UKC

Bought one of the new Black Diamond Oz carabiners with the wire hood to see what there like. I put forward my vote for this being to all intents and purposes a perfect biner.

http://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en-gb/shop/climb/carabiners/oz-carabin...

What do other people think?

In reply to The_flying_climber: Bit small for my big fingers, I reckon. Does it feel like it'll handle ok?

In reply to The_flying_climber: Of course not The only perfect biner ever designed has been the Petzl Spirit!

More seriously, this is just a two stage evolution of the original BD Neutrino and will suffer from all the same failings in terms of size and hence handling having been sacrificed in pursuit of lightness.

However, it certainly provides a compelling alternative to the DMM Phantom wiregate when it comes to the gear end krab of superlight quickdraw in particular and hence by extension for superlight quickdraws in general.

In reply to The Ex-Engineer: Is it that compelling? It's heavier than a Phantom. And no bigger. And weaker.

In reply to The_flying_climber:

I'll admit than I am a bit of a DMM fanboy, but I don't have any problem with my phantoms, and have played with, but not climbed on, Alphas, and they seem pretty perfect to me!

In reply to The Ex-Engineer:

I've never really understood the handling issue, I agree some crabs are marginally easier than others to clip but in the end the significant weight saving, thin profile and nose make up for this.

I don’t have sausage fingers though!?

I suspect the anodising will be rubbish though like all the other new BD biners.

In reply to The_flying_climber:

I'd go for different ones for different things. I carry:

very small very light ones for clipping the rope, e.g. quick draws
bigger key lock ones (heliums) for tying the rope to and sling draws
coloured ones for all cams
big oval ones for carrying wires (I paint these by hand to colour code the krabs as I can't find coloured oval).

PS. I don't climb snow and I have small hands.

In reply to The_flying_climber:
The open-gate and minor axis strengths are too low for my tastes and wouldn´t appear on my rack. The stainless bit pressed in the aluminium is another point of potential corrosion. Of no interest to me and not the best karabiner ever made.

In reply to The_flying_climber:
The new alpha light? When it's out in spring

Weight: 28g
Major Closed: 24kN
Major Open: 9kN
Minor: 7kN
Clean nose

http://dmmclimbing.com/products/alpha-light/

In reply to Chi Cheng: Alpha Light's probably a strong contender. Going by my experience of Alpha Trads though, they may feel very different in your right hand than your left, because of the asymmetric gate. That's probably a familiarity thing though, and soon overcome with use

In reply to The_flying_climber:

WC Heliums?

In reply to The_flying_climber:

DMM Spectre 2

Until I get a look at the Alpha Lights that is.

In reply to Jimbo C:
>

I bought a load of Spectre 2's on the recommendation of people on here. Really like them.

That said, I've not got a lot to compare to!

In reply to professionalwreckhead: I'll throw another name in the ring-Petzl Ange. I have climbed the entire last winter season with them and must say that they are, at least for me, the best biners there are. Light, strong, narrow nose profile, wide gate opening. However I do use combination of small and large ones ( large ones on the rope side ).