ISC Gator Bent Gate Carabiner

The ISC Gator is a non-locking carabiner with a bent gate. The bend in the gate guides a rope or sling in quickly, so it is handy for racking gear and other quick clips where a locking gate is not required.

What a bent gate is for

A bent gate has a curve that guides whatever you are clipping into the carabiner with a quick push. That makes it fast to use one-handed, which is why bent gates are common for racking gear and for quick clips you make and remove many times during a job.

Non-locking carabiners have their place, but they can be opened by a rope or branch running across the gate. Keep them to jobs where that does not create a hazard, and use a locking carabiner anywhere in your life-support system.

Not for life support

Racking clips and tool hooks are made to carry gear, not people. Keep them visibly different from the connectors in your climbing system so nobody grabs one by mistake in a hurry. A different color or shape on the saddle helps, and so does keeping them on the gear loops only.

Check them now and then like any other hardware: a gate that no longer closes, a bent hook, or a cracked body means it goes in the bin. A dropped saw or handsaw can injure the ground crew, so make sure whatever hangs from the clip is secured the way the maker intends. Browse more non-locking carabiners.