When selecting a climbing carabiner, it is critical to understand what job it will have and its compatibility with other gear in the system. Oval carabiners are great because the shape helps the carabiner stay oriented when weighted. Pear and D-shape carabiners generally offers an increase in tensile strength and allow for larger or multiple items to be attached.
ANSI Z133-2017 8.2.8 states carabiners used as part of a climber as work positioning (suspension)system shall be self-closing and self-double locking and shall be capable of withstanding a 5,000 pound (22.24 kN) load along its axis with the gate closed.
What is a Climbing Carabiner?
A carabiner is a simple tool made from a coupling link and a lock. When climbing, they work to keep the climber safely attached to any ropes. Rock climbers utilize them for mountain climbing, but we will focus on those used for tree climbing purposes.
Tree climbing carabiners come in all shapes and sizes. A curved bar forms the piece and straight gates that attach to items. With a gate open, you can attach the carabiner. With a gate in the closed position, you are locked and ready.
Locking gates are what makes carabiners efficient tools for climbing trees. They open and close, but they also stay closed for safety. Let's talk about a few of the main carabiners used in tree climbing.
What Are the Main Types of Carabiners for Tree Climbing?
There are many types of carabiners in the world. Some work well for climbing mountains, while others are ideal for getting up trees. There is some overlap between the two, but we will focus on the tree variety right now.
The main types of carabiners for tree climbing include:
Auto-locking carabiners
Screw link carabiners
D-shaped carabiners
Bent gate carabiners
Wire gate carabiners
Twist-lock carabiners
Screw lock carabiners
Most are spring-loaded and ready to go.
You can find carabiners in a short length or long one, multicolored or solid black. There are many choices if you want carabiners to help you be safe during a climb up a tree. These should always be in your tree climbing equipment, no matter how experienced you are or how tall the tree is in real life.