Climbing

If you’re new to climbing, you might look at some of the carabiners on the market and wonder how something so small and light could possibly be trusted with your life. Yet every year, gear gets lighter—and stronger. Any carabiner made for climbing will have a series of numbers and markings on the spine (the side opposite the gate). Look closely and you’ll find three sets of numbers followed by “kN,” each representing a different strength rating. One set has vertical arrows, another horizontal arrows, and the last shows a tiny image of a carabiner with the gate open. [...]