DMM Revolver Wiregate
This unique carabiner has been in the market for almost 15 years and was the first “I-beam” carabiner to be produced. We’ve been intending for a few years to add a couple to our rack. We finally added two to our collection of carabiners and it was quickly obvious that we should have got some earlier. Recent trips to The Gunks have shown us how invaluable DMM Revolvers can be.
The DMM Revolver is a carabiner with a built in pulley. It passes CE standards for both carabiners and pulleys. It was designed by DMM to reduce friction in the rope system. The integrated pulley will continue to function under load up to around 11kN.
If you are are a trad climber or if multi-pitch climbing is your thing, then definitely consider adding a couple to your arsenal—— rope drag sucks*. Anyone who’s ever had to make the last few moves to the belay with debilitating rope drag knows this. No surprise, rope drag tends to be worse on routes that involve multiple traverses and/or roofs and it definitely tends to pop its head up more often when climbing long pitches or linking pitches.
*Andy Kirkpatrick states that rope drag is a consequence of lack of skill, lack of care, or a lack of foresight — or a combination of any of the above. He's right, but it does happen :)
There’s a number of things climbers can do to minimize rope drag including: the use of double ropes, placing less pieces, using long quickdraws/slings, and using carabiners that minimize friction.
You don’t need a full rack of Revolvers, you just need a few for those pieces that you know are the most likely to cause you problems. They are quite expensive (probably why it took me so long to finally purchase some), but you only need a couple of Revolvers to turn what might otherwise be heinous rope drag into something manageable.
Occasionally, I end up plugging in a piece that I know I shouldn’t (because it will create horrible rope drag) but there’s just no way I'm willing to make the move without a piece near me —— I like having a Revolver for that piece :)
Carabiners on open slings often rotate out of position. To guarantee getting the benefits of the DMM Revolver, ensure that the carabiner is properly oriented by using a Petzl String or something similar.
Specs
Weight - 51g
Gate Opening - 2.4 cm
Strenth:
Major - 24kn
Minor - 7kn
Gate Open - 9kn
Price - $42
Other Uses
When bringing up a second on a multi-pitch climb, the Revolver is a great redirect carabiner when taking up the rope and/or belaying from your waist when direct belays are not ideal.
In the event that you need to set up a hauling system, the pulley efficiency of the Revolver is estimated to be around 75% (50%-70% for normal carabiners and 80%-90% for dedicated pulleys).
The DMM Revolver is a versatile piece of gear. Carrying a couple only adds a few grams to your rack, and the potential benefits make it something climbers should consider purchasing.
The DMM Revolver comes in wiregate, screwgate, double-action locker, and triple-action locking versions. It would be great to see DMM produce a clean nose version of the carabiner in the future.
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