What carabiners for tree climbing?
An essential part of climbing kit PPE, carabiners are used daily by arborists and tree climbers everywhere. Triple-lock Carabiners (Sometimes referred to as Three-way & Autolock Carabiner) are the safety standard used in tree climbing. The DMM Durolock (4-way) Carabiners provide an extra level of Safety.
- D. Positioning of the load in the strongest axis, closest to the spine side of the frame. ...
- Oval. Symmetric shape for even loading (devices with a large attachment hole, pulleys...).
- Pear. High capacity, for connecting multiple items or bulky items.
- Wide opening carabiner.
If the marking reads 7 kN, this means that if loaded in a horizontal position (cross-loaded) the carabiner's strength would drop to withstand only 1,575 pounds of force.
Rated at 12KN, this heavy duty carabiner features weight limit up to 2697lbs. Therefore, you can use it for many different applications, as shown above.
D Shape. D-shaped carabiners are excellent for most kinds of climbing. They hold loads off-center toward the stronger, non-gated side, so a smaller, lighter D carabiner can be just as strong as a larger oval.
1. non-load-bearing (accessory) carabiners, 2. basic or normal carabiners (often referred to as non-locking carabiners) and 3. locking carabiners.
All carabiners come with a kN, or kiloNewton rating engraved into the spine. If you have carabiners without a kN rating DO NOT use them for a life-load. A kiloNewton is equal to about 225 lbs., which is a force of gravity rating, not static weight or mass.
Steel carabiners are stronger, more durable, but also much heavier than Aluminum carabiners. Aluminum – Aluminum carabiners are lighter than steel and designed specifically for recreational climbing where the forces and working loads are much less.
A carabiner can only be opened manually by pushing the gate away from the loop. A snap hook is very similar: it's a hook with a spring opening, allowing for a cord or rope to enter the hook's loop, but not leave it unless the spring is opened by using the thumb to pull down on a small knob.
For personal use, carabiners can last 10+ years, assuming they still function properly and do not set off any of the red flags above. For more information on when to retire your carabiner, check out this guide by Weigh My Rack.
How often do carabiners fail?
A carabiner may break if…
Black Diamond wrote a Quality Control post about this situation and concluded that the nose of a carabiner may fail at less than 10% of its rated closed gate strength (<2 kN / 227 kg), forces achievable in a bounce test.
Here's what he says: kN stands for kilonewton, a measurement of force. Stamped on the side of all carabiners you'll find a kN number that tells you how much force your climbing gear can withstand.
That means a 20kN carabiner could theoretically take up to 4,500lbs of force, or hold 4,500lbs of static weight. In theory, a carabiner could hold the weight of a car or a small, very calm rhino. When a climber falls, the forces generated are more than just your weight.
The Nite Ize Figure 9 Carabiner tightens, tensions, and secures ropes without knots. Whether tethering a canoe to your vehicle, anchoring boxes to a dolly, or bundling wood, this carabiner secures loads quickly and keeps tension where you need it.
The word Pear is used interchangeably with HMS. It's easy to visually understand the pear shape (and “HMS” specifically refers to the wide, more symmetrical top). This shape shifts some force from the spine to the gate so like ovals, they're not as strong as D/Offset D carabiners.
D-Shaped Carabiners:
D-shaped carabiners are considered to be the strongest and most durable on the market. They have a smaller gate opening than other shapes, but they still have a larger gate than oval carabiners.
“Muscularly speaking, the pectoralis muscles and, most common in climbers, the overly contracted latissimus dorsi—which help rotate the arm, extend the shoulder, and bring the upper arm down to the side—create the forward shift and rounded shoulders.
If you find yourself without a locker when you need one, it's easy enough to add security. Two non-locking carabiners placed opposite and opposed are very secure, and many climbers toprope off of two quickdraws positioned this way. If you only want to use one carabiner, you can rig your own “lock” using a little tape.
The wire-gate and solid-gate carabiners come in the straight or bent gate variety. The straight version is usually used for the bolt-end of quickdraws. Bent gates, on the other hand, are reserved for the rope-clipping end of a quickdraw.
Straight vs. Bent – Used to describe both standard and wire, a straight gate runs in a continuous, straight line, while a bent gate has a slight angle in it. The former is usually reserved for clipping to a bolt or a piece of gear, while bent biners receive a rope more smoothly.
How much can 25 kN hold?
