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Oz vs. Hoodwire: The Great Racking ‘Biner Dilemma!

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Top Rope Hero · · Was Estes Park, now homeless · Joined Jan 2009 · Points: 1,150

So I’m at the point where I finally have the will and the means to replace the random, hodgepodge of racking 'biners in my collection. Yea for me!

My choices are two: The Black Diamond Hoodwire, color-coded rack pack or the Oz. (And just to stave off periphery discussions, the choice really is between these two. I agree, the gate tension IS a bit much. And I’ve considered others--the DMM Alpha and the Wild Country Helium--but have declined these for reasons. It really is between the Hood and the Oz. They’re both color-coded to match my all-BD rack, they’re both superlight wire gated, and though neither are truly snub-nosed, the hood wire feature is snag-free enough for me. Sold.)

So? So what’s the problem. Well? The larger Hoodwire seems an obvious choice. It’s full-sized to match my clumsy mitts. And it’s certainly the stronger of the two. But?

But the old, snaggletooth, swami-belt codgers who raised me right on the rock always always insisted that ‘light is right’! So? So the Oz. Badda-boom! You shave that critical, send-or-surrender .3 ounces and? And anyways, it’s not tiny. In fact, in real-world application, it's got about the same rope-bearing surface and max gate opening.

But the Oz IS a bit smaller. And it’s not THAT much lighter. And you do pay a hefty, 4 kN price for that negligible(?) weight savings. 4 kN? That’s almost a thousand real-world pounds, brutha!

Still, the Oz has a claimed gate-closed strength of 20 kN, and that’s nothing to sneeze at. In fact, I’ve run some numbers, and probably the WORST case scenario, me with forty extra pounds (I don’t think I’ve ever climbed with forty extra pounds) taking a factor 2 (in twenty years of climbing, I’ve never taken a factor 2), that still tops out at under 12 kN. More than enough to spare. Right? (Right?!?)

O’ the dilemma!

OK. So weigh in, people of MP. What are your thoughts, your recommendations, your howls of grief. Is the Oz to be trusted? (Because, if’n I didn’t make this clear, I DO sometimes clip directly into my pro, when rope drag/cam walking isn’t much of a consideration.) Do your big hands flip the Oz open easily enough? Enough that you DO appreciate shaving every ounce possible from your already bourgeoning rack? Or would you just get the larger Hoodwire rack pack and to hell with the minimal/negligible weight savings? Or, possibly, would you split the rack, and buy Ozs for your X4s and C3s, Hoodwires for all your C4s?

What say, people?

Ray Pinpillage · · West Egg · Joined Jul 2010 · Points: 180

Yes.

Top Rope Hero · · Was Estes Park, now homeless · Joined Jan 2009 · Points: 1,150

'Xactly...!

Ray Pinpillage · · West Egg · Joined Jul 2010 · Points: 180
This post violated Guideline #1 and has been removed.
Luke Stefurak · · Seattle, WA · Joined Jan 2006 · Points: 2,573

Hoodwires suck. The nose is huge. Good for sport climbing only.

Get the OZ.

The real question is why arn't you looking at the DMM Phantom.

I've got half Phantoms (color matched) on C4's and half colored OZ on C3's.

Weight matters.

- Luke

Gunkiemike · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2009 · Points: 3,492

Whatever you do, don't climb until you've sorted this out.

Petsfed 00 · · Snohomish, WA · Joined Mar 2002 · Points: 989

Since the overwhelming majority of the time, you'll be using a sling, and the times you'll be clipping directly, you won't be running it out, go for the lighter option. Moreover, in the factor 2 fall scenario, you'd better have more than just one piece in the belay, so the ultimate breaking strength of the single carabiner is irrelevant.

The only reason I'd go with the Hoodwire is if I had like 6 cams total on the rack, so the difference in weight would work out to be like a single extra locker, but with a big rack (e.g. doubles from tips to fists), that's an extra mid-size cam you'd be carrying, that you can't even place.

Not a huge difference, but on a long hike in, the difference matters.

303scott · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2008 · Points: 195

I just bought some new OZ biners and I have found that the wire on the nose hangs up on my thumb a bit when I pull gear off my sling/harness. Not an issue when I clip the rope. More of an annoyance than anything else, but I would recommend going somewhere and try racking up with them to see what you think.

Abram Herman · · Grand Junction, CO · Joined May 2009 · Points: 20

Like you, I was worried about fumbling with small biners, but after having outfitted my entire rack with CAMP Nanos a few months ago, I've never looked back! I don't feel like I've compromised anything with the tiny biners.

mountainhick · · Black Hawk, CO · Joined Mar 2009 · Points: 120

I went through racking biner analysis a little while ago. Most trad climbing I use draws or runners on most pieces, but places like Indian Creek often clip right to the racking biner. CAMP photon wire gates are MUCH easier to clip than my BD neutrinos and hoodwires, and narrower than the BD hoodwire nose. I sold all my nanos for the same reason, don't like fiddly clipping. The photons are light and color coded.

Likewise, I save the hoodwires for sport draws.

Ralph Swansen · · Boulder CO · Joined Nov 2012 · Points: 761
Jeremy Bauman · · Lakewood, CO · Joined Feb 2009 · Points: 1,067

If you're putting this much thought into it, get DMM Phantoms.

teece303 · · Highlands Ranch, CO · Joined Dec 2012 · Points: 596

Hoodwires don't suck: they rock.

The new Oz is a hoodwire.

The Oz and the Hoodwires are just about the same size.

The Oz is lighter and thinner and racks better. I'd go for that one. And I did, but I have some of both.

Either are great racking biners and feel full size.

Locker · · Yucca Valley, CA · Joined Oct 2002 · Points: 2,349

I just use these.

Nate Reno · · Highlands Ranch, CO · Joined Oct 2008 · Points: 156
Locker wrote:I just use these.
You don't rack w/ lockers? sketchy...
Ray Pinpillage · · West Egg · Joined Jul 2010 · Points: 180
Locker wrote:I just use these.
Do you even locker, Bro?
Locker · · Yucca Valley, CA · Joined Oct 2002 · Points: 2,349

Some nicknames are well deserved.

:-)

Garret Nuzzo Jones · · Salt Lake City, UT · Joined Feb 2012 · Points: 1,436

I like the CAMP Photons for my cams. The Phantoms are very nice feeling, but a pricier option.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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