Mini carabiners for your big wall bivy
To make an organized camp on a big wall, you’ll need 10-20 spare carabiners to clip things securely onto your ledge.
Avoid scavenging carabiners from your lead rack to clip stuff to your bivy. (Ask me how I know this.) This will definitely slow you down in the morning when you break down your camp and then need to restore the carabiners to the proper spot.
Designate these carabiners to a specific piece of gear at home, not at the base of the route.
Personally, I prefer carabiners be properly rated for actual climbing, and not the El Cheapo little “keychain” carabiners that you might get at the hardware store check out. You might remember that the little pink carabiner is not load rated, but what if your partner doesn't know that? What if it's dark and you accidentally grab the wrong one? Considering your wall rack probably cost more than $3,000, dropping another $50 to get some camping carabiners isn’t that big a deal.
Get all of them the same unique color. That way you know they’re for camping-only, and you don't get them mixed up with your lead rack.
Lots of manufacturers make tiny wiregate carabiners. A good choice is the CAMP Nano.
Lots of cool colors
Fully load rated at 21 kN
low cost, about $7
Hopefully everything you bring on a big wall has its own stuff sack or clip in point. If you need to add clip points onto pretty much anything, some wonderful cord to use is bank line. It's inexpensive, super strong, and holds knots very well.
If you’re not big wall climbing, mini carabiners also work great for hanging a lantern or headlamp from your tent, attaching light items to the outside of your backpack or hanging your food to keep it away from critters.
For the big wall cheapskates . . .
If you do choose to save a few bucks and get a accessory carabiner that's NOT rated for climbing, this accessory carabiner from Avant is a good choice.
Hopefully it’s wildly obvious that this is not something you ever want on your lead climbing rack, even if you grab it in the dark!
Be sure your partner knows it's only for camping and never for climbing.
This is an accessory carabiner from Avant Climbing, available at Hownot2.com.
