Hands-on Gear Review

Omega Caranut Review

   

Nut Tools

  • Currently 4.0/5
Overall avg rating 4.0 of 5 based on 1 review. Most recent review: December 2, 2009
Street Price:   $12 | Compare prices at 3 resellers
Pros:  best deal for a nut tool with a built in ‘biner, best clipping 'biner
Cons:  Uncomfortable to pound on, doesnt hook cam triggers as well
Best Uses:  Traditional free climbs
User Rating:     
  • 1
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  • 5
 (4.0 of 5) based on 0 reviews
Manufacturer:  Omega Pacific
Review by: Ian Nicholson on December 2, 2009
Overview
Omega was the first company to introduce a nut tool with a built-in carabiner, thus saving you the weight of an additional carabiner to clip the tool to your harness. The Caranut is one of the lighter packages on the market, second only to the Ushba Titanium nut tool. The shape put it slightly below average for hooking cam triggers to help with freeing cams. It cleaned nuts quite well though. Its built-in carabiner is very user-friendly and went on and off our harness better than any we tested.

  • Photos
  • Specs
Omega Pacific Caranut
Omega Pacific Caranut
Credit: Ian Nicholson

Omega Pacific Caranut nut tool showing its top end (Palm pounding surf...
Omega Pacific Caranut nut tool showing its top end (Palm pounding surface) with pencil for size reference.
Credit: Ian Nicholson

A reference for size of the built in 'biner and gate clearance for the...
A reference for size of the built in 'biner and gate clearance for the Omega Pacific Caranut nut tool.
Credit: Ian Nicholson

Specifications for Omega Caranut
  • -weight 55 grams/1.94 ounces
  • -Length 21 centimersrs/8.25 inches
  • -Built in carabiner that is "key gated"

The Bottom Line

The Omega Pacific Caranut is for climbers looking for a good price but still wanting to lighten their overall package by having an integrated carabiner. It is as comfortable as the DMM Nutter and slightly better than Black Diamond nut tool, both at $9.95. We thought The Caranut cleaned nuts as well or nearly as well as either of these similarly-priced nut tools and again you get the best clipping built-in carabineer we tested. We also found that the built-in carabiner was one of the easiest to use for getting on and off your harness. The Caranut isn’t very comfortable but it is less money than other nut tools with a specific medal pommel to pound on.


Comparative Review At-a-Glance

See more side-by-side comparisons
  This Product Editors' Choice Best Buy Award
Product Name Omega Caranut Ushba Titanium Nut Tool Wild Country Pro Key
Street Price $12 | compare prices$35 | compare prices$15 | compare prices
Overall Score
100
0
67
100
0
89
100
0
88
Editors' Awards     Editors' Choice Award   Best Buy Award 
Pros best deal for a nut tool with a built in ‘biner, best clipping 'binerLightweight, long, well-designed nose for cleaning nuts and camsComfort, built in ‘biner, comes with keeper leash, price, cleaning ability.
Cons Uncomfortable to pound on, doesnt hook cam triggers as wellExpensive, nose is a little sharp and tends to get caught on thingsSlightly on the heavier side.
Best Uses Traditional free climbsAlpine Climbing, long routes where weight is the most important factorLong free routes, cragging, aid climbing.
Date Reviewed Jul 31, 2011Oct 01, 2011Jun 02, 2011
Weighted Metrics Omega Caranut Ushba Titanium Nut Tool Wild Country Pro Key
Removing nuts
10
0
7
10
0
9
10
0
9
Removing cams
10
0
6
10
0
9
10
0
8
Comfort
10
0
6
10
0
10
10
0
10
Tangle Factor
10
0
7
10
0
5
10
0
6
Ease of handling
10
0
8
10
0
10
10
0
10
Product Specs Omega Caranut Ushba Titanium Nut Tool Wild Country Pro Key
Weight 54g 41g 104g
Length 21cm 24cm 20.5cm
Leash? No No Yes
Clip in biner Yes Yes Yes


OutdoorGearLab Editors' Hands-on Review

Likes
The Omega at 55 grams is slightly heavier than the DMM or BD nut tools on its own, but because it doesn't require another carabiner to clip it in with, the overall package is the second lightest we tested. The built-in carabiner is also one of the biggest and it is key gated, making the Caranut the best for easily taking off your harness. We could torque pretty hard on the end of the Caranut without much fear of bending or breaking it.

Dislikes
The Omega isn’t as curved as many others on the market and it didn’t grab cam triggers quite as well. This tool was among the least comfortable on your palm while trying remove jammed nuts. A friend wore out the spring in the gate of his built in-carabiner, although this was after many seasons of year-round use and we haven't heard of another case.

Best Application
For Climbers looking for a good price but still wanting to lighten their overall package, this is a great option. Climbers who are particular and who didn’t like the built-in carabiners on other nut tools might give this one a try because of its key gating and large size. A good nut tool — for single pitch cragging at Seneca to long routes in the Valley.

Value
The Caranut at under $12 is one of the best deals for a nut tool and is the best deal for one with a built-in carabiner. It is only $2 more than the BD and the DMM nut tools, which both lack this feature. It is about as comfy on your palms as the DMM Nutter and the Metolius Extractor, but it is less expensive than the latter and is a lighter overall package than either.

Ian Nicholson, OutdoorGearLab Review Staff

Omega Caranut

   
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OutdoorGearLab Member Reviews of Omega Caranut


Most recent review: December 2, 2009
Summary of All Ratings

OutdoorGearLab Editors' Rating:   
  • 1
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  • 5
 (4.0)
Average Customer Rating:   
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
 (4.0)
Rating Distribution
1 Total Ratings
5 star: 0%  (0)
4 star: 100%  (1)
3 star: 0%  (0)
2 star: 0%  (0)
1 star: 0%  (0)


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Omega Pacific Caranut
Omega Pacific Caranut
Credit: Ian Nicholson

Omega Pacific Caranut

Credit: Ian Nicholson
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