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enjoimx
Nov 8, 2004, 4:42 AM
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Do you need to use locking carabiners in short line setups? Right now im using 18 kn ( non-locking) ovals. Is this sufficient? Thanks.
P.S. I tried searching but didnt know which keywords would work. I would have to read through every post with the word "locking carabiner" in each forum. Sorry if this "has already been discussed"
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slacklinejoe
Nov 8, 2004, 5:11 AM
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Short answer: NO.
Common sense tells you that a normal slackline system isn't a life saving/critical rig. The exception would be mid/high lines that are life critical.
Lockers aren't any stronger than normal biners, they just have a lock that prevents the gate from opening under use. These are mostly relegated to anchor or belay systems.
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enjoimx
Nov 8, 2004, 5:13 AM
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thanks joe
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coldclimb
Nov 8, 2004, 5:52 AM
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I use some, but not for any particular reason. Joe's right. If you just want to have that added security of knowing the gate won't open, you might as well have a couple for that. In a highline, of course, you definitely want that assurance, and much more, as in a special set of overly strong lockers, like steel biners, but for regular old lines, any old biner will do. Besides, breaking gear in low danger situations is actually pretty cool! :lol:
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theishofoz
Nov 8, 2004, 6:03 AM
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except when it hits u really hard
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slacklinejoe
Nov 8, 2004, 6:51 AM
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Flying gear on a slackline can be very dangerous.
Example:
I've had my heel peeled to the bone when two local morons decided to screw with me while I was testing ultra compact tensioning system design by both running full throttle and jumping on it at the same time with me standing a few inches from the anchor.
I had tested it with safeties in place with lots of jumps, but everything was solo.
I took a 1 lb piece of metal to the right heel and probably lost close to a pint of blood before we got the bleeding stopped. I was on crutches for two weeks and graduated with my bachelors degree while wearing flip-flops to allow for the bandages.
This was long before I was designing systems for sale and it was pushing the limit on the low strength end for one person.
Back to the lockers, flying gear shouldn't be a problem with biners, regardless to locking or not. They fully encapsulate the webbing and the load will hold it very tightly in place. The only failing you need to worry abuot comes from general biner failures, such as cross loading, loading it over edges where it is levering i sideways, having it where the gate isn't shut when under tension. All of those situations are easily preventable.
Biner failures do occur, however most of those failures are extreme examples of overloading, gates not shut, badly crossloaded or loaded against the gate. Pretty much the same with the webbing - new webbing for a normal sized slackline just doesn't break from normal use - it's the old worn out, static from overuse, ragged, uv bleached line set jump tight that breaks.
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peroxide
Nov 8, 2004, 11:24 AM
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No lockers in my opinions.
Also if you are using a locking gate you have to twist shut and you do this prior to tensioning the line you will have one hell of a hard time UNLOCKING it...
P
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n00b
Nov 9, 2004, 2:21 AM
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In reply to: No lockers in my opinions. Also if you are using a locking gate you have to twist shut and you do this prior to tensioning the line you will have one hell of a hard time UNLOCKING it... P |
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coldclimb
Nov 9, 2004, 3:38 AM
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In reply to: In reply to: No lockers in my opinions. Also if you are using a locking gate you have to twist shut and you do this prior to tensioning the line you will have one hell of a hard time UNLOCKING it... P uhh... how exactly would locking it before make it so much harder to unlock than locking it after? the locking mechanism on most biners add nothing to the strength of the biner, only inhibit it from opening. unless you're thinking of those odd lockers where the thread are on both the gate and the body of the biner, then yes, i see what you're thinking.
Some biners the threads of the spinner don't stop it, so it "locks" when it comes in contact with the nose itself. In this case, if the biner stretches under tension and the gate is spun until it hits the nose, and then the tension is removed thus relaxing the biner, it'll be uberhard to spin that lock unless you re-tension it first. :wink: It's not like this on all lockers though, mine don't do it.
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petsfed
Nov 9, 2004, 3:43 AM
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I have a pair of old smc lockers that I use in my system. I always screw them shut because they have this nasty habit of popping open when I jump on the line otherwise. If I don't unscrew them before I unload the line, they are nearly impossible to open. The BD enduro locker gets stretched enough that the locking mechanism (that stops on a ring on the gate itself, not the nose) wouldn't do anything anyway.
I got hit in the knee once by a flying carabiner when one of my anchor slings failed. Luckily it was a glancing blow, but the cut I got was deep enough that the expected bruise kept bleeding out before it formed. Check your gear, use minimum 1" webbing for everything if its not a carabiner!
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gearsighted
Nov 25, 2004, 2:26 AM
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Registered: Nov 10, 2004
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Yes, spinlock biners can tighten waaaay too much under load at times. If you're worried about biners coming unclipped, you can always use non-lockers with the gates reversed and opposed. This setup is near impossible to unclip ;)
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greenmachineman7
Nov 25, 2004, 3:09 AM
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Registered: Jul 29, 2004
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i dunno, any time I'm setting up a line that's really tight, or long, I only leave webbing. Of course you have to use some metal to get it tensioned, but before I start really trying to walk it, it gets soft pointed off. Really, why bother having to worry about getting hit with something metal? It only costs a teeny little bit, especially If you've got a place you leave a line set up...
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