UKC

Grivel have revolutionised the world of carabiners with the advent of the Twin Gate system. This new design improves carabiner saftey, massivley, while making them quicker and easier to use than a classic screw gate they replace. The Sigma Twingate is a classic offset carabiner for to be used in place of a normal snap link or wherever you want to add extra security like on your cams, hexes or on your last quick draw before a crux.

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/gear/news.php?id=6593

In reply to UKC Gear:

How can anyone even begin to imagine how these can be easier to use than a 'classic' screwgate? Had a play with one in Outside last week. Pants, utter pants.

In reply to UKC Gear:
Does this mean Grivel are going to stop making all their other types of carabiner as they have "danger!" printed on the screen, next to them, in one of the adverts?

In reply to UKC Gear:

Looks like it's a bit of a faff, but I've not tried using one. Having said that SH seemed pretty slick operating it. I think I'll stick to my traditional heavy-duty padlock and MIG welder, just to be sure.

In reply to Fraser:


He'd been practising for months.

In reply to mrchewy:

If you don't like them Grivel will send Steve round to kick your teeth in.

In reply to UKC Gear:

Cool idea but they look like a total pain in the arse. I really cannot imagine using these trad climbing :s In the hundreds of indoor falls ive taken on snaplink draws I've never been worried about the rope unclipping itself :s

I just can't see a market for these..

In reply to UKC Gear:

ive used both the Sigma and the Omega carabiners the past couple of weeks.

there is a learning curve as expected. Overall the verdict for me:

Omega - a bit of a pain to use, but if "auto-locking" AND price is a factor then maybe worth getting. But if the added safety of auto locking is the only thing you are after, a BD Magnetron is far easier to use but at a higher price point

Sigma - I will be keeping one on my harness now. Far easier to use than the Omega due to the two gates being asymmetrical. A good replacement in places where people often use small lockers or wires (i.e. bolt biners on anchors, tether, prussiks). Mine is now being used for my abseil autoblock

For last few months, these carabiners were advertised almost on every Facebook/web page I follow. Not even once, but twice or more on the same place!

I haven't tried any twin gate carabiners, but I would like to use it instead of screwgate in some situations as I have tendency to check the screwgate half a dozen times before I climb/belay. I was about to get one as I like new shiny gear, but such marketing makes my wishes opposite.


In reply to jsmcfarland:

I've talked to the guy at the local wall and he said he would be fine if someone uses such a carabiner for belaying.

In reply to UKC Gear:

I've been using the big one for belaying. Its chunky, quite easy to use, although the gate doesn't open very wide. I pretty sure they'll catch on, mostly because if you watch to the end of the video, SH says he'll crush anyone he finds NOT using one.

In reply to UKC Gear:

The krab in the video and the one in the illustration are different - how does the one not in the vid work, looks like some kind of wire-gate and solid-gate combo,


Chris

In reply to UKC Gear:

I dare say they do work but I doubt they would replace screwgates on my rack.

That being said - In theory I was never a fan of autolocking gates but My DMM boa locksafe is a great thing.

In reply to UKC Gear: You/they say it "improves carabiner safety massively". Will someone now quantify "massively"? Without that it's meaningless.

I'm so glad that Grivel have invented this carabiner. I'll now sleep much better knowing it's a solution to the dozens of deaths and serious injuries caused by screwgates inadvertently coming undone.

In reply to Frank the Husky:


It's an advertorial and this is 'appeal to fear' [V.Diff marketing]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appeal_to_fear

What they really say is improves carabiner saftey, massivley,. Unbelievably someone was paid to write this drivel.

In reply to flaneur: Aha! So it's all smoke and mirrors. Who would have thought it?

You're right, of course. Someone was paid to write this meaningless drivel that 90% of people can see through:- Grivel, if you're reading this criticism of your terrible marketing, feel free to ask me to do a rewrite. My fees are very reasonable.

"saftey" = "safety"
"massivley" = "massively"

In reply to UKC Gear:

That first video is one of the best product videos I have ever seen - it's art...surreal.

In reply to UKC Gear:
There is something weirdly fascinating about that video. Stevie H gives the strong impression that you would have to be an absolute moron to use regular krabs. In his non-marketing incarnation he would have excoriated anyone for being an asbolute moron for being suckered into buying this stuff.

Maybe he is deliberately overacting in that slightly sinister way to send a secret signal to climbers to say 'Hey guys, you know this is rubbish, I know this is rubbish. I'll take the money and we can all laugh like a drain at the idiots who buy this stuff, cause I know you wouldn't and I certainly wouldn't'.

Or maybe it's like one of those US pilots being held by the enemy in the Vietnam war, saying 'I am being treated well and hate the USA' while blinking in Morse code 'Ho Chin Minh is a big girl's blouse'.

... I may be overthinking this.

In reply to ericinbristol:

I had a good laugh. You hit the nail right on the head I think! I was eerily fascinated by the look in Stevie's eyes as he went through the demonstration...layers upon layers of meaning!

In reply to ericinbristol:

To be fair to him he does use a lot of Grivel stuff the times I've seen him in Malta. Their quickdraws with the molded dogbone so you can grab it and pull up on it for example, and their day sac.

In reply to Phil79:
If you don't like them Grivel will send Steve round to kick your teeth in.

Well with that in mind, here is a brief review based on my first impressions:

- The gate doesn't open very wide, probably not an issue in use but they won't be selling these as scaff hooks (I haven't got a pair of callipers to hand but I'd say 14mm?)

- After a couple of goes clipping does seem fairly quick but a total non-starter with gloves. I can open it in liner gloves but mitts or heavy gloves isn't happening. Basically the lip in the outer gate isn't really large enough, combined with a bit of play in the gate means there just isn't anything to grab. I suspect Mr. Haston had a fingerboard session to warm up for the ad or wears his gloves cripplingly tight!

- The shape is good, not too much to catch on things when clipping it into bolts and the top edge is nicely profiled for belaying.

If Grivel decide to make an OmegaV2 then I think they need to add a more prominent waist to the inner gate so the outer gate is easier to grip in gloves and tidy up the retaining piece that the outer gate engages with as it is easy to snag wires on.

In reply to UKC Gear:

I've been using one for a few days now in and out... Can't see it catching on to be honest for a few reasons. I've only used it on belay and anchors as it's far too fiddly to use on anything else. My thoughts:

The gate doesn't open wide enough. When clipping it through 2 rope loops and a belay loop with a belay device attached, it's border line not possible. And requires a lot more thought and attention.

The movement to open the gate is really unnatural... If the twin gate is upside down, it's almost impossible to do one handed... It has to be done the correct way up, if it's upside down, you have to turn it round.

You have to use your whole hand to keep the gate open. With say a Boa, you can use one finger to hold the gate open and then you can hook things with the biner... You can't do this with a twin gate, it's like using chopsticks.

The fiddle factor... Hanging on one arm you'd have no change of doing one hand clove hitch to get your hanging belay started. You'd have a lot more chance of dropping it too. I would say it's almost useless in this sense.

Also the anodisation is rubbish. I've only used it on 3 - 4 sessions and it looks terrible already.

This has already been relegated to my indoor kit purely as a belay biner. Just a novelty for me I'm afraid.

Hope this is useful to you all.