Collecting every piece of gear takes a little time.
We think it's worth the wait.

Nice choice!
Give us a moment to collect those options for you.

Camp Photon Wire
  • Camp Photon Wire
  • Camp Photon Wire
  • Camp Photon Wire
  • Camp Photon Wire
  • Camp Photon Wire
  • Camp Photon Wire
  • Camp Photon Wire
  • Camp Photon Wire
  • Camp Photon Wire Rack Pack

Photon Wire

Rating

My vote: None ( 4.9 avg )

Description

  • Still the lightest full-size carabiner in the world
  • Optimized new body design increases rigidity and strength without increasing weight
  • Redesigned interface between the gate and nose helps to protect the wire gate from damage and accidental opening
  • 8 colors coordinate with the most popular cam colors

The Photon Wire remains one of the lightest carabiners in the world and is still significantly larger than other carabiners in its class. The new generation features an updated body design that increases strength and rigidity to handle the odd stresses that climbers put on their gear. We have also redesigned the interface between the gate and nose to help protect the wire gate from damage or accidental opening. Available in eight colors for individually racking cams – team the sling color with the coordinating biner color for the fastest way to identify the right cam size on the sharp end and reorganize the rack at belays. The Photon Wire is perfect for climbers who want a racking biner that is lightweight and low-profile but still clips with the ease of a high-end quickdraw. It is particularly well-suited for difficult trad leads or alpine mixed routes and ice climbing where a full-size carabiner is much easier to operate while wearing gloves.

Retail price

US$ 7.95

When you click a link below and then checkout online, no matter what you buy (climbing gear or not), we get a small commission that helps us keep this site up-to-date. Thanks!

Award Image
Weight (g)

Weight (g)

In grams, the weight, as stated by the manufacturer/brand.

30 g
Shape

Shape

Rule of thumb

Almost every carabiner you use will be non-locking offset D’s, with the exception of a Pear/HMS locker as your belay ‘biner.

Offset D (aka Modified D)

60% of the market

A modification of the standard D shape, the top of an offset D is much wider, allowing for a larger (and superior) gate opening. When loaded, most of the weight is transferred to the spine of the carabiner making them stronger than most other shapes. Used for top and bottom quickdraws, as racking carabiners, and lightweight lockers.

Pear / HMS

22% of the market

The Pear/HMS carabiner is used primarily for belaying and/or setting a powerpoint in an anchor. The wide top means they can hold a lot of gear. They are almost always locking and are generally heavier (than D/offset D's) because they need more material to gain back strength lost due to their shape.

Oval

8% of the market

The first carabiner shape to be mass produced. When loaded, the pressure is shared equally on both sides of the ‘biner. Since the weaker gate shares the load with the spine, oval biners aren’t as strong as shapes that direct the load to the spine. The bonus is, your gear rests squarely in the middle, so it's great for holding nuts, pulleys, and prusiks.

D (aka symmetric D)

7% of the market

D’s have a symmetrical shape that sets the rope closer to the spine, putting the load on the spine (versus sharing the load with the weaker gate side, like the oval). Since the strongest part of the carabiner carries the weight, D’s are the strongest shape. Downside: Smaller gate openings than the offset D.

Quick Link (aka Oval link, Maillon Raptide)

1% of the market

Although most climbers wouldn’t refer to this shape as a “carabiner” they are certified by the same EN standard as all the other carabiners. These semi-permanent links ensure the gate will not accidentally open. They're used when setting up a semi-permanent rappel station (not used while climbing up).

Semi-Circle / 3D

less than 1% of the market

Semi-circle: Mostly used by Search and Rescue as this is a great way to secure a chest harness.
3-D: Designed to increase the gate opening and to reduce the chance that the rock will rub your rope and/or the locking gate open. Buy if you’re the curious type; they’re not cheap, and there’s not many in the US.

