Types of Carabiners
Different uses call for different kinds of carabiners. To choose and use them, you must first understand the differences—their shape, size, weight, strength, and gate type. Once you know the features to look for in a carabiner, think about your needs. What activities you’ll be using the carabiner for will determine which carabiner you can buy.
The Anatomy of a Carabiner Clip
Let’s introduce you to the parts of a carabiner clip. Many people indeed use devices that they may no know about. So for educational purposes, here is a nice diagram to give the knowledge bank a workout.
Carabiner Strength
Carabiners have three ratings that show how strong they are. The first is gate-open strength, the force between the gate and the nose of the carabiner. The second is minor-axis strength, or how strong a carabiner is when bent sideways. The third is major-axis strength, or how strong a carabiner is when pulled in the direction of its long side.
All climbing carabiners should meet UIAA and CE standards. Gate-open strength and minor-axis strength varies.
Smaller and lighter carabiners are generally weaker than bigger, heavier ones, but not always. Keeping an eye on the rating system is still the easiest way to stay safe.
If you’ve narrowed your search to a few different carabiners that will work well for your style of climbing, look at their strengths as one of the final decision points. If one carabiner provides everything you need and has greater strength than the others, then pick that one.
