Knowledge about Carabiner

Few tools are more helpful for hikers and campers than the humble carabiner. Originally a tool of rock climbers and mountaineers, carabiners are actually very flexible devices, which have proven useful for outdoor adventurers of all types, and you'll surely want to add a handful or two of them to your gear collection.

But, before you just start buying carabiners haphazardly, you'll want to learn more about them. This will help you obtain the best carabiners for your needs and ensure that they provide the value you deserve.

What Are Carabiners?

Carabiners are essentially metal loops, which have a hinged gate that provides access to space in the middle of the loop. They function like a clip and allow you to connect a variety of different items together. Carabiners are also known as carabiner clips or carabiner keychains.

Carabiners were originally used by German soldiers called carabiners, because they used carbine rifles. The soldiers would use the carabiners (originally called Karabinerhaken in German) to attach things to their belts, backpacks or bandoliers.

Because they work very well with ropes, webbing and similar materials, they quickly became popular with mountain climbers and others who needed a safe way to connect ropes and other items.

Carabiners are fairly simple devices, which only feature a few parts:

• Metal Loop –Made from any of several different metals and forged in any of several different shapes, the metal loop serves as the foundation for the carabiner. Different portions of the loop have their own names: The long, straight length opposite the gate is called the spine, the length of metal between the spine and the gate is called the basket, and the tip of the basket – the portion that connects to the gate – is called the nose.

• Gate – The gate is a length of metal or wire that closes the opening in the metal loop. Gates come in a few different shapes, but most are essentially straight.

• Gate Pin – The gate pin is a spring-loaded metal rod that keeps the gate connected to the metal loop and serves as a hinge. Gate pins cause the gate to return to the closed position automatically.

• Gate Lock (optional) – Some carabiners contain locking mechanisms to prevent the gate from opening accidentally.

Uses for Carabiners

As explained earlier, carabiners were originally designed to allow soldiers to clip things to their belts, and rock climbers began using them for clipping ropes to harnesses and similar tasks shortly thereafter. However, this is only the tip of the iceberg, and modern outdoor enthusiasts use them in a variety of ways.

Some of the most notable ways they're used include:

• Connecting your hammock or your hammock mosquito net to trees

• Clipping water shoes or sandals to the back of your pack so they can dry while you walkUsing them to connect a water bottle somewhere convenient and easy to reach

• Clipping hiking sticks, Nordic walking sticks, trekking poles or similar tools to a backpack

• Using them to hang lanterns from tree branches or tent canopies

• Clipping a leash to your dog's collar

• Using them to connect a food container to a bear wire

• Connecting ropes to other items (including other ropes)

• Clipping cooking pans together to make them easier to wash in a creek

• Keeping wrenches, silverware or other tools together in a bundled set

• Connecting a dry bag to your kayak

• Using them with a bit of rope to create convenient clotheslines or quick-and-easy privacy screens

• Using them to hold tarps in a variety of shapes or positions

And, of course, many outdoor adventurers and laypersons alike use carabiners as keychains. But this list could go on for days. At the end of the day, carabiners are great for connecting things together, especially if you'll need to disconnect them frequently.

Carabiner Materials

Carabiners are made from one of three basic materials: steel, aluminum and plastic. Each material offers a different slate of benefits and drawbacks, and no choice is inherently better than the others – you must simply pick the best material for the intended application.

Plastic

Plastic carabiners are relatively new, and they are very helpful for clipping lightweight, low-risk items together. You certainly wouldn't want to make a safety harness or scale a rock with plastic carabiners, but they're a fantastic choice for clipping your sandals to your pack.

Steel

Assuming they are the same shape and size, carabiners made from steel are typically stronger than those made from aluminum or plastic. However, they're also much heavier than those made from other materials. Consequently, steel carabiners are typically used in load-bearing situations, particularly those that require significant safety margins or involve a high degree of risk.

Aluminum

Aluminum carabiners are typically the choice for low-risk tasks, but a few manufacturers do make ultra-strong aluminum carabiners with strength ratings that rival the best steel carabiners. Aluminum carabiners are generally lighter than steel carabiners, which means they're extremely popular with backpackers, for whom every ounce is crucial.

Carabiners certainly come in a dizzying array of sizes and shapes, and they're made from different materials and provide a variety of different features. But don't become overwhelmed – most camping applications involve relatively little risk, so function, ergonomics, and your own preferences should guide your choices.

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