Popping carabiners

[John 35]

I hate it when the gate on a carabiner slips out of my fingers and slams closed when I’m hunting, it’s so loud. I tried putting tape where it hits but it can keep the Biner from closing properly and doesn’t work very well. Then I got the idea to wrap a little tape around the hinge part of the gate so it closes more slowly and doesn’t make any noise when it hits but still closes all the way as intended. Seems like a good solution. The white electrical tape in the pic is what I’m talking about.

 

[Archer19422]

good idea, i will have to give it a try.

 

[John 35]

Some heat shrink or something might work better than electrical tape I haven’t played around with it much.

 

[LoadedLimbs]

@John 35 - It looks like you’re using a non-locking carabiner in your setup. If you know and accept the risks, that’s your prerogative, but just in case you don’t know the risks, it only takes a single twist on your rope and in a split second your non-locking carabiners can unclip and send you to the ground. @Nutterbuster demonstrates the risk clearly in this short video:

Non-locking carabiner risk

here is a link to a video that he did to provide recommendations and options for saddle hunters - all three options are solid choices and much safer than non-locking carabiners when properly used:

Locking carabiner recommendations

 

[John 35]

@John 35 - It looks like you’re using a non-locking carabiner in your setup. If you know and accept the risks, that’s your prerogative, but just in case you don’t know the risks, it only takes a single twist on your rope and in a split second your non-locking carabiners can unclip and send you to the ground. @Nutterbuster demonstrates the risk clearly in this short video:

Non-locking carabiner risk

here is a link to a video that he did to provide recommendations and options for saddle hunters - all three options are solid choices and much safer than non-locking carabiners when properly used:

Locking carabiner recommendations

It’s true the auto lockers are safer and I own several. I’ve always used a locking biner on my tether and on the right side of my linesmen. I don’t use any biners on my bridge I’ve always thought it was strange that people do that. I think I might get that double wire gate biner he was showing for the left side of my linesman it looks more convenient than the other locking varieties.

 

[LoadedLimbs]

@DanO used to sell that double wire gate carabiner for a very good price - I have quite a few of them that I bought from his website Eastern Woods Outdoors (EWO) and I like them a lot. I don’t see them on his website now, though.

There is one drawback to the Grivel double wire gate biners however - they have a bulbous end that doesn’t fit through the hole in many of the mechanical ascenders out there. I use friction hitches to adjust my tether & lineman belt and to capture my climbing progress so it’s a non-issue for me. But if you use a Ropeman, a Kong Duck, a CT Roll-n-lock, a Madrock Safeguard, etc., they aren’t always workable with those devices. The Petzl S’MD or the Black Diamond screw gate carabiners (or auto-lockers) seem to be a better choice for using with mechanical ascenders simply because the nose of those carabiners passes through the hole on the ascenders easily.