Carabiners

Keeled Over · Oct 12, 2022

Afternoon everyone,

Many of the cheap carabiners I have accumulated over the years are giving up the ghost. I don't want to get into the expensive ones used for climbing, and don't need the locking type. I know the shapes have a different purpose but for me any shape will do - seems most of mine are the D type.

I was shocked at how much info there was online regarding these, but it seems like they are the expensive ones or dirt cheap with not much in between.

Any experience or thought on a "mid range" 'biner that has held up but doesn't break the bank?

Thank you!

Mnoutdoorfunguy · Oct 12, 2022

I like the Black Diamond MiniWire
Very light, good price, smaller and many colors if you need to organize by color

scratchypants · Oct 12, 2022

Check with the hammock suppliers - like Warbonnet.

Cruiser · Oct 12, 2022

Tell us what the use is and what sort of weight you want to use this with.

Carabiners are a staple of hammock camping (I also frequent Hammock Forums), most of the ones I use are 3" , rated at 12kN (2600 #) and those go for $5 or less. I don't think those are "bank breakers"

Also if you add your location to your icon, we may even give you local suppliers.

Brian

ErktheRed · Oct 12, 2022

I also really like the Blackdiamond miniwire and the litewire. But if weight isn’t a concern, not that you’ll truly notice the difference in most cases, take alook at the Petzl spirit bent or the djinn bent. These also come in a straight gate and are non locking. The djinn is slightly bigger than the spirit. I think the spirit bent is really comfortable and easy to operate with and without gloves.

Alasgun · Oct 12, 2022

These are a favorite of mine. They’re sleek and come in a variety of sizes. Wichard’s a good name and i’ve never had one fail.

Stainless Steel Safety Snap Hooks | West Marine

Check out our Stainless Steel Safety Snap Hooks and more from West Marine!

www.westmarine.com

Boatman53 · Oct 12, 2022

Those are good clips Alasgun. I have several of them in different sizes.
I also have a bunch of aluminum caribiners from my climbing days in the ‘70’s.
Jim

Sweetfancymoses · Oct 13, 2022

Alasgun said:
These are a favorite of mine. They’re sleek and come in a variety of sizes. Wichard’s a good name and i’ve never had one fail.

Stainless Steel Safety Snap Hooks | West Marine

Check out our Stainless Steel Safety Snap Hooks and more from West Marine!

www.westmarine.com

If those prices are for one carabiner, they are clearly in the good-better-BEST category.

scoutergriz · Oct 13, 2022

if you don't mind the weight, quicklinks are another option, they're cheap, strong, and easy to handle, but they are weighty.
here's just one example- you can usually get them at a local hardware store.

https://www.amazon.ca/Quick-Locking-Carabiner-Chain-Connector/dp/B08DY6GSZB/ref=pd_lpo_3?pd_rd_w=eQKyp&content-id=amzn1.sym.bc8b374c-8130-4c45-bf24-4fcc0d96f4d6&pf_rd_p=bc8b374c-8130-4c45-bf24-4fcc0d96f4d6&pf_rd_r=67DSVVY05R56CNEXX5Q0&pd_rd_wg=dCZmd&pd_rd_r=4db6fbd6-0d86-474c-8f36-469d83211c31&pd_rd_i=B08DY6GSZB&psc=1

Boatman53 · Oct 13, 2022

Yea those Wichard clip don’t fit in the inexpensive category. They are often used on human safety harnesses in the sailing world.
Jim

Glenn MacGrady · Oct 13, 2022

Keeled Over said:
Any experience or thought on a "mid range" 'biner that has held up but doesn't break the bank?

What size biner are you looking for? They range from ¾" lightweight aluminum clips to very large sizes. There are different shapes and different types of gates for different uses. Here is a good review of carabiner differences:

How to Choose Carabiners | REI Co-op

Learn how to choose carabiners for rock climbing, and the benefits of locking, nonlocking, wire-gate, bent-gate and straight-gate carabiners.

www.rei.com

Keeled Over · Oct 13, 2022

Thank you for the replies - should have filled in some blanks.

My needs involve just rigging tarps (10 x 14) and using them to attach gear to packs for portages.

I have many shapes and sizes but the D shape works well. I like to get the larger ones since they are easier to handle. Love a solid spring.

Thank you!

dtvburns · Oct 14, 2022

Please, please, please use locking carabineers on a boat. I don't care that it is flatwater, they are dangerous.

Noting wrong with cheep, all my bineers are cheep and not fit for climbing, but they are all locking, even the little 1 inch ones used to keep ditty bags organized.

Google "carabineer entrapment" Happens too often. In this video the guide did not even flip, he just bumped into some gear behind him and became entrapped.

Glenn MacGrady · Oct 14, 2022

dtvburns said:
all my bineers are cheep and not fit for climbing

I would agree that you don't have to spend money on climbing strength biners just to attach gear for flat water canoeing. I've generally just bought inexpensive and lightweight biners in the sizes I want.

dtvburns said:
In this video the guide did not even flip, he just bumped into some gear behind him and became entrapped.

I was confused as to what this has to do with the recommendation for locking biners. It seems that the guide bumped into a non-locking biner that was attaching some gear, and that biner opened and accidentally clipped onto his PFD causing him to be unable to get out of the raft.

dtvburns · Oct 17, 2022

Glenn MacGrady said:
I was confused as to what this has to do with the recommendation for locking biners. It seems that the guide bumped into a non-locking biner that was attaching some gear, and that biner opened and accidentally clipped onto his PFD causing him to be unable to get out of the raft.

Thats is the point, he became entrapped by a non locking carabiner

Woodpuppy · Oct 17, 2022

I assumed the intent behind locking biners was to keep things ‘bined. It never occurred to me it might also be to avoid unintentional ‘bining.

madmike · Oct 18, 2022

As a whitewater instructor, I never really believed this. And then I saw it happen, fortunately, nobody was hurt and I had a good teachable moment.

ScottS · Oct 18, 2022

If you buy good carabiners, then you have carabiners for any situation.

ScottS · Oct 20, 2022

My first thought on all of this was someone needing a carabiner to pull a deadfall out of the way and getting hit
in the face by a cheap broken junk piece of aluminum. spend the extra $3

Carabiners

Keeled Over

Mnoutdoorfunguy

scratchypants

Cruiser

ErktheRed

Alasgun

Stainless Steel Safety Snap Hooks | West Marine

Boatman53

Sweetfancymoses

Stainless Steel Safety Snap Hooks | West Marine

scoutergriz

Boatman53

Glenn MacGrady

Administrator

How to Choose Carabiners | REI Co-op

Keeled Over

dtvburns

Glenn MacGrady

Administrator

dtvburns

Woodpuppy

madmike

ScottS

ScottS

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