Anti-Cross Loading Autolocking Carabiner?

+1 DMM Ceros. So great.

The Metolius Gatekeeper isn't getting any love in this thread so I'll just say it's great and is the dirtbag's DMM Ceros. Love that thing. 

I prefer belay carabiners that don’t wear out and get aluminum all over my rope and hands. So I like the Edelrid HMS Bulletproof Belay FG Carabiner.

Terry E wrote:

I prefer belay carabiners that don’t wear out and get aluminum all over my rope and hands. So I like the Edelrid HMS Bulletproof Belay FG Carabiner.

This changes with a grigri. Insert grigri thread dogs at the crag madness. 

Grivel clepsydra S

A stout rubber band? (Such as the type typically used to restrain incorrigible broccoli or petulant lobster claws.)

Tone Loc wrote:

A stout rubber band? (Such as the type typically used to restrain incorrigible broccoli or petulant lobster claws.)

You have a good point, I've never had my broccoli cross loaded

Daniel Joder wrote:

I’m not sure I understand for what specific use you plan to use the carabiner. That could make a big difference on our recommendations. 

If it is for, say, belaying with a Grigri I have personally been very happy with the Petzl Freino. It took me a few sessions to get used to opening it and attaching it efficiently to my harness but now I have my habit pattern down. 

While I like the Freino, I've stopped using it because I'm convinced that I'll drop the grigri during a multipitch when taking it off my harness. It typically lives on the fifth loop. I've tried putting the grigri on the hook and using the main body on the harness, I've tried it with the grigri on the main locking portion and using the hook side to the harness, and the grigri on the main locking portion and using that to attach to the harness. I hate how the first two sit and the third always feels like the grigri wants to jump. 

Jay DePun wrote:

While I like the Freino, I've stopped using it because I'm convinced that I'll drop the grigri during a multipitch when taking it off my harness. It typically lives on the fifth loop. I've tried putting the grigri on the hook and using the main body on the harness, I've tried it with the grigri on the main locking portion and using the hook side to the harness, and the grigri on the main locking portion and using that to attach to the harness. I hate how the first two sit and the third always feels like the grigri wants to jump. 

If dropping is the fear, you could make a leash out of some 2mm cord. YGD and all that. There are lots of ways to attach to the gri gri. I’ll let Google guide you. I drilled a 2mm hole in my gri gri…YGD yadda yadda yadda. I’m not gonna die from that. Then, you could take a few wraps around the spine of the biner and secure with a hitch or knot. In applications like this, I like to pass my teeny tiny knots under a small flame quickly a few times just to sort of ‘set’ the sheath material, without noticeably melting it, to secure the knot semi-permanently.

Tone Loc wrote:

If dropping is the fear, you could make a leash out of some 2mm cord. YGD and all that. There are lots of ways to attach to the gri gri. [...]Then, you could take a few wraps around the spine of the biner and secure with a hitch or knot. In applications like this, I like to pass my teeny tiny knots under a small flame quickly a few times just to sort of ‘set’ the sheath material, without noticeably melting it, to secure the knot semi-permanently.

Yeah I've considered connecting a leash through the plastic backing piece but always stopped because of concern that some attentive gym employee is going to complain. I've stopped going to that gym since (moved) and am mostly stuck bouldering so maybe it's time. On the other hand, adding any other biner will do the job if all I need to do is lower.

+1 Grivel Clepsydra S