Carabiner question

[johndavidjr]

Two years ago, I acquired a rudimentary rack and a highly miscellaneous number of carabiners. I've since added to it and now want to dump at least a dozen for wires and lockers. There seems to be a rational approach to this which I can't quite grasp. What's a decent mix of types and in what proportion for trad rack???

 

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Edited September 29, 2004 by johndavidjr

[mattp]

I don't think you need more than three or lockers on your rack, and most people I know don't even carry that many. I use one for my belay 'biner, a larger than normal one specifically for that purpose, and then I usually carry a couple of locking petzl attache crabiners which I use for an extra sense of security on the rope end of a runner attached to a piece when I worry that 'biner may be banged about, or maybe for a leash biner when rapelling or something. They can be nice for setting up top-stations on a sport-climb or top rope, too. I think you'll get a hundred different suggestions about this or that being or not being a "legitimate" use for them, but I like to have a couple with me.

[johndavidjr]

You want ovals for what? Should you have mostly all wires? A few bent gates? Why a few? D's no good? What about racking stuff.

[iain]

I like a few lockers, specifically "pearabiner" style so that I can tie munter mule knots on them for escaping the belay, belaying with munter hitch, etc. Maybe two pearabiner style and 1-2 standard lockers. And that's free lockers, not lockers with a bunch of junk hanging on them like prusiks, pulleys, and whatnot. You can munter up a regular locker but it's a little nicer with the wider ones. The rest can be wiregates if you want to pay for new biners, but really, there's probably nothing wrong with the ones you have. I would not worry about oval biners, though they seem popular for aid climbing as they don't "pop" when weighted like d's do. Bent gates are more sportclimbing-quickdraw specific, though they work too. I would just get straight-gate wires.

[ketch]

I like ovals for racking stuff, with a bunch of nuts it's easier to sort when they slide around easier. They are also nice for aiding as they help stop that nerve wracking jerk when the etrier slide to the "bottom" of the D. They are heavy though. Most of my ovals are slowly being used as Leavers. I like the new Light weight stuff if I am buying new. Bent gates give you more room to make a difficult clip or get more junk in there. Wire gates don't freeze shut. Matts right about making sure you have a large belay beiner. After that I don't worry too much theres nothing wrong with just having a bunch and choosing what you need when you get there. One other advantage to wire gates is that they resist getting slapped open in a fall as the gate has far less mass than a solid gate. I don't count on this much as I try to position whatever beiner to not get slapped to start with.

 

So much for a little random rambling, hope it helps a bit.

[yakimuchacho]

I like ovals for racking. Omega Pacific JC wiregates are great for the rope end of quickdraws (they have a fat "rope end" surface area). I like Trango wiregates (under $5.00) for everything else. I always carry one big locking pearbiner, and 2-3 small locking biners for nerve medicine.

[tomtom]

I carried 14 on my last trip. My belay biner (1). One large one for each bolt (3). Two for each rope - lead, tag, and haul (6). One on each daisy (2). One with another biner I use as my fifi (1). One on the haul ratchet (1).

 

I guess it depends on the type of climbing you do.