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Best General Use Locking Carabiner
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I am looking for a locking carabiner for general use. They need to somewhat wear resistant because I plan to use them for top rope anchors. I like the Petzl Attache but it is out of stock at all my local stores. (is it being discontinued?) |
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Do yourself a favor and get a couple Edelrid bulletproof carabiners for top roping. If you top rope often you will wear deep grooves in any aluminum carabiner quickly and run into the poor man pays twice dilemna. Petzl Attache's are still about as good as it gets as an "all-purpose". The weight, size, price, and HMS shape (doesn't pinch when rappelling and you can munter hitch with it) make it the gold standard. Just don't lock them super tight, they can freeze up in the locked position. Camp nitro is a good alternative that is often on sale. Camp photon lockers are great for anytime you want a locker to be as light as possible (and not expensive). The narrow nose profile is amazing for narrow or crowded bolt hangers/chains. Example: attaching a guide mode belay device to the anchor, a locker for a personal anchor system, or bolt side of anchor system (if you like lockers for that). The petzl twist lock sm'd is the best Carabiner to use with a grigri. Also excellent for personal anchor systems (more convenient than a camp photon for a little more weight). BD vaporlock if you want an all-purpose locker that's basically as light as possible for alpine climbing. You'll wear through them quickly if you use them a lot though. |
Scott D wrote: A guide recommended I just get steel carabiners for top roping. There are heavier than the Bulletproof but cheaper and simpler. |
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The Edelrid bulletproofs come in a few shapes and sizes. For top rope anchors I like to use one bent gate and one of the smaller non-hms lockers. They are opposite and opposed anyway so I think two lockers is overly redundant, they are the same length and shape so the rope runs through them evenly, and having the non-locker saves some money and weight while increasing diversity of possible use. |
Matias Z wrote: That's a great solution but the weight difference is significant, if you like to climb with less weight on you while leading (that will be you at some point) or you make long approaches you'll definitely appreciate the lower weight of the bulletproofs. "Simper" is not a relevant factor, neither steel carabiners and bulletproofs are complicated. Two steels will be cheaper than the two bulletproofs I recommend, but the bulletproofs retail for $20 + $15 and you can probably find them on sale. Is $35 minus any discounts really too expensive for something you will use for years? Get the good stuff my friend, buy once cry once Hit my post limit on this thread for the day, so annoying...
Yes, you've got the right one in the first link. I use one of those and a non-locking bent gate bulletproof for the rope side of my top rope anchors. They are awesome. I've never owned or used HMS version. It's overly heavy and expensive for use in top rope anchors but would be ideal for belaying with an ATC style device and for rappelling. I have heard that they bind and shift off of the steel insert when rappelling or belaying, I'm not sure how much validity there is to that, maybe someone who has used them can chime in. |
Scott D wrote: Makes sense. So you are thinking this one: https://www.rei.com/product/221394/edelrid-bulletproof-screw-carabiner cause they also have an HMS version of the bulletproof: https://www.rei.com/product/150383/edelrid-hms-bulletproof-screw-carabiner |
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If you're just hiking to the top to set up anchors, go with all steel. They will not wear. The Bulletproof carabiners do wear, if you use them for toproping. If you're leading, then the weight of all steel is significant. |
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I wouldn’t call an all steel carabiner the best general use locker. I like the bullet screw gates too. Or just some standard BD lockers. I wouldn’t agonize over it too much. |
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I'd go steel for top rope anchors. Lifetime use. I use a pair of these: https://k2.com.au/products/kong-411-extra-large-d-auto-lock-climbing-carabiner
Colonel Mustard wrote: I wouldn’t call an all steel carabiner the best general use locker. We want SAFE here and for that steel is unbeatable. |
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The Bulletproofs are nice for toproping, I use them a lot. The steel inserts get the job done, and while they do indeed wear eventually, they will wear at the same rate of any other steel locker. If you’re budget sensitive, you can always just get the cheapest (rated) steel locker and it will get the job done too. An aluminum locker like the Attaché will wear super fast in a top rope anchor setting and leave oxidized aluminum dust all over your rope. If you just need a new general purpose HMS locker similar to the Attaché, the DMM Phantom HMS is awesome. A few years ago I swapped all my Attachés to Phantom HMSs, and I am 110% happy with that choice. |
