snapgate carabiner

As THE hardware expert in the Alpine region, we offer a huge selection of snapgate carabiners for climbing at our Climbing Shop Innsbruck.

We would like to present these products to you in detail below. Because it helps enormously to have a broader background knowledge when choosing the right model for your needs.

We hope this will help you with your purchase decision.
EN 12275 standard
All carabiners with a gate must comply with the EN 12275 – B standard. This is the standard for the so-called “basic carabiners”.

I.e. 20 kN in the longitudinal direction, 7 kN at cross-loading and 7 kN with the lock open.

In addition, the fastener itself must be able to withstand a pressure of 1kN = 100kg.

Finally, all products must be labeled accordingly with this standard. Or better formulated. All the standard values must be visibly printed or stamped on the product.

Perhaps THE classic among all carabiners with this locking system, the Petzl Spirit.
Classification of snapgate carabiner into types
In simple terms, “normal” carabiners can be divided into these three categories according to the design of the fastener

Firstly, the models with a “normal” closure. This consists of a round to oval aluminum construction. As a rule, they dock onto the “nose” of the counterpart with a “keylock” fastener.

This means that the positive and negative work together perfectly so that the product can develop its full holding power. Namely the breaking load in the longitudinal direction!

The advantage of this normal system is handling, i.e. easy attachment of the climbing rope. This is because these closures can be both “straight” and “bent”. Like the Petzl Spirit, for example.

Secondly, there are the so-called “wire snappers”. These are constructions made of steel wire, which have a much lower mass. This means that there is no “whiplash effect”. This refers to the opening of the fastener due to its inertia in the event of a fall. Classic examples are the Black Diamond Litewire or BD Miniwire carabiner.

And thirdly, the so-called “hybrid closures”. These are all models with a mixture of the two previous types. I.e. a type of wire fastener with a keylock fastener.

For example, the Camp Dyon and Camp Nano22 carabiners have such closures.

Hot forged models
Very lightweight models can only be produced using the hot forging process. Such as the Black Diamond HotWire Carabiner.

Both the mold and the aluminium alloy are heated to a high temperature. This enables complex H-profiles that are both very light and strong. In other words, they have high breaking load values.

This makes it possible to produce extremely light snapgate carabiner such as the Nano 22 from Camp or the Miniwire. These two models weigh just over 20 grams. Slightly larger models such as the LiteWire or the Camp Dyon are just over 30 grams. Very large carabiners for quickdraws, such as the Hotwire, weigh around 40 grams.

However, all hot-forged models have one thing in common. The attempt to make the rope contact surface in the large apex very large. Because this clearly protects the climbing ropes

Models such as the BD HotWire are hot-forged. They are characterized by low weight, a large contact surface for the rope and an elaborate profile.
Cold forged snapgate carabiner
If the aluminum pieces for carabiners are bent “untreated”, this is called “cold forging”. As is the case with all Austrialpin models such as the Rockit or the Eleven bent.

All these models also have one thing in common. They are somewhat heavier than the hot-forged ones and should therefore also be somewhat cheaper. In addition, it is not possible to press such elaborate shapes, which is why these products appear somewhat “firmer” and “coarser”.

A classic “cold” forged model. The Austrialpin Eleven.
Loading quickdraws
If you want to re-equip your old quickdraws, you’ve come to the right place. This is because both the carabiners on the side of the rope and on the side of the bolt often become very worn over time.

Read our article on ground-in carabiners, for example.

However, when replacing the snapgate carabiner, note which side is to be replaced. Because on the side of the bolt “straight” and on the side of the rope “bent” carabiner fasteners are recommended.

If you want to save weight and use wire catches, you don’t have a choice anyway. This is because only “straight” wire catches are available for production reasons.

When replacing quickdraws, you may need to make sure you have the right type of closure!
Anodized snapgate carabiner
Anodizing can be thought of as a thin protective layer on the aluminium alloy. It protects against rapid corrosion and gives the product its color. This is important for a Camalot rack, for example, where you want to be able to tell the size from the carabiner.

As a result, anodized models are more durable and usually have a slightly different purpose.

Models that are color-coordinated with other products, such as the Litewire Rackpacks on the Camalots, are all high-quality anodized!
Polished models
If aluminum carabiners are only “polished”, they do not have an additional “protective coating” or paint. This makes them a little cheaper on the one hand and more environmentally friendly on the other.

If you need a lot of quickdraws or individual carabiners with a snap lock, for example, these models are well worth considering.

A classic, polished model, the Rockit.