Features. UIAA & CE Rated - Industrial strength, superior stability: With balanced anti skip curves, steel construction and smart lock mechanism formidable enough to control 5620 lbs (25 kn) of heavy equipment mid-air.
The UIAA standard for climbing karabiners demands a static strength of more than 20kN. This value corresponds to holding a mass of about 2 tons before breaking. 20kN is more than the worst conceivable fall in a climbing accident.
So, the Good News: pretty much all legit climbing carabiners you can buy have a CE rating. (“CE” is a certification mark that indicates conformity with health, safety, and environmental protection standards for products sold within the European Union.)
Below is a breakdown of the carabiner-gate-opening sizes, with 22mm being the most common. Most strength-rated carabiners are fine to use in the majority of climbing applications, but each shape has its pros and cons.
Technical use rescue carabiners have a minimum breaking strength of 27kN-gate closed, 7kN gate open, 7kN minor axis. General use rescue carabiners requirements are to have a minimum breaking strength of 40kN gate closed, 11kN gate open, 11kN minor axis.
Cold forging is typically less expensive than hot forging, produces a precision product that requires little finish work, and is often used for symmetrical items such as carabiners. To cold forge a carabiner, aluminum bar stock is bent to shape, then smashed in a die to refine the shape.
A carabiner is strongest when loaded on the major axis, with the gate closed and the sleeve locked. Loading a carabiner in any other way can be dangerous.
The Clove Hitch allows you to secure a rope in place on a carabiner. It's easy to untie after taking a heavy load, and quickly unravels when you unclip it from the carabiner. Many climbers use it to connect directly to an anchor. You can tie a clove hitch with two hands or with one.
Lubricate carabiners
We know that techies like to use WD40, but we don't recommend it for lubricating carabiners. WD40 can dry out the hinge and spring and accelerate wear.
Carabiner Cleaning
Lubricate it with dry graphite or any dry, waxed-based lubricant around the hinge area, the spring hole and the locking mechanism. Be sure to wipe off all excess lubricant. Always clean and lube your carabiners after contact with saltwater or salt air.
When should I retire a carabiner?
When to Retire Carabiners. Retire a carabiner immediately if it is cracked, excessively worn or has a gate that doesn't function properly. A carabiner that has been dropped a significant distance should also be retired (dropped 'biners can suffer damage but still appear intact).
Find a way to schedule at least two climbing sessions per week (3 or 4 is ideal)–any bouldering or roped climbing session, indoors or outdoors, counts towards this total.
The anchor is normally a fixed one at the top that you don't need to remove. Sometimes though climbers have to leave an anchor made of expensive gear to get down if there isn't already one there. In that case, it's often not possible to get it back.
Depending on how often and intensely you're climbing, climbing shoes last, on average, three to nine months. At this point, the rubber and rand begin to wear thin and holes form. Once this happens, it's best to stop wearing them and determine if it's best to repair or replace them.
A gumby is the semi-derogatory term for a beginner climber. Everybody is a gumby at some point, and actually, use it as self-disparagingly all the time, as well.
French Sport Grade
The French scale is usually prefixed with an (f) to distinguish it from the Fontainbleau scale. A typical French grade would therefore be written as f6c+. Officially this allows for 6 grades per number - however, climbers often specify even further with combination grades such as 6c/+ or 6c+/7a.
What does the “V” stand for in bouldering grades? The “V” stands for “Vermin,” which was the nickname of John Sherman, a legendary boulderer who created the V Scale for grading boulder problems. His nickname was sometimes shortened to “Verm.” So you might also see this as an answer around the web.
That means a 20kN carabiner could theoretically take up to 4,500lbs of force, or hold 4,500lbs of static weight. In theory, a carabiner could hold the weight of a car or a small, very calm rhino. When a climber falls, the forces generated are more than just your weight.
When to Use Non-Locking Carabiners. Use non-locking carabiners for pretty much any other application. Carrying gear, using quickdraws, building alpine draws, and attaching to protection are all circumstances in which a non-locking carabiner is best.
Rating of a Carabiner
All carabiners come with a kN, or kiloNewton rating engraved into the spine. If you have carabiners without a kN rating DO NOT use them for a life-load. A kiloNewton is equal to about 225 lbs., which is a force of gravity rating, not static weight or mass.
When should you retire a carabiner?
When to Retire Carabiners. Retire a carabiner immediately if it is cracked, excessively worn or has a gate that doesn't function properly. A carabiner that has been dropped a significant distance should also be retired (dropped 'biners can suffer damage but still appear intact).