giraud b wrote: Your definition of general use is a locker used exclusively for top roping? That’s not mine. The question posed was “general use”…. Aluminum lockers are very safe, they just have a wear profile we monitor. What you’re talking about is durability. There are other factors than having the most durability. Like weight. |
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Steel does not offer a relevant extra safety margin over aluminum. Steel simply offers greater durability. Steel carabiners don't last forever, "lifetime use" is not a realistic expectation. The bulletproofs last as long as a regular steel carabiner will, they are just lighter but more expensive. |
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A lot has been said about durability, but unless you guys are having significantly better lives than me, realistically, you aren't wearing through 3 aluminum carabiners a season. Also, while I agree the steel is objectively heavy, it's about the same weight as the pizza and the beer you drank last night around the campfire; you're probably fine. While I am just as guilty as others (I am looking at you, MH Ghost Whisperer 2 Jacket), the majority of climbers aren't failing to send their project because of extra weight on the approach. That being said, if I'm going out for a day of Top Roping, I'll probably bring a steel biner, I bootied one and use it for this purpose but if I do not and someone just wants to run some laps, I will probably just put a nonlocker in the chains if they are there or just use two random lockers if I am hanging off trees. Don't stress it and check your gear ( you prolly should anyway) That being said the attache is a solid all-purpose locker but they will all probably be fine. I have some cheap BD lockers and despite not having amazing reviews its been fine. It is also good to remember that you are usually using lockers on some sort of ledge or on the ground so you have time, not just like being on a sports route where making sure you can be efficient is very important. https://www.alpinesavvy.com/blog/the-easy-to-clean-toprope-anchor Dont use this technique on Open Systems see this fall's accident. That all being said I love nerding out over gear and here is a good link if you want to dig dep. https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/topics/climbing/best-locking-carabiner |
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Why does weight matter if you carry steel carabiners to set up a top rope? Chances are at least in my experience, if I am setting up a top rope the climb is already well within my ability and set up for my friends or clients to climb, otherwise I would be the one top roping it. How many of you actually notice a significant difference in carrying a set of steels to complain/think about it? My thoughts on carabiner choice in your situation, get two Black Diamond Pear Lock or Petzl Attachés, what your looking for in a carabiner is a HMS style and these are nice since they are not huge like a BD Rocklock. Simple and multifunctional, they can be used to set up a simple top rope, clove into anchors, or even belay a second with a munter. Having two HMS carabiners on your harness is never a bad idea. Now if your main job is setting up top ropes for your friends to enjoy and you do this quite frequently, I would invest in x3 steel ovals for a top rope. |
 Colonel Mustard wrote: https://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/topic/84686-carabiner-failure/
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The Rock Exotica Pirates are my overwhelming pick for an all purpose locker. There are many styles/feature to choose from: |
Chris C wrote: Why'd you make the swap? I like DMM gear, but the dummy-helper-red on the attache gate is nice and the size/weight are basically the same from what I can tell. |
Leif Mahoney wrote: The Attachés seized up on me 3 times. There are a bunch of threads on here about this issue with the 2nd generation of the orange model. This only happened to me in higher altitude settings (18,000ft+). This was never user error, over tightening, ice, etc. It never happened on the 1st gen orange model either. Maybe I had a bad batch or something, but I ditched them and never looked back. |
Colonel Mustard wrote: The title said "general use" but the first post said "mainly for toprope anchors". If this is truly for a TR anchor then it doesn't really matter what locker you use. Aluminum will wear out quicker than steel but that may not matter much to you if you aren't climbing daily. If you are taking a lot of people up to your anchor then it might be nice to have autolockers of some sort, especially if they are out of sight. If you'll be running repeat lead laps on the same anchor then it is nice to have one carabiner either be a regular carabiner or a screw gate that can be left unscrewed. Ultimately it's all about understanding what risks you want to avoid and what characteristics you want to optimize for and tuning your kit to match. BTW, my current preference for lockers is the Petzl SMD. |
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For general use, I am fan of the Camp Nimbus lock. They live on my harness as a general purpose, I would use a locker here carabiner. They are little pricy so for work I like to buy Cypher Iris HMS. Super cheap, durable, and I like the colors. |
Cron wrote: These are amazing. We have used them a lot for canyoneering because they never seem to bind up even when there is a ton of sand in the mechanism. Have now started using them for all my climbing needs (+ some edelrid bulletproofs for anchor draws). |
