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BD Neutrinos - Does anyone ACTUALLY do this?

Original Post
Ben Schuldt · · Bowling Green, KY · Joined Oct 2008 · Points: 0

I normally don't query the collective knowledge of the interwebs, but I figure that I'm stumped on this one and am going to pull the audience and those playing along at home.

So, a couple of weeks ago I picked up a set of the Black Diamond C4s on sale just like a lot of you did. I then went and picked up some brand new Neutrino wiregates for racking. Picking up the boring grey-anodized ones at backcountry.com was about $4 each plus shipping. As I was flipping through the reviews - just for shits and giggles, I love BD Neutrinos - I saw that many posters said that they buy the colored ones to coordinate with their cams. Their argument is grab the right cam by looking at the 'biner. I have never done this. I have a mixed rack of cams with BD, Metolius, Trango, and Wild Country so the sizes and colors never match up. Because of this, I never learned to rely solely on the color. Instead I learned what sizes were roughly the same - thin hands = .75 Black Diamond = 2 Friend = 4 Metolius - and have never had trouble grabbing the right cam even in desperate situations.

So, here is my question to the collective: Do you match carabiner colors to the cams to which they are attached? If so, why? Does it really make a difference?

I can assure that I am not trolling - I just don't understand why focusing on one brand's color scheme seems to be so commonplace when learning cross-brand and cross-model size similarities would behoove someone when they use someone else's rack or have doubles/triples that compliment their C4s?

Scott McMahon · · Boulder, CO · Joined Feb 2006 · Points: 1,425

So I've only got a half vested interst in this question. I have the old version grey neutrinos. When I look down sure I see all grey, but I know how I rack on my harness. Sometimes sure color coded might save me a second however it doesn't make a difference to me. If all my cams came in grey that wouldn't be the end of the world either..just a simple convenience.

If you got a good deal though or needed new biners...sure why not. Can't hurt. Would I upgrade my biners for anything but weight. Negative.

The only time I even reference color is when I'm with someone who doesn't climb as much or know the gear. Other than that it's all sizes.

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

All my biners are grey. I look for the webbing but I rack in the same direction every time so it doesn't matter.

Mark Mueller · · Surprise, AZ · Joined Nov 2011 · Points: 185

I do it and it works for me. I use a gear sling and rack left to right, small to big. I do have aliens and TCU's in the mix with the c3/4's but now that I have my rack dialed in I know that if I grab the yellows on the right i'm getting a c4, and on the left and alien or tcu (pretty close, same with red and blue tcu/alien).

Whatever works I guess.

Also, I bought the Neutrino color rack packs from Karst Sports when they were on sale for $25 a pop with free shipping so I couldn't resist.

RockyMtnTed · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 0

Yeah when I bought my rack I was going to buy neutrinos anyway... and the color coded ones were the same price so why not?? I wouldnt go out of my way or pay extra money but I have them. The real question is why is this bothering you so much?

BackCountry Sortor · · Ogden, UT · Joined Oct 2009 · Points: 400

My rack consists of BD C3's & C4's color coded with the neutrinos, and I absolutely look at the biners. There are only 6 colors for 11 different sizes so I arrange them bigger in the back and smaller ones forward. I've used this system since I bought them all together before my first trad climb, so it makes sense to me. If you're used to looking at the cams instead it probably wouldn't make much difference, but I suspect over time it would... considering you have to look past the biners to see the cams.

Tim M · · none · Joined Sep 2008 · Points: 293

It's a gimmick

Tom Grummon · · Salt Lake City, UT · Joined Oct 2009 · Points: 30

I like it, sometimes you can't see the cam only the biner.

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

I picked a coloring convention to stick with, and then racked all of my cams (spread over a few different brands) according to it. While yes, I occasionally grab the .5 camalot when I want the #1 friend, the upshot is that if I know the size, I don't have to go hunting for the sling, because I definitely can't see the cam head, much less what its anodization used to be.

If you're going to use color coded racking biners, you CAN NOT rack according to what the sling color actually is, but rather based on common sizes.

For instance, my new-style #5 C4 has a red carabiner on it, and my #6 friend has a green carabiner on it, even though the #5 has a purple sling, and so does the #6.

generationfourth · · Irvine, CA · Joined Mar 2008 · Points: 10

It doesn't have much to do with associating a color with a size. It's more of a convenience thing to take a glance down quickly and just grab the biner.

My whole rack is color coded and I love it that way. And I have a mixture of different cam brands and yes I do know which size is equivalent to the other. I never thought the colors were going to help me do it. I think you're over thinking it.

Oh and the .75 c4 is more akin to the black #5 metolious ;)

Ryan N · · Bellingham, WA · Joined May 2009 · Points: 195

I have a quad rack of c3/c4 all color coded. It's great when your in an akward chimney or position and can't see the cam. It's a no brainer.

GRK · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2006 · Points: 6,205

if you can't see the webbing? you're blind.

if you need color coordinated biners to pick
your cam? you're doing it all wrong.

Ryan N · · Bellingham, WA · Joined May 2009 · Points: 195

Hater^^^^ climb harder you'll see what were all saying

user id · · SMOGden, UT · Joined Mar 2009 · Points: 75
Ryan N wrote:I have a quad rack of c3/c4 all color coded. It's great when your in an akward chimney or position and can't see the cam. It's a no brainer.
This is nothing to be proud of.
Andrew Mayer · · Driggs, ID · Joined Nov 2010 · Points: 131

Yes I color code my neutrinos for my mostly C4 rack as well as my mastercams and aliens, but I think it is more so due to my OCD than anything else.

This being said, I like to be able to look at the biners on my harness and know the cam, especially in akward moves/chimneys/etc where you can't necessarily see the cam/webbing. But I would definitely agree that it is not good to become overly dependent on this.

MTN MIA · · Vail · Joined May 2006 · Points: 405

Hell yeah!!!!!

Khoi · · Vancouver, BC · Joined Oct 2009 · Points: 45
ALL of my cams are racked with colour-coded racking wiregates.
bearbreeder · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2009 · Points: 3,065

i colour code and match em all ... BDs, DMMs, WCs, Metolius, Aliens, etc ... i have no issue keeping track of them as i also rack em in ascending order

whatever works for you,

Evan Riley · · San Francisco, CA · Joined Jun 2009 · Points: 45

+1 for color coded wiregates. TCUs and Mastercams for smaller sizes BD for .5 and up.

Its good fun. Its more for the way my rack looks hanging on the wall, but it sometimes comes in handy when I am hanging on the wall.

markrineer · · Moab, UT · Joined Jun 2010 · Points: 0

I have colored biners, for the most part, and it seems that sometimes I've become too reliant on them. For example, climbing in the Creek with friends and a giant jumble of cams, I thought I was out of #3's because all of the blue biners were gone. Turns out I had one more and was struggling to push a cam along for no reason. That said, I like them, just need to be more aware of what's happening and not dependent.

BigJuggsjohnson · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 220

I do it! Used not to but its neater that way, easily seen.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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