Favorite Carabiner to replace OP round stock

Hello all,

My current carabiner for belaying with a tube device is an Omega Pacific made with a two stage auto lock and modified round stock (likely forged not bent).  It is HMS compatible.  I love it and wish I bought two.  But the romance is coming to a tragic end.  The more I love it the deeper the grooves get.  

Would you share your favorite carabiners for belaying to help me find a new locking carabiner?

Edelrid steel lined lockers will give you significantly more life. They have several versions. I like the screw gate with anti- cross load clip. Been using it for several years now.

Not auto, but I dig the Camp Nimbus. Would give the new Attache a go if I was in the market though.

Another +1 for the CAMP nimbus. They are super light, round stock, and have a generally great hand feel.

For belaying I use two BD oval 'biners (non locking) with gates opposed and opposite.  Nice thing is you can open both gates together to clip, then just rotate one.  Safe, redundant, cheap.

Screw lockers tend to get grit in the works, and auto-lockers are a pain to faff with.  I do most of my leisure climbing without any lockers at all these days.

Rock exotica pirate and metolius element II are the only 2 truly round stock biners on the market these days. Someone out there on the proj did a pull test on various round stocks though I can't remember the results. 

Simond spider is a great option but maybe hard to get in the US. 

Ben Zartmanwrote:

For belaying I use two BD oval 'biners (non locking) with gates opposed and opposite.  Nice thing is you can open both gates together to clip, then just rotate one.  Safe, redundant, cheap.

Screw lockers tend to get grit in the works, and auto-lockers are a pain to faff with.  I do most of my leisure climbing without any lockers at all these days.

This only works with an ATC or Mega jul though, no? Definitely wouldn't work with a Grigri or most belay devices today. 

Back to the question - depends on the day but I use a petzl attache, petzl triact sm'd, DMM ceros, or Edelrid bulletproof triple locker. 

If I need something truly round, the BD Pearlock is my go to. Otherwise Edelrid Bulletproof

Cypher Helios hms 

Round stock

Auto or screw 

For an alternative from what you might usually see, take a look at the Austrialpine HMS Mini Mi. The brass sleeve has a lovely feel to it, and whether or not the “special milling” of the threads makes a true difference, I do find myself cleaning it less than other screw gates and it “floats” nicely shut and open. I believe it is only offered as a screw gate, but in my opinion that’s better for a tube device anyway. 

What is the op biner? Got a pic? Thinking of one in my gear bin that sounds similar. If ya love it so much I'm sure you could find one on here!

Cosmic Hotdogwrote:

This only works with an ATC or Mega jul though, no? Definitely wouldn't work with a Grigri or most belay devices today. 

Back to the question - depends on the day but I use a petzl attache, petzl triact sm'd, DMM ceros, or Edelrid bulletproof triple locker. 

If I need something truly round, the BD Pearlock is my go to. Otherwise Edelrid Bulletproof

Right.  The OP said "Tube device" which I took to mean something like the ATC or the Tuber or yore.  I use a stitch plate, so, same.  For devices that have a one-'biner hole like the grigri, I use a screw locker (Kong makes a nice round-stock oval).  But I don't use a grigri for leisure climbing much--too heavy and limited in use.

I forgot, the real answer is simple. It's the Grivel plume HMS.

Incredibly lightweight, round stock auto locking, snow, ice, it works. 

The only issue with it is it's pretty small and if you have a harness with a really fat belay loop it might not sit nicely. 

that guy named sebwrote:

I forgot, the real answer is simple. It's the Grivel plume HMS.

Incredibly lightweight, round stock auto locking, snow, ice, it works. 

The only issue with it is it's pretty small and if you have a harness with a really fat belay loop it might not sit nicely. 

Seb beat me to it. I use the Grivel Plume HMS K3GH too, 44 grams with a nice big round profile. Easy to use with gloves too and it racks super clean with a reverso and a lightweight locker for guide mode. 

that guy named sebwrote:

Someone out there on the proj did a pull test on various round stocks though I can't remember the results. 

https://www.mountainproject.com/forum/topic/120983341/finding-the-best-alternative-to-the-original-attache-a-review-of-rope-bearing-ca

Ben Zartmanwrote:

Right.  The OP said "Tube device" which I took to mean something like the ATC or the Tuber or yore.  I use a stitch plate, so, same.  For devices that have a one-'biner hole like the grigri, I use a screw locker (Kong makes a nice round-stock oval).  But I don't use a grigri for leisure climbing much--too heavy and limited in use.

Yup, you're right! He did and I missed that, my bad

I have a Kong oval locker that I use when I'm top belaying with a Gigi. That's a great carabiner for sure. 

Kyle McPheeterswrote:

What is the op biner? Got a pic? Thinking of one in my gear bin that sounds similar. If ya love it so much I'm sure you could find one on here!

While browsing suggestions offered here (many many thanks), I have learned that SMC Force Jake Twist lock is the same as the Omega Pacific. (SMC bought the OP carabiner tools.) The new one is key lock, which is way more user friendly.  

Apparently The Force Jake is also heavier than all the MP community suggestions.  I may stray from my first love.  

Ben Zartmanwrote:

For belaying I use two BD oval 'biners (non locking) with gates opposed and opposite.  Nice thing is you can open both gates together to clip, then just rotate one.  Safe, redundant, cheap.

Screw lockers tend to get grit in the works, and auto-lockers are a pain to faff with.  I do most of my leisure climbing without any lockers at all these days.

This is cool.  Obvious in retrospect, but not to me.  you taught me a new trick.  Thanks.  

Live Perchedwrote:

This is cool.  Obvious in retrospect, but not to me.  you taught me a new trick.  Thanks.  

This is not an appropriate application for this technique imo, belay devices move too much you'll just end up weirdly loading a biner. This also has no benefits over any other standard configuration.

 To get any of the environmental resiliency benefits you'd have to use wire gates which in my experience are particularly prone with interacting weirdly when opposite and opposed, this would only be worse with ovals. 

If you did this in front of me I would not be climbing with you.

Nice, that is the one I was picturing and I think I've still got one or two...though if you can get em new still from smc might as well!

that guy named sebwrote:

This is not an appropriate application for this technique imo, belay devices move too much you'll just end up weirdly loading a biner. This also has no benefits over any other standard configuration.

 To get any of the environmental resiliency benefits you'd have to use wire gates which in my experience are particularly prone with interacting weirdly when opposite and opposed, this would only be worse with ovals. 

If you did this in front of me I would not be climbing with you.

Sure, it doesn't work with every style of 'biner, but with ovals with spring-gates (not wiregates), it works perfectly.  The BD ones I use have a bit of a hollow in the body that the gate of the opposite 'biner kind of nests in nicely.  They behave as a unit, and I've never had one "weirdly load"--in fact, they seem less likely to crossload than a locking 'biner with a mechanism that catches everything.

I'd be interested in any report of an accident caused by opposed and opposite 'biners--to me it's far safer than any singular 'biner since, after all, you have two.