opening it upside down and losing your wires, saying that if you clip it back on your harness the correct way it should not happen (easier said than done, when your pumped out of your mind). hope this helps. 

In reply to GravitySucks:

I have a couple of larger than average solid gates (generally retired from regular use due to lighteŕ wiregates on my extenders). Still full rating so can be pressed into climbing service when I run out of other gear on a long pitch.

I'm in the "hate ovals with a passion" camp.

In reply to GravitySucks:

In summer DMM perfect O, like the size and different colours

In winter Black diamond Oval wire gates. Hook on nose reduces dropped wires and nice and big for use in gloves

In reply to GravitySucks:

Been using the dmm ultra o's pretty much since I started which work well. Just ordered a rack pack of the perfectos to help identify the different sizes quickly with the different colours

I was slightly concerned that the perfecto has a smaller gate opening but didnt notice any practical difference with the one I've been trialling for a while

In reply to GravitySucks:

I personally rate DMM spectre 2s. I rack roughly 6 wires per krab and have them colour coded so I know which bunch I’m grabbing in extremis. Purple for micros, green for 1-3, gold 4-6, red for 7-10 (I double up on wires up to 7) I also have a blue one with a set of 1-6 for big hard pitches I know will eat wires (Pembroke especially). I find 6 wires to be a good compromise between having enough wires for choice on a bunch and not overcrowding the krab. 

I like that spectre 2s have a broad bottom so your wires don’t get too bunched and tangled and like Rick, I do like a nose as I think it has stopped me dropping a wire or two in the past. I don’t find it too fiddly either. 

In reply to GravitySucks:

1960's smooth no-notch gate D-shaped Pierre Allain aluminium carabiners are fabulous for gear racking! They're marked: "P. Allain 1600kg" on one side and "Brevete S.G.D.G." (Sans Guarantie Du Government) on the other. I've used them for many decades and I've never had any problems getting the right wire off or dropping them. Collectors item too?

In reply to GravitySucks

Petzl Spirit bent gates for rock climbing. Been using both the original and now the current version for well over a decade and they are still a great option. Full size, smooth curves and clean nose.

However for Winter I tend to use BD Wireovals, the slightly larger size and racking capacity wins out.

In reply to GravitySucks:

My really old 70's Clog krabs - nice and large, with a hook on the nose to stop those errant wires from slipping off without permission. Can also handle 3 or 4 ice screws in winter. Plus no worries about scratching them. Could be used as "sacrificial" in a push - they've paid their way.

In reply to galpinos:

Same here. I find ovals v handy but climbing partners keep throwing my gear away.

In reply to daWalt:

Agree. I prefer to have full strength gear that can be used for more than one purpose eg open extenders rather than dogbones.

But. I began to fumble and drop wires while selecting from a krab. I now rack most individually on a bandolier using small non-weight-bearing keyhole krabs. Works fine for me; it would be pretty stupid to try using them for protection, and the krabs remain on my own bandolier at all times.  However I do have a very small rack by modern standards and lead at low grades.

In reply to Duncan Campbell:

Yep no more than 6 on a krab for me too.

In reply to GravitySucks:

Dmm perfectos for me too. Have my colour tape at the top to indicate which way they open. Prefer the feel of the solid gate bd ovals (bigger) but they don't have colours so went for dmm. 

I use (I think it was kirkpatrick's) colour system of hot - cold. Hot being red, scary micro wires. Cold being blue, cool, big nuts. Orange and green between. 

In reply to daWalt:

Special racking biners are a normal piece of kit, and they are obviously not climbing gear. I use them for ice screws, though, not wires.

CB

In reply to GravitySucks:

Standard-sized snap gates with a hooked nose, preferably in different colours. Spectres are perfect for the job because they're light for their size and gate clearance.

In reply to GravitySucks:

WIld country Helium’s for me! For the weight it’s a big krab, clean nosed as well so no catching wires on the nose!

In reply to GravitySucks:

Obviously I'm in the 'hook stops me dropping things' part.

When in god's name are you getting the nose caught on your wire in a bad way!?

When removing the rest of the wires from the nut you just tugged on to seat?

In reply to GravitySucks:

I use perfect Os as well, range of colours make it easy to identify gear when you're stuck in a chimney.

In reply to GravitySucks:

Because gravity sucks, I go for a hooked nose...has saved loads of dropped wires over the decades. Use wc wildwires, but to each his/her own.

In reply to David Myatt:

The only time I've actually dropped wires was because of the nose on a krab. A big wire got caught in the nose somehow and I didn't notice (can only imagine it happened on my harness while fiddling around to get some other gear). The other wires must have slid around and formed an orderly queue to plop off the krab. Think about 3 went before I managed to stem the flow.