Can You Drill Holes In Carabiners?
- Ryan Jenks
- Feb 14, 2023
- 1 min read
Updated: Aug 6, 2023
Petzl has SOME holes in their Sm'D and Spirt carabiners so can you drill holes in yours to save weight? Elliott Bernhagen sent me a few carabiners with a LOT of holes in them to see if they were super good enough.
The Sm'D carabiner's hole is intended for a keeper sling to keep your microtraxion or tibloc from falling when you are installing it. See ALPINE SAVVY's article about that.
The Spirit carabiner was a marketing trick more than it was a weight-saving trick.
The Edelrid Nineteen G carabiner is the lightest full-strength carabiner available and weighs 19.5 grams. Elliott drilled almost 20 holes in it and only saved 1.1grams or about 5% of its weight, BUT we got around half of it's rated strength of 20kN. I don't know if that is worth it?
OUR RESULTS
Edelrid Nineteen G - 20kN MBS - 12.79kN
Edelrid Nineteen G - 20kN MBS - 13.44kN
Camp Nano - 21kN MBS - 7.76kN
Camp Nano - 21kN MBS - 11.75kN
Camp Photon - 22kN MBS - 10.53kN
To give context, Elliott does this to carabiners that see very little force. Carabiners, ascender eye keeper biners, ascender biners, etc. Things that rarely ever see 1kN. But if you do this to 20 carabiners, you only save enough the weight of the one Nineteen G carabiner. Then you are carrying an 18.4gram carabiner you can't use for the stuff you need bomber carabiners for.
What's Next
See our Carabiner show down videos to see which one lasted the longest
Safety in climbing is something that should never be overlooked, and understanding the risks associated with carabiner holes is crucial. Just like in any field, having the right knowledge and precautions can prevent serious mistakes. This reminds me of SEO outreach, where a well-planned strategy is essential to avoid ineffective link-building or poor-quality connections. Just as climbers rely on secure anchors, businesses need strong partnerships and high-quality backlinks to build a trustworthy online presence. Whether in climbing or digital marketing, taking the right approach ensures stability, growth, and long-term success while minimizing unnecessary risks.