starting to collect gear , whats a good choice for lockers?

[Climbing4life]

Black Diamond Rocklock Screwgate Biner
$11.50 CAD


or

Black Diamond Positron Screwgate Biner
$9.75 CAD

i`m just starting to buy my own gear , i got a rope now and webbing , and now i want to get some lockers so i can start setting up TR`s .
any feedback would be great!
willing to buy other type. these 2 are just the cheapest haha

Also looking for some feedback on quickdraws too !

thanks
C4L
(seanb)

[*Chris*]

The positrons are great for using at bolted anchors or in tight spaces. Notchless, light, and small. Might want to consider getting larger cross sectional diameter biners for the rope end of your anchors though as you'd probably find the rope would run better through them.

That said, avoid the cheap lucky lockers... the locking sleeves on mine have become detached and travel up the gate when they're not locked up. They are still secure when locked but it is annoying.

I'd go with 2 positrons and 2 of something else as a start to an anchor setup.

[Climbing4life]

The positrons are great for using at bolted anchors or in tight spaces. Notchless, light, and small. Might want to consider getting larger cross sectional diameter biners for the rope end of your anchors though as you'd probably find the rope would run better through them.

That said, avoid the cheap lucky lockers... the locking sleeves on mine have become detached and travel up the gate when they're not locked up. They are still secure when locked but it is annoying.

I'd go with 2 positrons and 2 of something else as a start to an anchor setup.

awesome thanks alot thats some good advice!


IF ANYONE ELSE HAS ANY FEEDBACK LET ME KNOW!

Thanks

C4L
(seanb)

[Climbing4life]

I was just looking at MEC .
what do u think about

Petzl AM'D Screwgate Biner

for the 2 others ?

or can u give me some names that u think would be appropriate.

thanks

C4L(seanb)

[granite_grrl]

I do not like those Petzl AM'Ds very much, but that's personal preferance and haven't used one for a long time. Those BD positron lockers look nice and I've been thinking of getting a couple to replace my Clogs. But I use them more for trad climbing, I try to avoid top roping too much.

My advice: Just buy one of each and try it, or buy one aymetric D and a HMS or something. You'd be amazed at how many lockers get eaten up if you start something like trad climbing. Heck, even following trad climbing, esp on multipitch. I was climbing with a girl at the Gunks a ocuple of weeks ago and we barely had enough lockers......we had 8 or 9 between us. I like to go up with 6 personally (which includes the two for belaying). If you don't like it for TRing, you'll end up using them for something else in your climbing career, trust me.

As you get into climbing more and more gear, you'll find gear you love, gear you hate, gear that you cheaped out on early on and you need to replaced. I'd be a little more careful about buying the right cams or something, but you can never have enough biners.

[Climbing4life]

I do not like those Petzl AM'Ds very much, but that's personal preferance and haven't used one for a long time. Those BD positron lockers look nice and I've been thinking of getting a couple to replace my Clogs. But I use them more for trad climbing, I try to avoid top roping too much.

My advice: Just buy one of each and try it, or buy one aymetric D and a HMS or something. You'd be amazed at how many lockers get eaten up if you start something like trad climbing. Heck, even following trad climbing, esp on multipitch. I was climbing with a girl at the Gunks a ocuple of weeks ago and we barely had enough lockers......we had 8 or 9 between us. I like to go up with 6 personally (which includes the two for belaying). If you don't like it for TRing, you'll end up using them for something else in your climbing career, trust me.

As you get into climbing more and more gear, you'll find gear you love, gear you hate, gear that you cheaped out on early on and you need to replaced. I'd be a little more careful about buying the right cams or something, but you can never have enough biners.

I never thought of it that way but thats sooooooo true , thanks! i`m gonna jus go with the flow . good call thanks

Cheers
C4L
(seanb)

[*Chris*]

My advice: Just buy one of each and try it...

I agree with GG but if you're going for TR anchor gear I'd get whatever lockers you try in pairs. It just tends to make things more equalized.

[Shawn B]

I have both positron and rocklock. Positron are a real nice "working" biner (ie. clipping bolt, placing on gear, slow draw, etc.). Nice and light. A good size - small but not too small and the notchless nose is nice. They are a bit small for the rope end of a slingshot TR. The rocklocks are good for that. Petzl atache is also a nice locker esp for a belay device. A bit pricier though. As said, avoid the lucky.

[granite_grrl]

Re: Petzl Atache...have these gone down in price from maybe 4 years ago, or was I really that cheap at the time ('cause I was pretty damn cheap at the time)? I did buy the Lucky HMS biners instead, which really aren't that bad, but the Petzl HMS is superior.

Yet another cheap peice of gear I bought that I keep thinking about replacing it eventually. But the Luckeys aren't quite bad enough to send me running off to the store quickly.

I love HMS lockers, I carry these and those little Clogs (for the reason Shawn mentions with the positrons). The HMS is good for belaying and great for clove hitches and such. How are HMS for TR setups? 'Cause if they're decent they're a solid locker choice.

[Adam]

IF ANYONE ELSE HAS ANY FEEDBACK LET ME KNOW!

NOTCHLESS! NOTCHLESS! NOTCHLESS! NOTCHLESS! NOTCHLESS!

seriously.

for non-lockers... go with the wild country heliums. you're going to pay more for them, but you'll never replace them b/c they're the best (yes, debatable)... but they're 1 - notchless, 2 - superlight, 3 - wiregate,

“The Helium Clean Wire is the first carabiner to use the "I-beam" construction that makes steel girders strong yet light. This application gives the Helium the best strength-to-weight ratio of any carabiner.

At a scant 1.2 ounces, it's the lightest full-size biner ever made. With strengths of 24 kN major axis, 9 kN minor axis and 10 kN with its gate open, it is one of the strongest biners out there.”

Quote from Duane Raleigh Editor Rock and Ice Magazine USA 2005

[granitoid]

the petzl attache is a sweet locking biner, very smooth and light, I carry a couple of those and a couple of el-cheapo's in case I feel obliged to leave a locking someplace.

Last year I replaced my belay biner with an oversized version of the attache called the William that is also sweet.

[martha]

We have some positron lockers and they are awesome, but too small for busy trad anchors. They are great for the bolt end of a TR anchor and okay for the rope end, but like Shawn said... a little small. For that we have the old DMM lockers that we just have never replaced. I don't think they make them anymore but are a sturdy D shaped biner.

The Atache is wicked good but expensive. However, it works for all anchors and is even big enough you could belay with it.
Fred and I also use the Petzl William locker for belaying. a nice big biner.

Notchless is really the way to go and definately follow Chris's advice and buy your lockers (except belay locker) in pairs.

[Climbing4life]

Notchless is really the way to go and definately follow Chris's advice and buy your lockers (except belay locker) in pairs.

I ended up getting 2 -Petzl AM'D Screwgate Biner and

2- Petzl OK Oval Screwgate Biner

the AM`d i heard was a good D shape biner

as for the OK oval i took Jon Adamson`s advice on that one
(apparently the rope runs nice through them , so i`m gonna find out )

thanks again Guys for all the help

Cheers
C4L
(seanb)

[szymiec]

Atache.

[Climbing4life]

Got my biners and i`m super happy with my purchase , gotta love MEC , got my stuff in 1 week .
god there fast

Cheers
and thanks for all the feedback.