Learn More

Pros and cons of each shape, graphs and more examples
D / Offset D
Locking

Locking

main non-locking carabiners uses:

  • quickdraws
  • to rack (hold) your gear on your harness
  • part of an anchor setup

main locking carabiners uses:

  • belay carabiner
  • main anchor powerpoint
  • when you need the gate to stay shut

screw gate vs auto-locking gate

Screw gates are generally lighter and cheaper.

Auto-locking gates are usually considered safer as they automatically snap shut, not counting on one's memory to close and are harder to accidentally unlock. The debate comes on opening speed as some are much faster while others can be a struggle.

Learn More

See the newest auto-locking gate technologies
No
Straight or Bent

Straight or Bent

It's easier to see the difference between straight and bent gates on solid gate carabiners:

Straight Gate

The standard. Always used as the bolt-end of the quickdraw, and still sometimes used on the rope-side too. Also used for racking gear such as cam and nuts.

Bent Gate

Created to make it easier to put the rope into a quickdraw with their larger gate opening. Primarily used on the rope-end (bottom) of quickdraws.

Extra Notes

  • Choosing a bent or straight gate does not significantly change the weight, strength, or price of the carabiner.
  • All locking carabiners have straight gates.
  • Today, many wiregates have a hybrid almost-straight-but-kinda-bent gate and are offered in this version only (not as a classic a bent or straight option). We have classified these as bent gates since they're not totally straight.

Important Note

Many manufacturers are now making the bolt-end carabiner come standard in silver (to match the bolt color), and are coloring the rope-end with other anodizations.

Do not mix (interchange) bolt-end carabiners and rope-end carabiners. This can be very dangerous as small abrasions made by the bolt can easily wear your rope. DMM put out a great video/write-up on this issue.

Straight
Full Size

Full Size

Full size carabiners are easier to hold but generally they're also heavier.

This is a totally debatable field as there is no official size, weight, or gate opening necessary to be full size. There are no certifications and this isn't a standard the manufacturer's normally describe specifically.

We did our best to compare (descriptions, in-person use, etc), as a way to help give more information about this carabiner. Like always, if you see something that seems totally off, send us a note.

Yes
Keylock

Keylock

A keylock nose means the nose is smooth. Keylock carabiners are also known as: snag-free, notch-less, and hook-less.

Keylock Benefit

The lack of a hooked nose makes for less snagging on gear and bolts – a dramatic improvement.

Keylock Drawback

Given that they’re more complicated to manufacture, keylock designs often come at a higher price, especially in wiregates.

Worth Considering

There are more design features necessary to guarantee a snag-free experience, like the curvature of the nose. Some keylock carabiners will still catch on the nose because of the lack of a smooth nose arc (smoother the arc, smoother the clip).

Learn More

Check out our blogpost that goes over carabiner nose design to get all the details
No
Solid or Wire

Solid or Wire

Solid Gates

Generally on beefier carabiners, so they're usually heavier and more durable. They can also feel more substantial in your hands while clipping. Often favored by sport climbers.

Wire Gates

Featured on the lightest carabiners, so they're favored by trad and alpine climbers.

Some considerations

If you want keylock nose carabiners, then solid gates will be much cheaper compared to wire gates.

When wiregates first came out they were not trusted (too new, looked too simple). Now, it's proven that wiregates have less gate flutter and gate shutter than solid gates.

Learn More

Compare gate flutter and gate shutter
Wire
Gate Opening

Gate Opening (mm)

Gate opening refers to the distance between a carabiner’s nose and the fully open gate.

General Guidelines

top of your quickdraw: 17 mm – 22 mm
bottom of your quickdraw: 23 mm – 26 mm
as an anchor holding webbing/gear: 19 mm+

Adding bias towards a larger gate opening is a great option once you’ve narrowed your choice to a few similar carabiners and need help determining which one is the best.

