Carbiners-I am not convinced. Why carry them?

[Midnight Scout]

I see folks that include carabiners on their "must have" lists as well as seeing hikers and such with them hanging off of their equipment.

Why?

I'v had people tell me that they are great for rappelling and caving as well as military uses, but what is their use for survival if your camping or hiking trip goes bad?

The times I have used carabiners is when I have had LOTS of heavy duty rope with me so I could go rappelling. I don't see what the uses are if I am not going to be caving, rappelling or invovled in some military operation where they might be used. Yet I see hikers and backpackers with carabiners without the tons of rope you would need to actually use the carabiner.

I am just not convinced that they are worth carrying in the field. What else would you use them for but for rappelling? Thoughts?

 

[dizos]

I use them for hoisting food stuff sacks up and away from critters. I also use them for hanging sandals off of my pack for easy stream crossing access.

 

[Midnight Scout]

Thanks Dizos, I can see where they could be helpful for that. I have not had much trouble with critters getting into my food here in the States, plus the terrain where I live does not have trees that are high enough to bother stringing up the food sack. I'll keep carabiners in mind if I travel to another place.

 

[billym]

Biners on backpack=climbing poser.

No real need for biners in the BC. I own dozens and dozens and only pull them out to go climbing. You need more than one for any true technical endeavor.

Even better than biners on the pack is a Nalgene clipped to it via the cap retention strap which will eventually break.

 

[Thomas Linton]

I use them for hoisting food stuff sacks up and away from critters. . . .

Me too. I am NOT an eating poser.

 

[1kimo4u]

rappelling,spie-rigging, stabo-rigging. all military insertion-extraction techniques.

 

[Don Rearic]

Biners on backpack=climbing poser.

Someone actually stupid enough to say that in person could find out one of the alternative uses for the carabiner.

 

[peripatew]

As I mentioned elsewhere. There are lots of uses when canoeing. Easily and quickly attaching things to the canoe. Also, carabiners a great help when constructing a z-drag setup for unpinning canoes.

 

[runningboar]

They are useful for tons of stuff in the woods besides climbing, setting up hammock/shelter/dining fly, dangler sheaths like my 12" ontario rides in. A small one to atttach my knife to a belt loop when I carry it over my shoulder. I could keep going but I use the 3 or 4 I carry all the time. Chris

 

[billym]

Someone actually stupid enough to say that in person could find out one of the alternative uses for the carabiner.

I know that use too Don; was that a threat or a joke? I can't imagine you are saying you usually hit people for what they say?
All I am saying is after selling climbing gear for almost 10 years most people buy them to look cool. As a person who actually climbs it is a bit annoying. I guess that is how LEO and military feel about "mall ninjas" and how they dress.

I guess I woke up in a provocative mood today. Sorry if I offended anyone.

And canoeing does create many great uses for carabiners.

 

[Alberta Ed]

Handy for attaching to a rope so you can throw it over a branch and hang your pack/food bag up, or for emergency use. Get the real ones from a climbing shop, REI or Mountain Equipment; the cheapo ones are no good if you need one in an emergency.

 

[Thomas Linton]

Handy for attaching to a rope so you can throw it over a branch and hang your pack/food bag up . . . .

I prefer the immortal "rock sock" for that task.

Billy, I guess I am missing out on making a style statement since mine ride out of sight.

 

[peripatew]

I was unfortunately looking for some horrible use of a carabiner to post for some comedic value, and I came across this awesome (clarification added for Don) picture of a carabiner bow.

http://www.waytruthlife.com/actsfellowship/WSC2005/slides/Carabiner Bow (DelBow aka Ron Hood).html

 

[Don Rearic]

I know that use too Don; was that a threat or a joke?

Billy, I can't hit you, you're in California and my arms are not that long!

It was a joke to you, of course I'm not threatening to punch you over the Internet.

However, if someone actually opened their flap up to call someone a "poseur" for something so stupid and they got socked for it, I probably wouldn't tell a Cop what I saw in the motormouth's defense, either.

I can't imagine you are saying you usually hit people for what they say?

Billy, I live in a place where if I did that, I would be in jail constantly and I'm not.

But it begs a question if you really want to be serious about it, do you think you should be able to say anything to anyone you want with no negatives coming back to you?

Just a thought.

All I am saying is after selling climbing gear for almost 10 years most people buy them to look cool. As a person who actually climbs it is a bit annoying.

Some do, some do destroy their Nalgene bottles as someone else pointed out as well. Don't find it annoying, you don't "own" carabiner-ownership!

I guess that is how LEO and military feel about "mall ninjas" and how they dress.

There are a whole lot of departments that are now allowing Officers, or requiring them, to dress like Soldiers and Marines, I don't think some of them have a right to pass judgment on anyone, anyway. Don't care anymore.

Originally posted by naked:

I was unfortunately looking for some horrible use of a carabiner to post for some comedic value, and I came across this picture of a carabiner bow.

Ron Hood showed it in one of his excellent DVDs, have you tried it before you shit on the idea?

 

[misanthropist]

Biners on backpack=climbing poser.

No real need for biners in the BC. I own dozens and dozens and only pull them out to go climbing. You need more than one for any true technical endeavor.

Even better than biners on the pack is a Nalgene clipped to it via the cap retention strap which will eventually break.

I hung a nalgene bottle from my 82-pattern ruck that way for three years. I eventually lost the bottle...while moving from Montreal back West, while it was packed in a box.

I figure if it works for three years at a time, you can probably get away with it for a weekend.

 

[peripatew]

Ron Hood showed it in one of his excellent DVDs, have you tried it before you shit on the idea?

That was more of a: I was looking for some stupid carabiner thing, like a carabiner calculator or a carabiner shaped like a llama, and found something that looks pretty awesome like this arrow-biner idea. I usually only fire the brown alarm on ideas about global warming. But, I could probably make some exceptions.

 

[Esav Benyamin]

I was unfortunately looking for some horrible use of a carabiner to post for some comedic value, and I came across this picture of a carabiner bow.

I like that. What's he using for a power band? I bet a bungee cord would work, and be easy to hook up securely, too.

 

[Don Rearic]

Esav,

Hood showed how to use a slingshot rubber with or without pouch and some inner strands from a piece of Parachute Cord to rig it up. It works, it was never intended as anything other than a small game getter.

I wouldn't want to get hit with the thing, however.

 

[Esav Benyamin]

Looks more effective than a slingshot shooting BBs, anyway. It's always worth thinking about how-to. You never know what's going to be available.

When I followed the link, I saw an atlatl, also. Another good do-it-yourself weapon system.

 

[peripatew]

Esav,

Hood showed how to use a slingshot rubber with or without pouch and some inner strands from a piece of Parachute Cord to rig it up. It works, it was never intended as anything other than a small game getter.

I wouldn't want to get hit with the thing, however.

What DVD was this in?