Rock Exotica rockD Carabiner, Black

The Rock Exotica rockD in black is an auto-locking D-shaped carabiner for arborist climbing. The D shape keeps loads near the spine, and the black finish makes it easy to tell apart from the rest of your hardware.

Color-coding your kit

The rockD is a straightforward D-shaped auto-locker, and the black version does the same job as the standard one. What the color gives you is a way to sort your gear: black for the lanyard, another color for the climbing system, another for rigging. When you clip in at height, knowing which carabiner is which by color saves time and mistakes.

The D shape suits predictable loads such as a lanyard end, a friction saver ring, or a rope grab with a fixed orientation. For pulleys and devices that need to sit centered, an oval is usually the better pick.

Inspection and retirement

Before each climb, open the gate and let it snap shut. It should close fully and lock on its own without sticking. Look for cracks, sharp edges, grooves worn by rope, and deformation at the nose or hinge. Sap and grit are the usual cause of a lazy gate, so rinse and dry the carabiner and keep the gate mechanism clean.

Retire any carabiner that has been dropped from height onto a hard surface, shock loaded, or shows wear you cannot explain. Read the markings on the spine and confirm they meet what your system needs. Life-support gear must meet the applicable standard (ANSI Z133 and the manufacturer's instructions), be inspected before every climb, and be used only by trained climbers. See more auto-locking carabiners.