Mussy Hook Alternatives

I’ve been developing a newish crag and I’ve been trying to equip all my anchors with some sort of open system. I really like mussy hooks, but they’re always out of stock. Are there any alternatives that are the same price ~$6. I seem the stuff Fixe has, but it seems overpriced. I can’t imagine the crag with get much traffic, so I’m considering just getting some cheap aluminum carabiners and zip tying them to the anchors.

These are the best thing I've found:

https://www.e-rigging.com/1-ton-Eye-Hoist-Hook?utm_source=google&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=Shopping_60-70&utm_term=&gclid=CjwKCAjwy_aUBhACEiwA2IHHQMR3e1ZE5_B5zEmPNaIT7O6ptSEgrMRLeI4PnEO4tE2pbh1WP5hm8RoCm8QQAvD_BwE

Rams horns are popular out East. Don't see them often on the West coast, https://climbingboltsupplies.com/collections/all/rams-horns 

E-rigging is a great company, ask for Tyler and mention you appreciate their support for the C4 Foundation, he might kick a deal on hooks or stainless hardware 

Safe working load 1239lbs

Braking Load 4950lbs

$6

I've used quite a few of these on a low traffic crag. Unfortunately, there isn't a listed strength rating. $3.56 for a stainless option! 

https://www.e-rigging.com/38-Grade-304-Stainless-Round-Spring-Snap-with-Angled-Latch_p_9231.html

There are also a couple of versions with straight gates. For some reason those gates are very stiff and I would not recommend them.

You can find captive pin steel carabiners for around that price, I've used these BE Smith ones affair amount recently: https://rope-master.com/en/steel-carabiners/697-carabiner-be-smith-captive-3700288269768.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjw54iXBhCXARIsADWpsG9qm2oAbIATb7-RFaXuQ40imfqYaxdJgJgzh03jvX7Xq2yfZVjf750aArWCEALw_wcB

You can also find the trango ones around that price, which are hammer in pens instead of being retained by a small Allen wrench screw like the BE Smith ones. I prefer the Allen wrench screw personally, but the advantage of the trango is that it works with 3/8 chains, and the BE Smith ones will only accept up to 5/16ths.  Both probably wear out faster than musty hooks, but I'm guessing that wouldn't be a problem in a low traffic area. Also, you will save money on quick Links since you can attach these directly to the chain.

nbrown wrote:

These are the best thing I've found:

https://www.e-rigging.com/1-ton-Eye-Hoist-Hook?utm_source=google&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=Shopping_60-70&utm_term=&gclid=CjwKCAjwy_aUBhACEiwA2IHHQMR3e1ZE5_B5zEmPNaIT7O6ptSEgrMRLeI4PnEO4tE2pbh1WP5hm8RoCm8QQAvD_BwE

I would highly recommend against this type unless your crag is in an EXTREMELY dry area.  The gate part of these hooks is very susceptible to rusting and I have seen very many of these that have fully lost their gates to rust/corrosion, while the hook part that is actually getting rope wear still has a lot of life left in it.  It looks like you have been given very many great options already, but here is another for ya anyway.

Climbtech steel oval non-locker $5.95 ea.
https://climbtech.com/products/steel-oval-non-locking-carabiner/

Shaniac wrote:

Rams horns are popular out East. Don't see them often on the West coast, https://climbingboltsupplies.com/collections/all/rams-horns 

Use team-tough.com for the U.S. site. They ship out of Canon City, CO

This style anchor https://fixehardware.com/index.php/fixe-316-traditional-anchor.html is very popular where I live. Is there a reason it's not popular in other regions?

Dan The Man wrote:

This style anchor https://fixehardware.com/index.php/fixe-316-traditional-anchor.html is very popular where I live. Is there a reason it's not popular in other regions?

Open systems are very nice for sport crags so you don’t have to untie or retie in. The system you send is a closed system. I also think a lot of people are scared off because the anchor is not truly redundant if you use the rappel ring. I doubt there has been a single time that thing has broken on someone, but it seems like a flaw with that anchor that lots of people dislike.

matt hoffman wrote:

I would highly recommend against this type unless your crag is in an EXTREMELY dry area.  The gate part of these hooks is very susceptible to rusting and I have seen very many of these that have fully lost their gates to rust/corrosion, while the hook part that is actually getting rope wear still has a lot of life left in it.  It looks like you have been given very many great options already, but here is another for ya anyway.

Climbtech steel oval non-locker $5.95 ea.
https://climbtech.com/products/steel-oval-non-locking-carabiner/

Have you seen this kind of wear in the arid West? There seems to be a ton of old ones in the Front Range (CCC, BC, etc.) that are still in relatively good shape, considering.

I never used anything like this (or any other non stainless) anchor back East, but for much of Colorado, the OP's location, it seems reasonable. 

If you have pics of the corrosion would you mind posting them here?

nbrown wrote:

Have you seen this kind of wear in the arid West? There seems to be a ton of old ones in the Front Range (CCC, BC, etc.) that are still in relatively good shape, considering.

I never used anything like this (or any other non stainless) anchor back East, but for much of Colorado, the OP's location, it seems reasonable. 

If you have pics of the corrosion would you mind posting them here?

We have a couple crags up here with ‘‘em that seem completely fine.  That’s being said I like stainless options for low traffic areas because I don’t need that big of a wearing surface. I have also had one of those gates snap off while lowering on Wall Street in Moab so I’m not a fan of those crappy gates

These are popping up on eBay right now:

Jim Day wrote:

These are popping up on eBay right now:

The gates on these are terrible. Sharp and short lived. There are many better alternatives. 

Plated steel, just like mussys - https://habitclimbing.com/climbing-gym-supplies/draws/fixe-ps-gym-wiregate-carabiner

If you're an AAC member, you get Trango pro deals and can nab their steel captive eye biners as well. Pros of these being if you buy extras, they're good to use for permadraws as well

Kevin Mokracek wrote:

I use these from US Stainless

Safe working load 1239lbs

Braking Load 4950lbs

$6

I've used these some. Works great on most all of them, but have seen one already with a difficult gate in less than a couple of years. I'd buy them again though, just a heads up in case it's a thing.

A reasonable alternative is chains.  When there are just chains, people generally use their own draws to top rope and then the last climber has to undertake what used to be considered the fairly simple action of threading the rope through the chains for a rap or lower off.  Not everything has to be set up like a gym.  Save some money and just leave some chains, unless you really want to turn it into an overcrowded gym-crag.  

J A wrote:

A reasonable alternative is chains.  When there are just chains, people generally use their own draws to top rope and then the last climber has to undertake what used to be considered the fairly simple action of threading the rope through the chains for a rap or lower off.  Not everything has to be set up like a gym.  Save some money and just leave some chains, unless you really want to turn it into an overcrowded gym-crag.  

I usually just use a couple quicklinks. Still, accidents have happened so I’m trying to make it slightly safer. Climbs are kinda meh so I don’t care if it gets too crowded(not that it will).

Alex Morano wrote:

I’ve been developing a newish crag and I’ve been trying to equip all my anchors with some sort of open system. I really like mussy hooks, but they’re always out of stock. Are there any alternatives that are the same price ~$6. I seem the stuff Fixe has, but it seems overpriced. I can’t imagine the crag with get much traffic, so I’m considering just getting some cheap aluminum carabiners and zip tying them to the anchors.

https://usstainless.com/hardware/spring-hooks/stainless-steel-316-spring-hook-carabiner-5-16-8mm-marine-grade-safety-clip/

Sorry I meant to post the 3/8' one... usstainless.com/hardware/sp…