Carabiner

Shackle with a spring-loaded gate Clockwise from top left: D-shaped wire gateD-shaped straight gateoval straight gatepear-shaped auto lockerD-shaped screw locker.Center is a standard carabiner rating. Using a carabiner to connect to a rope A carabiner or karabiner (/ˌkærəˈbiːnər/), often shortened to biner or to crab, colloquially known as a (climbing) clip, is a specialized type of shackle, a metal loop with a spring-loaded gate used to quickly and reversibly connect components, most notably in safety-critical systems. The word comes from the German Karabiner, short for Karabinerhaken, meaning "carbine hook," as the device was used by carabiniers to attach their carbines to their belts. Use Carabiners are widely used in rope-intensive activities such as climbing, fall arrest systems, arboriculture, caving, sailing, hot-air ballooning, rope rescue, construction, industrial rope work, window cleaning, whitewater rescue, and acrobatics. They are predominantly made from both steel and aluminium. Those used in sports tend to be of a lighter weight than those used in commercial applications and rope rescue. Often referred to as carabiner-style or as mini-carabiners, carabiner keyr