Carabiner

[Bodean]

Here are some pics of my favorite Carabiners.

Not sure what they're called.

 

[klimbinfool]

Are those DMM ?

 

[brendonv]

Cory,

I'll tie a fist, (unsure of name right now) in the end. I don't move around the tip all that much. Obviously tree dependent. Never had an issue really.

 

[Blinky]

Greg,
I used to use that same rig with the biners chained together until my friends got all over me for it at a GTG in Charlotte. It doesn't seem any different than clipping into a ring to me though... I might switch back, it was cleaner. Thanks for posting that.

Cory,
Yep those are both Aluminum, the steel is on my gear loop. If I set my TIP from the ground and know I won't be moving it, I use a lighter biner if it's handy.

Bodean's biners look like DMM Boas... damn good biners.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Funny, all this talk about biners and I don't use a one.

 

[gf beranek]

I used the "old school" steel hook snaps for 30 some years and making the move over to using carabiners wasn't a smooth one for me. Mainly because of the way you have to grab to open them up.

I recall using Greg's gear once and the biners he used opened different ways. One biner was, pull-down, twist clockwise and squeeze to open and the other was pull-up, twist counterclockwise and squeeze to open. And ideally you like to have some tension on the biner when opening them. Loose biners are more difficult to open. Especially for a newbie. Well, it really got me frustrated and Greg looked up at me as ask if I was having trouble. It was easy to see that I was.

The thing about it that struck me the most was the fact that if it was an emergency or stressful situation and I had to make a quick clip in or out I would not have been able to do it.

Carabiners are so different that before sending any newbie aloft I always make sure they understand how the carabiner functions and try not to mix different ones on their saddle.

Heck I see groundmen spend a minute sometimes trying to figure how to open a biner on a saw laynard.

The Micky Mouse was the most difficult biner of all time for me to learn the feel for opening it. So I abandoned it. I still have it though and give it to people and ask them to open it. Some people need to be shown. And even after showing them it still takes them a minute to do.

To me a life-line connector should not be difficult to open and the fact that so many are gets me to wondering just how many accidents have resulted from it.

Rant over

 

[klimbinfool]

MAkes you wonder huh, Jer? Have an accident, call in OSHA, and simplicity will be thrown out the door with in a year.

Still using the double locking snap Butch?...nothing wrong with those at all.

 

[gf beranek]

Greg, so far connectors only have to meet strength requirements and be able to lock, but how they lock isn't a standard requirement.

Right now we have a choice. Get OSHA involved and it could get worse. Not could, would.

 

[Strikermike]

I believe I have some very early aluminum Biners either Choinard or Royal Robbins from the early 70's. We would just clip in 2 biners in the place of one with the gates opposite and opposed. They had no locking biners atr the time.

 

[Stumper]

Brendon et al, I do like the "cleaness" of one 'biner attached tto the saddle.......but I can't go for that much spreading the loads toward the gate nose of a 'Biner. I know it holds you......but 'biners are designed to be loaded along the axis of the spine or, in the case of HMS style 'biners, at the natural centering point of cordage under load (The fact that this location is away from the spine is the reason that HMSs always wind up being rated lower than others from the same maker made from the same bar stock.)

It appears that I do not have a picture of my attachment set up-I'll try to take one.

 

[sotc]

I've used a single biner for years, recently bought the little mighty mouse or what ever they are called and am trying 2 biners. I always take the rope off the biner to throw through a crotch, rarely would need the weight to carry through the crotch. I'll get a pic of my current rig today

 

[cory]

Funny, all this talk about biners and I don't use a one.

I've seen a biner on your fig 8 descender.

 

[Greenhorn]

ha

 

[brendonv]

I've never looked at it like that Justin. In my head, if was standard operating procedure to have your load centered perfectly in the middle of the biner, maybe they'd make it very clear? Maybe even have a place for it to sit? I dunno about all that, but I do appreciate the concern.

 

[Burnham]

I used the "old school" steel hook snaps for 30 some years and making the move over to using carabiners wasn't a smooth one for me. Mainly because of the way you have to grab to open them up.

I recall using Greg's gear once and the biners he used opened different ways. One biner was, pull-down, twist clockwise and squeeze to open and the other was pull-up, twist counterclockwise and squeeze to open. And ideally you like to have some tension on the biner when opening them. Loose biners are more difficult to open. Especially for a newbie. Well, it really got me frustrated and Greg looked up at me as ask if I was having trouble. It was easy to see that I was.

The thing about it that struck me the most was the fact that if it was an emergency or stressful situation and I had to make a quick clip in or out I would not have been able to do it.

Carabiners are so different that before sending any newbie aloft I always make sure they understand how the carabiner functions and try not to mix different ones on their saddle.

Heck I see groundmen spend a minute sometimes trying to figure how to open a biner on a saw laynard.

The Micky Mouse was the most difficult biner of all time for me to learn the feel for opening it. So I abandoned it. I still have it though and give it to people and ask them to open it. Some people need to be shown. And even after showing them it still takes them a minute to do.

To me a life-line connector should not be difficult to open and the fact that so many are gets me to wondering just how many accidents have resulted from it.

Rant over

Jerry are you talking about the ISC quadlock or the springlock version?

If the quad, its a goody. That's the biner in my hitch pic in Greg's carabiner thread.

On the other hand, although the springlock is hardish to open on purpose, it's scary easy to open accidentally, just by rubbing the gate back and forth on a small diameter branch or loaded rope, with a little pressure inward on the gate. I only use those as a bad example for students.

First pic is the quadlock, second pic is the springlock.

 

[klimbinfool]

Agreed Gerry.

Burnham, do you think the Hitchclimber works so smoothly because it's lifting the hitch straight inline with the rope? I havn't tried one yet, but it's got me curious.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I've seen a biner on your fig 8 descender.

For sure - it's for descending SRT on a spar, and that's the only way it's used.

I like single locking steel snaps because of thier shape and weight.

 

[Greenhorn]

Stinkin thread made me by another carabiner today, gotta DMM Boa to try Brendons set up out with.....

 

[treesmith]

Hey Burnham, what kind of friction hitch is that you're using? Looks like a Klemheist? Does it self-tend very well?

 

[Bodean]

I love the boa's and the jake's by dmm.

I work around alot of sand.
Seems alot of crud can get in there.
I've sprayed penetrating oil and compressed air. alittle comes out for the most part.

Pete McTree looked at my kit and said by uk standards a few of my karabiners wouldn't pass.

They didn't snap back all the way and seat.

So I started trying to clean them.

I'd like to see some kind of Carabiner that's easily cleaned.

We shouldn't have to ditch good biners if they're alittle dirty.

 

[SkwerI]

Compressed air and a good nozzle will do it.

 

[Bodean]

I guess I need a better nozzle.

I'll give it a whirl.

 

[gf beranek]

Burnam, the red one in your pic. Micky Mouse. Damn thing should be outlawed it's so difficult to open.

Fredrick Dryer gave it to me. He designed it. I like Fredrick but his biner leaves a lot to be desired. Just my opinion of course. Others might think it's OK.

 

[rumination]

Gerry, I agree with you and Burnham. That biner sucks royally. I couldn't get the thing open intentionally at all. However, just rubbing the gate back and forth randomly against the palm of my hand opened it up in just a few seconds. Frustrating and unsafe.

The other locking mechanisms for that biner are great, though.

 

[klimbinfool]

I have to laugh Gerry, I remember when those came out while I was in the south states. It was definatly a challange to open until you figured out the sweet spot. That would be one to attach to a tree sitter or something...lol