We've already discussed the climbing harness in a previous article. Other pieces of gear that beginner should own are a carabiner and a belay device. If you have gone to a climbing gym then you have some experience with the gear that you might have rented. If you have not been to a gym then ask your climbing partners to help you with your decision. Remember this, most people have a very limited exposure to the different types of gear available. Use the Internet to explore the different options available.
A locking carabiner is the choice for the beginner. Wire gate and other non-locking carabiners have their place in rock climbing, but not for the beginner. Locking carabiners come in different shapes and have different locking mechanisms. First we will talk about the different the different shapes that carabiner s can come in.
All carabiners will have two numbers on them. These numbers represent how much of a load that they can hold. This number is measured in kilo-newtons. One kilo-newton is equal to 22o lbs. There is a number that represents the strength of the biner while the gate is closed, and a separate number for the strength when the gate is open.
The oval shaped carabiner is a good all purpose carabiner. There are other designs that do a particular job better, but this is a good basic design. One drawback is that a load on this style of biner will be evenly spread out on both sides. So the gate side of the biner will be equally loaded as the stronger non gate side. For a beginner this is not the best choice.
The D shaped carabiner is stronger than the oval shape. The oval shaped carabiner prevents the load from shifting from the curved part of the carabiner, where it is stronger, to the long side where it is weaker. The D shaped carabiner has significant advantages over the oval shape. Strength is only one of the benefits. A D shaped biner Will be easier to clip to and is a better carabiner to use for belaying a climber.
The D shaped, or pear shaped biner is a better carabiner to belay with. As a personal note, I prefer to use a belay device other than carabiner. You can apply more friction to the rope, allowing for better control of the climbers descent.
A carabiner can have one of two types of gates. They either lock or they do not. For the beginner, get a crabiner that locks. You will be using the carabiner for belaying and to hook into a descender or belay device. Having a lock on the carabiner will help ensure that the gate does not open and cause a catastrophic accident.
There are two types of locking carabiners, manual locks and auto locks. As appealing as the automatic locking carabiner sounds, I suggest that you stay away from these carabiners. While it is convient to have the biner lock for itself, it breeds a sense of complacency. If there is one absolute danger in rock climbing it is complacency. You need to be vigilant at all times. With the auto lock, you can easily get into the habit of not checking to se if the biner actualy did lock.
One last note. There are many carabiners that are not made for climbing. Be absolutely sure that the carabiner you buy is made for climbing. Make sure that it is designed to withstand the weight and shock loads involved in climbing. Do not climb with carabiners that are designed to carry gear or those designed for non climbing purposes.
One of the most useful sites I've found is from the folks at The Climbing Harness Co.
Another useful guide to climbing can be found here
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