Would Edelrid Bulletproof biners help keep your rope cleaner?

Taking groups of people top rope climbing is something I do quite a bit of.  This means a lot of lowering.  

Would lowering off of steel carabineers or those steel lined bulletproof biners that Edelrid sells reduce the amount of grey stuff that builds up in the rope?  

My understanding (told by some guide) is the black stuff is mostly aluminum oxide from wearing away at carabiners, so I think quite a lot.

I figure if you see wear on your carabiners, that aluminum is going somewhere, so it makes sense.

I added 2 bulletproof carabiners and they haven’t seen too much use yet, but I like them.

Yes. It will also keep your biners from becoming grooved. 

I have a couple and for sure the rope stays a lot cleaner. Haven’t used them enough to see any wear yet. 

Hobo Greg wrote: The bulletproofs are sweet for when you need to lead to set up a TR, but they wear out much quicker than a regular round stock steel biner. Possibly thinner steel, possibly more acute angle where the rope is running, I’m not sure, but a fellow guide friend of mine had gotten a set and already saw grooves before the end of a single guide season.

Interesting. I wonder if that steel plate gets super hot and isn’t able to dissipate the heat as fast as a full steel biner. That would cause the steel to groove faster, no?

why not use dmm revolver carabiner?

https://dmmclimbing.com/Products/Locking-Carabiners/Revolver

dhayan wrote: why not use dmm revolver carabiner?

https://dmmclimbing.com/Products/Locking-Carabiners/Revolver

That’s not really the same thing. Two different carabiners for different applications. 

dhayan wrote: why not use dmm revolver carabiner?

https://dmmclimbing.com/Products/Locking-Carabiners/Revolver

Sure, if you want to drop your climber. 

Yes.  That gray stuff is anodize and aluminum.  

Washing your rope, keeping it clean and using a rope bag helps too.

A steel biner and steel belay device can help as well. 

Get a bulletproof biner for your first draw as well, that carabiner sees the most wear due to the bend you'll see from the angle running in from the belayer and it's nearly as large of a contributor to the aluminum oxide build up as the gear you're lowering off. 

Nick Drake wrote: Get a bulletproof biner for your first draw as well, that carabiner sees the most wear due to the bend you'll see from the angle running in from the belayer and it's nearly as large of a contributor to the aluminum oxide build up as the gear you're lowering off. 

Assuming you’re a bolt clipper....

Nick Drake wrote: Get a bulletproof biner for your first draw as well, that carabiner sees the most wear due to the bend you'll see from the angle running in from the belayer and it's nearly as large of a contributor to the aluminum oxide build up as the gear you're lowering off. 

This seemed like the most obvious application to me... first draw on steep projects or routes with perma draws. 

Absolutely - I have two anchor draws made up using them and also one for the first bolt for when the belayer takes and puts a lot of pressure on that one. My rope has stayed clean for much longer.

Cost-wise, a couple of dedicated Metolius Steel lockers made a lot of sense for TR anchors. Bulletproofs are definitely nicer and lighter, but in my case, for TR I set, weight was not a factor.
I like using non-aluminum for 1st draw rope side. Again, bulletproofs are nice and light, but Petzl Djinn-steels were cheaper, and 1st draw weight is not that important.

rockklimber wrote:

Assuming you’re a bolt clipper....

Still applies for single pitch trad if you're lowering off. Of course if you're going to extend it with a single the BP biner won't help since you need it located on a the end of a quickdraw..........but if you're extending your first piece it's probably not making much bend in the rope anyway. 

dhayan wrote: why not use dmm revolver carabiner?

https://dmmclimbing.com/Products/Locking-Carabiners/Revolver

For lowering?

Steel carabiniers for TR masterpoints are awesome.  I've been using the same pair for 15 years of large groups.  No visible wear.  Ropes are nice and clean.

Nick Drake wrote:

Still applies for single pitch trad if you're lowering off. Of course if you're going to extend it with a single the BP biner won't help since you need it located on a the end of a quickdraw..........but if you're extending your first piece it's probably not making much bend in the rope anyway. 

Good point.  I dont do a lot of single pitch trad but I can see that would be useful if your partner cant be close to the base and you dont extend the first piece much.  

None of my alpine draw biners show any signs of grooving but I dont tend to lower off from them.  

Chalk in the Wind wrote:

For lowering?

I was just thinking if the op was concerned about wear to his carabiners, but yeah, probably not great come to think of it. 

I have used a bulletproof biner on one of the long draws I use for lowering off sport routes. It’s significantly grooved after a couple of years.​​​​

Yup, 2 steel lockers on top, the bigger the diameter the longer your rope will last, (toproping is usually much harder on ropes than leading if you are not taking long falls) and use a Grigri or a steel Edelrid locker with a DMM steel belay device. You'll have clean ropes.