In reply to red1200:
Not sure about you, but for me having the same krab for multiple belay devices seems like a real faff. My two main devices both have their own one. That way I never need to swap things over and each krab is chosen to suit a single task.
For a GriGri with an experienced user, the risk of cross-loading should be fairly low. As such lots of krabs should work perfectly fine, including bog standard D-shaped screwgates. A few options that may work well are:
- I use a Petzl Freino, which is absolutely great, especially for lowering if using an original GriGri rather than a later one. The main downside is they are stupidly expensive at retail price and don't work well with other devices.
- One partner uses a BD Gridlock, however with the narrow end to the GriGri, which is a really neat. Definitely a top option. (Not sure if others like the Ceros work in that orientation but worth a look.)
- Another partner uses a DMM Oval Screw gate. Again a nice option.
Given that when indoor or sport climbing I pretty much exclusively use my GriGri, my normal belay plate (Petzl Reverso) is mainly used for trad and with fairly thin double ropes. Over the past decade I've generally gone for something relatively compact with an auto locking mechanism for security and speed.
- DMM Sentinel Locksafe (triple lock gate - push/twist/open). On the smaller side and easy to use once you've gotten the hang of the gate. The gate mechanism did start to wear after a few years but I felt I'd got my moneys worth.
- BD Vaporlock Magnetron. A great sized krab and the magnetic gate is fantastically quick and secure. Still useable in Winter, a bit fiddly with gloves and probably not much more prone to icing than normal screwgates. I'm super happy with this, although might baulk at the replacement price when my current one wears out.
- Grivel Twingates. I have used some of these but with my Kong guide plate. I quite like them. I'd be happy using their mid-sized HMS version with a normal plate.
Finally, a couple of dislikes.
These days I dislike the largest HMS krabs for use with a standard plate. I used both a DMM Boa and a BD Rocklock recently and with the larger smoothly curved design they seemed more likely to twist around, risking cross-loading than slightly smaller designs. I suppose this is actually another way of saying that if you do really want a larger krab then possibly go for one like the Ceros with an anti-cross-loading design.
I don't like the Petzl Attache Screwgate as a belay krab. I find that the gate mechanism is a bit too "loose". The gate barrel spins very freely which is good in some respects but I found that they seemed more likely to come undone compared to DMM, BD and Grivel krabs.
Probably too many options available these days for obvious agreement on what's best, especially if you want something to work in lots of scenarios. However hope some of that helps.