Impressive functionality at just 22g
The Best Utility Non-Locking Carabiner
Espresso Note
Read Time - 2 minutes
April 2020
On big committing routes or in alpine terrain, weight is a critical factor. Lighter gear frees you up to either carry more of it, or better still climb faster! But, a weight conscious mindset would be a good attitude for climbers of all stripes to adopt.
One place many climbers can make a significant weight saving is by reducing the number of locking carabiners they carry. Don’t skimp on carabiners all together, instead carry a selection of ‘utility non-locking biners’. These can be carried racked in bunches or on slings for ‘anchor kits’. The approach works equally well from bolted multi-pitch to long alpine shifts. This system is devised in a very similar spirit to the ‘utility locking carabiner’ concept.
For a utility locking carabiner look for light, think sub 30g. This will almost inevitably be a wire gate. A simple geometry is desirable so the carabiner can easily be rotated around a bolt, piton eye or wire, and stacking or opposing it with other utility non-lockers. A modest but accommodating internal volume is also nice, and you will be especially thankful for this in rescue scenarios. This internal volume doesn’t come from the size of the biner, as must as it does its ‘throw’. The throw is the distance from the gate to the spine along the top of the carabiner. A short throw, entails a steep bend at the top of the carabiner which reduces its internal volume.
So which is best? Well we think the CAMP Nano 22 has to take the prize. It’s geometry is identical to the larger fully functioned wire, snap and locking brother, the CAMP Photon.
It is not the lightest carabiner on the market, the Edelrid Nineteen G, shaves 3g off the Nano 22, but offers far inferior functionality. Edelrid’s wiregate has some pretty radical geometry. This affects the ease of rotating the carabiner and stacking or opposing it. It also renders its volume far smaller. Its short throw takes the top of the carabiner through a steep function killing bend.
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