Belay Master

I like this a lot. No need to worry about cross-loading, or the carabiner being unlocked or getting undone. I also don't find the plastic gate to catch on stuff like kubi wrote. However, the nose of the carabiner does catch, so a keylock biner would be much better. So that drops the rating to 4 instead of 5.

These suckers are awsome. Anyone else using the D-mod will probobly notice how often they like to cross-load, but the belay master nips that trend in the bud quick style. You can get a steel biner that it fits on, too.

Generally nice to have that extra margin of security. I also like it for keeping a grigri from cross-loading while short-fixing ( I turn it around so gri gri is clipped to the small end. With all that said, I often find myself removing the plastic piece and putting in my pocket due to the inconvenience of dealing with it when putting someone on belay. I probrably should just add a little tether so I can snap it off and on.....in fact I think I will!

Since there are no other reviews ...
I bought this a year or so ago; it's been used for belaying in the gym and outside; lead, second, TR and rappel.

So far the only time the plastic gate misbehaved was belaying a second via a redirect: it was clipped to my rope loop, and the knot kept popping the gate open. It would still have worked to spec if I'd just flipped it over or clipped it to my belay loop instead.

In every other situation, I've appreciated it: I don't have to worry about the carabiner getting turned around and cross-loaded, and it provides visual confirmation that the screwgate is locked. The plastic gate itself seems pretty sturdy, leaves enough room to tie off the belay device without trouble, and you can pop it off entirely if you just need a plain screwgate.

Whether any of that is worth paying extra for is a purely personal call, but this is certainly a good, simple idea that works well.

I bought the DMM Belay Master to use with an SBG II. The SBG has a solid stem, which makes it somewhat more prone to twisting around into weird orientations and crossloading the belay biner. With the belay master, this possibility is almost totally removed. Plus, the biner has a nice, wide and smooth radius, which makes it great for feeding ropes. It's a little on the heavy side, but the extra safety margin is more than worth it. As others have said, the ease of a visual check is also a bonus.

My only complaint is that the biner isn't a keylock. I switched from a BD Rocklock, which never snagged on anything, and I guess I was a bit spolied. If they made the belay master with a no-snag gate, I'd pick one up in a heartbeat. Still a very minor complaint, so I give it five stars. For safety alone, almost everyone should be using this carabiner when they belay.