2010 Gear Guide: Mad Rock Trigger Wire

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 08:21:51 +0000

You’re at your limit, pumped, panicked, and staring down the barrel of 20 feet of slack. Shaking, you go to clip a draw that’s just within reach, but the rope gets stuck between the gate and biner nose, popping out and setting the biner swinging. Luckily, this unpleasant scenario has a solution: the new Mad Rock Trigger Wire carabiner. Here, a specialized “trigger” holds the gate open until the slightest pressure is applied (as when a rope is dumped into the open gate). Also available in a quickdraw set up, the Trigger Wire is an innovative addition to your rack, ideal for desperate clips, use with a stick clip, or as a cheater biner when hanging those draws.

HAIR TRIGGER
Set the eponymous, spring-loaded “trigger” bar to hold the bent-wire gate and voila, you have a wide-open gate, ready to be clipped or stick clipped. (With a little practice, you’ll find it easy to set the trigger one handed.) Like a mousetrap, only the lightest touch on the trigger, which physically occupies almost the entire gate opening, is required to release the gate.
DOUBLE DUTY
The Trigger Wire can be used like any standard biner, too — simply leave the trigger laying flat against the inside of the spine and clip away. The bent-wire gate allows for a generous gate opening and also offers a flat surface that makes clipping easy.
LIGHT MAKES MIGHT
Even with the added trigger hardware, this biner maintains a svelte figure. Meanwhile, the Trigger Wire maintains an ample strength rating (see below).

$9.95, madrockclimbing.com
Weight: 1.34oz
Strength (major/minor/open): 23/8/8kN
Gate Opening: 22mm
Certifications: UIAA, CE

Climbing2010 Climbing Magazine Gear Guide: Mad Rock Trigger Wire

2010 Gear Guide: Mad Rock Trigger Wire