Carabiner

Pronounced "cara beener". Nicknamed 'biner (pronounced beener).

A loop or ring of metal used to attach lines or webbing together. A gate on the loop allows it to be opened to engage a line or webbing. The loop is usually D, oval or teardrop shaped, though the exact shapes can be quite intricate. Most carabiners used by paddlers come to us from the rock climbing community, who developed the various shapes and sizes based on their own mythologies and needs. It is perfectly acceptable to take rock climbing equipment (rope, webbing, biners, etc.) out on the river but you should never expect to take it back to the rocks. Constant exposure to the silted water, chaffing, and other conditions in water sports degrade the quality of the equipment and it is generally considered unsafe to trust with your life 100+ feet off the ground after it has been to the river. Salt water is even harder on equipment than river water.

Most are made of aluminum, though steel and stainless steel carabiners are available. Some carabiners, including all plastic ones, are only for decorative or light duty use; these are usually labeled not for climbing. All biners that are usable should be labeled with their strength both with the gate opened and with it closed (they are usually more than twice as strong with the gates closed). Gates are either the same as the body of the carabiner or are made of stiff wire - the latter are a bit lighter in weight and offer a larger opening compared to equivalent conventional carabiners but cannot hold the same weight. Some carabiners have locking gates - these have a mechanism to help prevent a gate from opening accidentally.

NEVER ASSUME A GATE WILL STAY CLOSED. It is possible to have a line come out of a carabiner - if the line crosses the gate, it can pop the carabiner open. Even a locking gate can open on its own - friction on the gate lock can undo it. If a locking carabiner is not available then two normal carabiners can be used with opposing gates. In other words, make sure that the gate of one carabiner is against the solid side of the other. This works best with two oval biners; two D's don't line up right when opposed.

For saltwater paddling, stainless carabiners, while heavy and expensive, outlast aluminum ones.

One carabiner that is useful for paddlers is the Kong. It is also sometimes called a paddler carabiner. Its large size and gate allow it to grab onto the shaft of a standard paddle. It can be used for many applications in paddling. Its size and shape allow it to be used effectively in high-angle rescues, such as evacuating a disabled paddler from a river valley.

Another one that paddlers like, mostly for rescues, is called The Big D and is much larger than others. Although the gate usually doesn't open wide enough for a paddle shaft it is a monster carabiner and many lengths of rope can be put through it at once. This is an excellent biner for things like a Z drag or any other application that requires multiple anchors.