Climbing carabiners - manual for climbers

We are often confused by climbing carabiners, express cars, belays and other terms associated with these metal life savers. More than one person has already asked us what the difference is and what the individual models are. So don't despair! Your pleas have (finally) been heard and here it is! The carbine manual is here. After reading this article, you will be familiar with the models, what they are for and you will be able to choose which ones to buy.

Material

Carabiners are primarily made of aluminum alloys. This is because aluminum, unlike other metals, is strong and durable. These carabiners are lighter but still durable enough for 99% common climbing stuff. The second material from which carabiners are made is steel. Steel carabiners are heavy and proportionally larger than aluminum carabiners. At the same time, they hold more than their lighter sisters. The question is whether it is worth taking them with you (mostly one is enough).

Second

There are four main types of climbing carabiners. These are oval, "D", pear and so-called quick link. All of them, except for the quick link, can be replaced with each other. But there are differences between them.

Oval

Oval climbing carabiners are the basic model we all know. It is a carabiner which, as the name suggests, is oval. So it has this shape "0". These carabiners are the most basic model. They are the heaviest (among the aluminum ones) and have all the lock variants (will be explained below).

"D"

Déček carabiners are the more conical ones, most often used on express cars. Déché carabiners maintain the same weight as oval carabiners, but are lighter. How is it possible? The distribution of force across the carabiner allows manufacturers to round the carabiner into a "D" shape to save weight without sacrificing performance.

Pears

Pear carabiners are the ones we use most often for belaying and rappelling. No, there is no difference in performance between them. Both oval and pear carabiners will keep the same. But pears have two sub-variants.

HMS

The HMS carabiner is a pear design that is more rounded. HMS stands for HalbMastwurf Sicherung (German: HalbMastwurf Sicherung) and is a carabiner adapted for an improvised rappelling knot using a half ship loop. It works best when it can rotate around an axis. That's why the HMS has a carbine - like Father of HMS Eagle – its characteristic shape.

Assuring

The second sub-category of pear-shaped carabiners is safety carabiners. These are characterized by their safety on the seat. Here, the climber clicks into the seat and the carabiner holds its fixed position during belaying. These carabiners are the only ones that can't be properly used for climbing, and that's because of that belay.

Quick link

Quick link is something that belongs in climbing carabiners, but it's not. It is a small oval with a buckle, which is mainly used for rappelling. Especially about abseiling in moments when we didn't plan it. The advantage of this piece of hardware is that it is cheap and therefore it does not trouble us if we leave it on the rock.

Locks

Just as we have several types of carabiners, we also have several types of carabiner locks ("gate"). The two main types are fuse and non-fuse. Both categories then have their own subspecies, each for something different. 

Screw-in

This variant is the basic option to ensure that the carabiner does not open. In short, you screw its gate after closing it. It is a simple fuse method. The screw lock is suitable for all applications, including express trains. There is no need to lock it and it can be opened quickly. We use them for securing and on the sidelines.

2-lock

The first of the mechanical locks. Di-lock, aka double-fuse, is a mechanical lock that won't even open without your involvement. It has a spring in it that automatically closes the lock to prevent it from opening. The double safety means that two movements must be made to open. Turning the fuse and opening the gate.

3-lock / tri-lock

A triple safety is the same as a double safety with one extra movement required to open. To open this mechanism, the fuse must still be lifted upwards. 

Mechanical fuses are practical but have their limits. At VARP, we use them mainly on safety devices, as it allows us to operate "thoughtlessly". We sometimes carry the double-safety on the seats, but not the triple-safety. Unlocking it on the rock requires much more effort than the previous two. However, where it really comes in handy is when using indentation when securing, such as on Hlubočepské platené.

Distribution of forces and endurance

Each carabiner has its own durability. How much it can last is written for comfort on the carabiner itself. As you can see in the picture below, the information is located on the carrying edge of the carabiner.

During the standard use of the carabiner, under pressure from top to bottom, this particular HMS carabiner can withstand a force of 25 kN. When the pressure is applied to the width, the endurance is less than half, only 10 kN. The carabiners work worst when they have an open gate - i.e. is an open system of distribution of power. Then the load capacity is only 8 kN. 

But there is no reason to fear! A normal climbing fall does not even reach 3 kN. Therefore, there is no need to worry that the material will not hold you. The only moments when the carabiner could fail you is when it is broken against a rock in the frame or when the gate is open. In that case, it is more about the possibility of slipping out of the securing point.

Words finally

There are myths circulating in the climbing community that a carabiner loses its integrity after a fall due to micro-cracks and stops working. However, this is not true. We recommend the following video, which examines this very issue. But that doesn't mean you can throw carbines on the ground. 

Carabiners are connected with safety devices. If you don't know, we have a small one for you too overview, which could help you. And if you don't want to use these amenities and would rather just fall into the soft, jump on our boulder TOPO on Divoka Šárka and choose a place to climb without using things like climbing carabiners.

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