Why We Like The Metolius Element Locking Belay Carabiner
We pair our tube-style device with the Metolius Element Locking Belay Carabiner for efficient belays and rappels. The rounded shape makes slack payouts and lowers ultra smooth and reduces wear on our rope, while the keylock nose prevents snagging on our gear loop when retrieving our belay device once at the hanging belay.
Details
- Pear-shaped locking carabiner to pair with your belay device
- Aluminum construction balances weight and strength
- 12mm rope-bearing surface easily accommodates a Munter hitch
- Screwlock gate for simple one-handed use
- Item #MET002C
- Material
- aluminum
- Gate Type
- screwgate
- Features
- keylock nose
- Major Axis Strength
- 24kN
- Minor Axis Strength
- 8kN
- Open Gate Strength
- 8kN
- Gate Opening
- 19mm
- Dimensions
- 3.8 x 2.4in
- Claimed Weight
- 2.5oz
- Activity
- climbing
- Manufacturer Warranty
- limited
Reviews
Q&A
Overall Rating
4.5 based on 2 ratings
Review Summary
What do you think about this product?
View
Selecting an option will reload the available reviews on the pageAugust 11, 2020
Excellent belay carabiner
- Familiarity:
- I've put it through the wringer
The Metolius Element is a fantastic belaying carabiner (for ATC-style devices where the rope is running over the carabiner). This is one of the last truly round stock carabiners. Round stock all the way around, even the spine. I really wish more manufactures made a carabiner like this. I-beam construction is great for saving weight but isn?t as smooth as round stock for belaying and rapping. This creates a nice wide surface for the rope to run over. Makes feeding rope smoother IMO. They last longer as well. Round stock carabiners are especially useful for auto-blocking devices (aka guide mode) as the blocking carabiner. It makes it easier to pull in slack, something I appreciate with creaky elbows and shoulders. Even the spine is round stock on the Element, so if the ?biner shifts a bit in blocking position you still have a smooth pull. If you use a plaquette device like the Kong GiGi Or Camp Ovo it?s nice to have a round spine for the blocking carabiner. For this type of carabiner (round stock, pear shaped) it?s pretty light. About 10-15 g lighter than something like the BD Rock Lock (which isn?t round stock all the way around, the spine is a bit tapered on the BD Rock Lock). For building anchors and passing through bolts and chains (for instance if you use a personal tether) it?s not the best option due to how bulky the round stock is. Makes it harder to pass though bolts and chains. Get a lower profile asymmetric D locker for these purposes. But for what it?s designed for (belaying and rappelling with a tube-style device), it?s awesome. I also wouldn?t choose it for use with a Grigri due to how long it takes to unscrew (see below). The rope doesn?t pass over the ?biner with a device like a Grigri, so the advantages of the round stock aren?t as useful here. Lastly, it?s an excellent value at less than $10. My only gripe is how long it takes to unscrew the carabiner. It?s not a deal breaker, in reality it?s a few more seconds than comparable ?biners. But it?s kind of annoying and could be improved upon IMO. If you?re doing a lot of rappels it?s a bit of a hassle to screw it closed and then unscrew it for every rap. I?d give it a 5/5 stars if it weren?t for this minor issue. It?s really nice to have one of these ?biners on every rack for belaying and rapping with a tube-style device or as your blocking carabiner when belaying from above in guide mode.
June 2, 2020
Best belay biner I've ever used
- Familiarity:
- I've put it through the wringer
I use this in conjunction with my atc. The combination of round stock (which is hard to find these days) textured finish, and a pear shape make it excellent for this purpose. The result is a smooth feeding through the atc at all times, in all uses. The finish totally wears off in about the same time it takes to go through one atc (a year-ish) but it is still perfectly usable after that. Complaints about this biner are that it is small, heavy, and the screwgate takes a lot of rotation. I'd say that at least two of those a pros rather than cons. I dont care for a huge biner that's just used for belaying, I like the security feeling from extra locking rotations, and the weight makes it feel sturdy. Let's be real, unless you're doing NIAD, the extra two grams on this biner vs another biner of this size aren't going to hinder you, and honestly it's worth it anyway. And as a matter of fact, I plan on taking this with me on the nose. This isn't really an excellent all-round locker. It is okay at most jobs, but truly excellent at one, and that is belaying.
Need Expert Advice?
Our Gearheads Can Help