Small Carabiner

D

dizos

Joined
Nov 22, 2002
Messages
385
Can anyone recommend a small yet functional carabiner that I can use for a key chain? I'm currently using a full size carabiner which is just too large, but I do not want to use a fake one that can't support my weight.

-- Dizos
 
I don't think such an animal exists. The smaller keychain biners are not rated for climbing use. The smallest load rated biner I've found is a DMM wiregate but it's still larger than any keychain biner I've seen.

Just wondering, why do you want it to be able to take your weight? If you want something compact that can take your weight, you could carry some cordage or flat webbing with you.

I did buy a small keychain caribiner once that had a load rating on it made by Mammut but that was 12 years ago and I haven't seen one for sale in a while.

Good luck in your search,

Rob
 
Just wondering, why do you want it to be able to take your weight? If you want something compact that can take your weight, you could carry some cordage or flat webbing with you.
Click to expand...

I just feel that if I going to EDC something is should have multiple functions. I would like the ability to pulley something heavy if I need to.
 
I use a anodized aluminum beaner that's about 2 inches long. It's rated at 150 pounds. It would break my fall, and that's not bad. It's very light.

I find weight more of a problem than overall size. Slowly I'm switching over to aluminum, titanium or scandium firearms, as well.
 
Originally posted by dizos
I just feel that if I going to EDC something is should have multiple functions. I would like the ability to pulley something heavy if I need to.
Click to expand...

Really, what is an example of when you'd use a carabiner to support your weight?
 
WalMart has a small one. I have no idea of it's rating or even if it has one. Usually hanging on a wall near the flashlights.
 
http://www.sea-dog.com/home.html

We use stainless steel snap hooks for light rigging and safety cables, their item #151065 is 2-3/8" long, has a breaking strength of 700#, a working load of 120kg, and a nice clean gate. Send me your address and I'll try and drop one in the mail before I go on vacation tommorrow.
 
Really, what is an example of when you'd use a carabiner to support your weight?
Click to expand...

Mostly I imagine scenarious where a pulley would be handy to assist in lifting random heavy objects, but a situation to support body weight would be one in which someone needs to be lifted out of a pit (trench, well, pool etc.) I think I have read that one can also do make-shift rappel without a figure 8 using a rope and 'biner only.

I would think a 'biner capable of taking a heavy load could have a lot of applications. I would love to hear other ideas.

-- Dizos
 
Few concerns:

A 'biner cabable of carrying body weight will also NOT be the weak link if and when it catchs on something (wearing it on a belt loop for example). Just a heads up on the "give" factor of something dangling off your person.

Also, "carrying" body weight and taking the load in a fall are WAY different capabilities. Holding my 210lbs. statically is one thing, dropping my 210lbs. from say 10 feet generates a significant amount of force (someone will help me with the formula which escapes me at the moment) as gravity accellerates at @ 9.8 meters per second.

So, pulling a load, holding a load and taking the force of a fall are different applications (pulling and holding not by much) requiring different abilities.
 
MikeD60 -- Noted. Thanks for the input.

StJames is sending me a couple in the mail. Great guy.

-- Jeff
 
Some car guys use a plain ol climb'n one for seat belt attachments, s'posed to be rated at like 4 tons? I cant recall a name or size though :confused:
 
mikeD10:

1lb = 4.45N, so 210.lb. = 935N; 935N/9.81 = 95.3kg.
10ft = 3.04m

So lets assume an elastic collision, and your body is in contact with the ground for .2 seconds (you hit the ground, bounce back up, or bounce the carabiner).

PE = mgh
KE = (.5)mv^2

and if mgh = .5mv^2, then v = (2gh)^(.5). So v = 7.72 m/s.

And assuming something like .2 seconds contact with the ground (carabiner), you say 7.72/.2 = A (deceleration) = 38.62 m/s^2.

F=ma = (95.3)(38.62) = 3680N.

So falling something 10 ft. would be the equivalent of multiplying your weight by four times or so. If you fell from that distance, you would need a carabiner rated at least 827 lbs.
Beware, though, because my .2 seconds is a completely arbitrary number. The strength of your carabiner entirely depends on the tensile strength of the rope that you are planning on using. Assume you have a rope that has entirely NO give (unnatural), then you would have to make a dead stop, and then you would need a carabiner that is infinitely strong. If you were using a nice enough bungee, such that it might counteract gravity at a slow enough rate (say, .7 seconds) then you could concievably have a carabiner that is rated at exactly your weight and get away with it.


Anyhow, I carry an aluminum carabiner, which is just strong enough to hold my keys. :)

Take care guys.
 
Hey wow, that is kind of ironic that you mention berkeleypoint.com. At least for me, because I'm living in berkeley, CA right now studying physics.
Ok I don't know why I said that.
 
Ichabod, I'd think twice before trusting something that is rated for 150lbs to catch you in a fall unless you weigh something like 10lbs. Just looking at the two biners I have handy, they're rated at 24 and 23 kN. That's kilo-Newtons. Roughly 225lbs of force per kN or in the case of the one rated @ 23kN, 5,175lbs. That biner is also meant to be used with a dynamic rope which has a little give and doesn't transfer all of the force directly to the biner in the event of a fall. Of course, you would need some kind of harness to take that weight when you fell too, you'd be surprised how weak a leather belt can be (assuming that would be your attachment point and not something like a belt loop).

Dizos, if you're planning on having a figure 8, you might as well have the full sized biners to go with it. You can even rig a rappel with just one biner (locking preferred) using a Munter Hitch. I do like the idea of multitasking your EDC stuff though.

Rob
 
Dr. Nick,

You are probably right. There's a big difference, though, on how the loads are introduced to the beaner.

I'm 235 on a good day. If I dropped from any reasonable height, I'd probably shear the aluminum right off.

I could slowly lower myself as the beaner twisted out of shape. And I could slowly raise and lower equipment.

The console of my F-150 is rapidly becoming a survivalist's dream warehouse. What the heck, I'll throw a few extra beaners in there, too. I have them all over the house for their 'quick disconnect' feature.
 
Black Diamond makes a biner with full strength rating that is smaller in size the gate is made of wire. I think it might be called a live wire, or something like that.
 
The best small keychain carabiner that is actually fully rated as a full strength carabiner is the Italian Kong Helium 33. It is made for alpine climbing where every gram is counted. The Helium weighs in at 33 grams compared to full diameter carabiners that weigh in at 40-45g. It also has the keylock feature found in Petzl carabiners so that the nose does not get caught on your belt loop when you are clipping or unclipping.

They're hard to find in North America but visit Kong's website at www.kong.it to check them out.


George
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top