| Choosing Snapgate (Non-Locking) Carabiners | | | | but go for good quality, key lock solid gates if sports |
| Snapgates is a generic term for the non-locking | | | | climbing. |
| carabiners that form the core of a climbers rack - | | | | Sports climbing is hard on biners because the steel |
| there are loads of names for them - wire gates, | | | | bolts used to protect sports climbs can chew up the |
| non-lockers, plain gates, bent gates etc. | | | | relatively soft aluminium used on carabiners very |
| "Snapgates" covers all non-locking carabiners with | | | | quickly. A chunky sports draw will last a lot longer |
| either wire or solid gates and these gates can be | | | | than a minimalist wire gate, the key lock nose makes |
| either straight or bent. | | | | stripping routes much easier and the extra weight is |
| Things to consider: | | | | offset by the fact that the draws are often left |
| The most often asked question is wire gate or solid | | | | in-situ on sports routes for red-point attempts. A lot |
| gate....after initial skepticism there is a general trend | | | | of people also feel that a well shaped bent gate |
| towards using wire gates; this is based on some solid | | | | carabiner is easier/faster to clip in extremis than a |
| reasoning together with some misconceptions. A wire | | | | wire gate. |
| gate biner potentially has some key advantages over | | | | A lot of people say that carabiners should not be |
| an equivalent solid gate version, however the devil is | | | | anodised, but there is a very strong case for |
| in the detail. | | | | anodising as long as the anodising is done in an |
| The key advantage of a wire gates is that it should | | | | environmentally safe manner. Most climbing carabiners |
| be lighter than an equivalent solid gates because the | | | | are made from the 7000 series of aluminium alloys |
| wire gate weighs less than a solid gate. This is a real | | | | because these offer the holy grail of potential high |
| advantage that has substantially reduced the weight | | | | strength and good ductility; however a downside of |
| of a climbers rack over the last few years. | | | | 7000 series alloys is that they are very susceptible to |
| Smaller advantages offered by wire gates include | | | | salt corrosion. Anodising really helps slow down the |
| increased gate opening and (generally) less likelihood | | | | corrosion process and stop biners from seizing up. |
| of the gates becoming iced up when winter climbing. | | | | Weight, shape and size are entirely personal and |
| The lighter weight of a wire gate also has the | | | | come down to looking/playing with the various |
| potential advantage of minimising gate flutter. Gate | | | | options. The lighter modern biners are almost always |
| flutter sometimes occurs in a fall when the | | | | smaller than their heavier counterparts and you need |
| movement of the rope sets up harmonic vibrations in | | | | to choose where to draw the line on a carabiner |
| the carabiner, these can - in certain situations - cause | | | | being too small to use effectively. |
| the gate to vibrate open and closed. Carabiners are | | | | Choosing snap gate carabiners - key things to look |
| significantly weaker when the gate is in the open | | | | for: |
| position and if a load (the falling climber) is applied to | | | | - A good gate open strength - 9kn or 10kN. 7 kN is |
| the biner whilst the gate is momentarily open then | | | | just not enough - there is no margin for error in |
| there is a much higher chance of the biner breaking. | | | | manufacturing tolerances and it is quite possible to |
| However so much also depends on the design of the | | | | generate 7kN in a fall especially when using a static |
| carabiner itself and the stiffness of the spring in the | | | | belay device (GriGri) or a thick, old rope. |
| gate - I would far prefer to fall onto a well designed, | | | | - A well designed body that drives the rope into the |
| 'strong' solid gate biner with a 'positive' spring tension | | | | spine i.e., no flat long top bars. |
| than a poorly designed 'weak' wire gate with a low | | | | - A minimal notch where the gate meets the nose of |
| inconsistent spring tension. | | | | the carabiner to minimise the chance of items hanging |
| There is misconception that wire gates are stronger | | | | up on the notch and so loading the biner away from |
| than solid gates. but in general this is not true. The | | | | the spine. |
| only exception is in the minor axis test where the | | | | - Check the spring tension - it should be firm and |
| extra malleability of the steel wire gate can allow | | | | constant without being stiff. |
| higher readings to be obtained. However this is the | | | | Choosing snap gate carabiners - nice finishing touches: |
| least important of the tests and minor axis loading | | | | - A shrouded nose - helps stop the gate opening |
| should be virtually eliminated in well designed | | | | accidentally |
| snapgates - the gate/nose interface is far more | | | | - Anodising - help stop the biners seizing up |
| important and a far greater source of breakages. | | | | - Separate colours for either ends of the quickdraw |
| The gate/nose interface - where the gate meets the | | | | on wire gate draws. One end of a draw should |
| body is the downfall of many wire gates because the | | | | always be used for clipping gear and one end for |
| design has been taken straight from its solid gate | | | | clipping the rope - this is because the gear end often |
| antecedents. This often means that there is a | | | | becomes marked and notched where bolts or hard |
| massive notch where the wire gate sits that is | | | | materials dig into it under load. These nicks and marks |
| perfect for hanging up on wire/tapes/ropes and | | | | can pull threads on ropes, slings and harnesses. Solid |
| loading the biner away from the spine. This is made | | | | gate draws have a straight gate biner for the gear |
| even worse if the carabiner has a long fat top bar a | | | | and a bent gate for the rope - no chance of mixing |
| weak gate open strength and a weak spring. Simple | | | | them up; however wire gate draws can easily be |
| stuff, but there are a lots of poorly designed biners | | | | used the wrong way around unless the carabiners on |
| out there - the current Clog wire gates are a good | | | | the different ends are identifiably different |
| example of how not to build a carabiner. | | | | - Rope groove - helps keep the rope close to the |
| Generally I would choose a good quality, strong, | | | | spine. |
| lightweight wire gate for traditional or winter climbing, | | | | |