Gridlock Screwgate Carabiner | Isolated Belay Loop | Keylock Nose | Secure Belay Carabiner for Rock Climbing

I’m a former 101st Airborne Division veteran that was an infantryman and Air Assault (rappelling and helicopter operations) qualified. I had one new’ish roof tile come loose after a nasty thunderstorm that had tornado strength winds. I didn’t want to pay someone $$$ just to reaffix one lousy tile so I figured buying my own proper gear will pay for itself. I’m an old school rappelling guy so decided to update and upgrade the kind of gear that’s now available on the market. This carabiner with its anti cross tangle slot is pretty nifty and was very simple to use. Not like the old style D-ring carabiner I utilized in the Army, this one is quarter of the weight making it pretty lightweight. The small slot at the bottom of the carabiner I attached to my suspension harness and the larger open portion I hooked it to a Black Diamond super 8 belay rappel device. Not like the old heavy duty military grade carabiners I used this one having the locking screw device takes the guess work out and adds an extra measure of security. Nothing worse than dropping like a sack of potatoes if you hook up wrong lol. So, got everything together correctly and showed my wife how to be a belay person while I was on my roof, which is pretty steep. Got the tile reaffixed safely with zero injuries so all is good. I liked this lightweight carabiner that’s just the right size for most rappelling and climbing ropes, so I ordered another one to build a second kit. Always have a backup for “just in case”…

Standard carabiners are just fine for normal or sport use but this does up the game when belaying. With a standard carabiner and a normal belay device there is always the issue of cross loading the carabiner when there is any slack in the system. Even after just a couple uses the advantages of this gridlock design is clear. Keep the harness in the small portion of the carabiner and the belay device in the larger portion and it is all but impossible to cross load and keeps everything neat and tidy. While I do prefer the screwgate design over a twist lock for security the threads on the gate are pretty squeaky and could use to be smoother, but functionally the lock works fine and it's not very noticeable. I would definitely recommend this as a second carabiner and dedicate it to belay use. There are other situations where it could be used but when belaying it really shines.

It's Black Diamond. Great design and always reliable. Will be getting a few more.

Makes belaying a snap

I got a few of these carabiners for belay and rappel devices. When used for this purpose the harness loop is kept in the smaller section and the belay or rappel device sits in the larger section. This keeps the carabiner from disconnecting from your harness when attaching and disconnecting the belay/rappel device. I do find it annoying however to connect or remove this carabiner. You have to open the gate, connect it to your harness, close the gate, reposition the carabiner, and then open the gate one more time to move it into place. Overall the quality is great and the carabiner works well, however, there are other types on the market I found after this that allow the small opening to be worked independent of the main gate. This makes them less frustrating to work with.

I love this carabiner! It's just the fix I needed for the one on my belay loop. I've been tree climbing and with the standard style they kept cross loading without my constant attention on them. This one locks the loop in the bottom part so when it goes from slack to tension, it's always straight. Awesome finish! No sharp edges! Gate function is flawless! Very good product!

I've used the carabineer with a Grigri to toprope solo plenty of easy climbs. It's ideal for not allowing the dreaded cross load falls. I'd recommend using it having the Grigri through the smaller section. Though some may find it tedious to slide your belay device all the way through but it's well worth it.

I thought the carabiner was bigger than it really is. I bought it to use with my Black Diamond ATC Pilot and I am not comfortable with the design. It is not comfortable when removing or setting the rope to the Pilot. And I feel there is not enough space left for the device to move around. I prefer to use a carabiner like the Petzl Attache, which is not bigger but is more comfortable to use for belay purpose. I bought this carabiner because its the one recommended to use with the Pilot. On the other hand I am not convinced by the locking system. Instead of being completely fixed once locked, it has a slight difference in travel until it locks. It closes correctly but for this reason, I prefer to use another carabiner.