[Shane1911]

I remember some rock climbing discussions here a few months ago, and was hoping you guys could recommend a good caribiner.

What shape/style do you prefer? Locking or non-locking?

I need a good general purpose caribiner that will safely support 250 - 300 lbs. and will be used for a variety of tasks.

If you can name a specific brand/manufacturer, even better.

TIA

 

[Dane Burns]

It is "carabiner" :wink: Any UIAA 'biner is rated at 2400lbs or more. Any "climbng" 'biner sold in Canada will be UIAA approved. Depends on what you are using them for on a choice between oval, Ds and locking. There are wire gates, bent gates and solid gates on the Ds and Ovals.

SMC, BlackDiamond, Petzel, Omega, and REI will all do.

By the question I would suggest a real quick study of a 'biner and how applicable it's use is for your purpose. Hanging body weight on a tiny piece of aluminum is a dangerious thing! Know the tool (carabiner) and it's limitations.

I have a hundred or so, how many you need :grin:

 

[gyp_c2]

I use the Petzl "william" and the other Push-Button lockr for life line chores and some Giant(KONG) steel triple locks for rigging when the weight goes over 500lbs or I'm intentionally shock-loading something. If you just need that little bit of weight let me remind you of a little formula that may come in handy. If you are simply suspending something, you want to use 'biners that rate ate 10 times the weight. Such as for 250-300lbs...use a 2500-3000lb rated device. If you are going to "shock-load" something. Meaning = Moving, dropping, stopping, pulling. Figure the weight "x" each foot of fall = 1 weight factor INCREASE. If an object weighs 300lbs and falls 5 ft before hitting the end of the rope(and whatever devices in-between) The effective "shock-load" will = about 1800lbs!
So...you might want to take that into consideration.
All the 'biners I use for work are 22Kn and >greater in capacity. The KONGs I mentioned are steel and rated at 50Kn...A kilo-newton is about 225lbs to the Kn...
...Am I right about that Dane? I think that's the conversion...anyone else?
Anyway...take care and I'd be real interested to hear what you choose now :wink:

 

[Dane Burns]

The trick is to know what kind of loading you are actually going to have, static or dynamic. Then decide on what the loads will do to your biner. The decide on what kind of biner you need, locked or open gate.

Application is everything.

A 5000lb rated biner with the gate closed might be a 300 biner with it open......like I said you need to do your home work.

The reason I mentioned UIAA gear in Canada is that all climbing gear in Canada is rated and imported as safety gear. In the US you can buy anything from steel rigging biners, good for nothing, or good to rig a rescue on El Cap. Gotta be careful here in the USA.

Best suggestion is find the Co-op in Canada and talk to their sales help and tell them exactly what you intend to do and your use and ask their advice.

No overs in this game.

 

[Shane1911]

You guys are awesome. I knew I could get the info right here, and I didn't even have to wait that long! :grin:

Thanks a lot guys.

 

[Pistolero]

http://www.mec.ca/Main/content_text.jsp ... _id=182975

http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_list ... _id=182975

_________________
"Speed is fine. Accuracy is final." CT

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Pistolero on 2001-09-21 11:22 ]</font>

 

[Mute]

I've had good results with REI's biners, but definitely pay heed to Dane's advice. IIRC, Dane's a pretty good climber. Dane, what's the highest rated climb you've done? Choose the rating system you want.

 

[Dane Burns]

Hardest? The last?

As a buddy once said it only matters what you can do today :grin: I generally have a hard time walking to the bathroom...

10 year old kids now climb 5.13s so put it in perspective And 5.15 is just a hairs breath away.

But it is fun to remember. Been awhile since I thought about it.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Dane Burns on 2001-09-23 22:05 ]</font>

 

[EchoFiveMike]

http://rei-outlet.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce ... q=1&sort=1

REI-Outlet has some pretty good deals. The Omega Jake Screw locks are a very good deal at just under $9 per. I just bought 4 more for the rest of my team. I was using some of these last weekend for rappeling and they worked very well for dual rope rappel with 782 gear(we're talking about 250lbs weight w/rifle). Anything heavier and I'd go to a figure 8. Beginner climber, but I like these biners a lot so far. Semper Fidelis...Ken M

 

[Dane Burns]

Ken FWIW a dbl biner brake bar rappel is easier to control than most 8s. My choice is 4 bars and dbl biner a lot on long raps. harder to get out of and more complicated to rig. ( I ALL kinds of decenders) But with rescue gear or tac gear that doubles your body weight the stress of rapping off the end of the rope or a burn in is soemthing I like to pass on.

I keep a set of 8 ovals for my rap rig on a big decent or bail out. 2 plus two reversed for the body and the other 4 for brakes as needed. I start with three or four and delete as needed at the next station.

Only takes a couple of log raps or some extra heat and you'll burn the biner and have to trash them from the wear grooves of the rope. They won't be noticed in the heat of the moment but bare watching for later.

Worth noting I guess that militarty rappeling is a LOT faster and with less concern for the rope that a climber will have.

We go slower and ususally don't have the luxury of gloves unless it is a rescue. A fast decent means a burnt rope and more load on the anchors. Not much of a concern if someone is shooting at you :smile:

 

[EchoFiveMike]

Dane, I use a figure 8 cause they're simple and it's what I was taught. I'm going to have to forward the rest of your post to some of my more serious climbing friends for translation from climber into English I'm passingly familiar with multi bar rap gear, but you hit it on the head when you said we're worried about getting on the ground post haste. The figure 8 is used because a double rope carabiner rappel with a full combat load will kill you because you will NOT be able to brake enough to slow that descent(well maybe if you're 110lbs body weight, but they're aren't many of those in the infantry), the 8 is just for extra friction and it's easier to tie off if the bird pulls pitch and it turns into a expedient SPIE rig. I'm going for the ground as fast as I can without getting the biners so hot they melt through the harness or the rope. The biners and rope are expendable, my hide is not. Semper Fidelis...Ken M

 

[Dane Burns]

Ken I don't think you are invisioning the dbl biner brake I am talking about. It gives a LOT more fiction than any 8 made when you add the 3rd and 4th biner.

I have never been a tiny guy even when I climbed hard. Take 190#s and add another 100#s of pack and gear. What works for the fly weights ddin't work for me. Rapping out of a chopper has it's own perils, rapping off into a storm has a few too. I am big on control. That is why I mentioned the multiple biner set up. Ask around, someone will give you the details on a multiple biner setup or I can give you a couple of book references if you like. Might be worth a look see.

 

[Shane1911]

You guys are so full of ...............................................................................................information! Thanks for biner 101 class - I think I can make a better choice with the knowledge provided. Thanks all. :smile: