Grivel Twin Gate Carabiners...?

[JAshley73]

Anyone played with, or used the Grivel Twin Gate carabiners? General thoughts on them?

I knew about these, and was surprised to stumble upon them at a local outdoor store, so of course I picked one up. Seems like a really neat biner, and pretty quick after some practice. Also seems like a lovely alterative to a screw gate, which I'm fundamentally opposed to**, and would be a good alternative to tri-locks that are susceptible to getting clogged with mud.

Anyone else used these for a while? I'm contemplating adding more of these to my kit, and can't really see a reason not to. (Outside of just the cost of buying a bunch at one time of course...)

For the record, I did a search and found this thread from a decade ago. Not much seems to have been said about them however.



** As a career machinist, I'm very, very familiar with both making, and using threaded connections. Any tight-clearance thread will clog and seize with debris. To be made to function with debris, the thread clearances must be large, or "loose." Any loose-thread is susceptible to vibration loosening the threaded connection. Thus, eventually the original problem of the gate coming open. And yes, yes, I know all about hanging them "upside down" so that the vibrations cause the threads to loosen, and then work themselves back "down" the biner, thus keeping the gate closed and locked. Just let a guy peacefully enjoy his prejudice against screw-locks... LOL

 

[andrewmcleod]

I know people who use them. Grivel are a quality manufacturer. If they work for you, then enjoy

(Generally you don't have problems with good quality screwgates, but I moderately convinced I get more jammed gates on screwgates than I do with my double or triple action carabiners - plus the twist locks just tend to fail to close, whereas you can end up with screwgates you can't undo which can be more of a problem).

 

[cap n chris]

Yes. Fabulous. Use the search feature ffi.

 

[JAshley73]

Yes. Fabulous. Use the search feature ffi.

I did. One mention by you in a thread on cowstails. Another thread from 2014?, that was previously linked in the original post. I debated weather responding there was best, or starting a new thread. I chose the latter, as necromancing a thread that's been dead for a decade, is usually frowned upon in forums...

I didn't think it would be an issue to ask if anyone else had adopted these, in the past 9 years...

 

[cap n chris]

I believe that the majority of cavers do what everyone else does and the inertia is entrenched. Despite the potentially lethal nature of snap gates they still seem to be in routine use and I've long since given up so shall keep out of it. Personally I know of three others who have caved with me who have taken to grivels because they see the benefits.

 

[phizz4]

I’ve not used them caving yet but have been trialing them with my Grigi when at the climbing wall, as that requires opening and closing frequently. Once you are used to the technique they are quicker to use than a screw gate. I would think they would work well on a cows tail, especially when it is under tension.

 

[Fjell]

I found them a pain in the arse on the short cowstail going past rebelays. At least with a screwgate you don’t have to do it up, which obviously very few people actually do anyway. I lasted about two hanging rebelays then put the snaps back on and rigged with them instead. Probably a superior rigging krab, but slightly expensive. I prefer a triact for a single point of attachment like a descender.

If you do realistic maths then having two points of attachment with snaps must beat having a screwgate on one, although given neither option has never failed as far as I am aware then it is very moot due to zero data (risk is one divided by history of SRT pretty much). I would focus on ease of use.

 

[Fulk]

Something that strikes me about all the discussion about the 'right' and 'wrong' way to go about doing SRT is that since SRT has taken over from ladders the number of cave accidents and the number of cave deaths have gone down dramatically; why can't we accept that there are different ways of doing things, and build on that?