Learn More

Gate opening comparisons, examples, averages, shape, sizes, graphs, and explanations
26 mm
Number of Colors

Number of Colors

The number of different colors that you can find this carabiner in. This color-coding practice was started with just 2 colors, usually silver (that goes on the bolt side of a quickdraw) and another color for the rope side. Now, carabiners come in 5+ colors sets known as "rack packs" so your carabiners can match your cams.

Climbers can also match their carabiner color to their harness or other gear just for fun.

Learn More

Carabiner Rack Packs Explained
8
Lock Indicator

Visual Warning

A lock indicator is a visual warning only seen on locking carabiners. It adds some sort of visual to show if the carabiner is unlocked such as the color red, a danger sign, an unlocked image, etc. When the carabiner is locked the visual indicator is hidden.

Only a small list of manufacturers add this safety feature, although you can easily add one yourself with a permanent marker.

No
Strengths (kN)

Strengths (kN)

In kilonewtons, the strength, as stated by the manufacturer/brand.

Major Axis Closed Gate Strength

This is the strongest orientation and the way carabiners are designed to be loaded.

Major Axis Open Gate Strength

This strength is measured because while climbing, carabiners lying against the rock can be opened slightly as they move across an uneven surface. A carabiner can also open slightly during a fall as the ‘biner starts to vibrate, dispersing the energy (also called "gate flutter"). A weak gate closure (due to a poor/failing spring or an over-stressed wire) could also leave the gate ajar.

Minor Axis Gate Strength

Carabiners are not intended to be loaded along the minor axis (cross-loaded), but it is possible for a carabiner to unintentionally rotate during use, especially while belaying. Of all accidental misuses of a carabiner, cross-loading is the most frequent suspect, which is why there is a rating for it.

Generally wire gates are stronger than solid gates in the minor axis. During the test, the wire gate bends, absorbing some of the force, as compared to a less pliable solid gate.

Learn More

How carabiners are rated, recommendations and strengths.
  22 kN   9 kN    8 kN
AVG RATING
3.03
( 3 avg )
Rating
5.04
( 5 avg )

Almost perfect

Pros
BIG
Light
Affordable
Sharp colors
Thin nose
Cons
Notched wire gates
Familiarity
I’ve used it a bunch
Disclaimer
In isolation so likely going crazy

This is my go-to racking/general purpose carabiner for trad adventures. They handle well due to their size, which also makes them easier to use with gloves. They are shockingly light for their large size.

I also like that the colors are bright and distinguishable, and available in any color you'd need. They still have a notch like most wiregates, but it is small and unobtrusive. The nose is one of the thinnest available and can squeeze into the tightest of pitons while taking up less space on your harness. And they're cheap! Are there better carabiners out there? Ya. For sure. These offer the best balance of features and price, and have a place on everyone's rack. I have not experienced the same cross-clipping issue as the other reviewer. 

Rating
1.02
( 1 avg )

Big and crappy

Pros
Price
Cons
Unclips from your rack and/or clips in adjacent biners when racked.
Familiarity
I’ve used it a bunch

This was a cheap. color coded option to rack cams. I have fat fingers and did not want micro biners so this appeared to be a great alternative - boy, was I wrong. There is something off about the size/shape that makes it uniquely unuasable.

I had countless instances where I would reach down to take a cam off my harness, only to find that the Photon was not only clipped into my harness but also into a neighboring biner - making it difficult (to say the least) to unclip the Photon from both my harness and neighboring "cross clipped" biner without dropping my cam in the process. This has happened at least 1/2 dozen times. I also had an instance where the Photon unclipped from my harness and the can was left dangling (luckily tangled in a neighboring cam). My partner was not so lucky - she had two cams racked on Photons simply unclip from her harness and drop. I also had two instances where the Photon unclipped from my harness but remained attached, as if by magic, to a neighboring biner. I have been climbing for decaades and have never had a biner do something like this on a regular basis. I've owned other CAMP biners and they were great - this one is not.

Outdoor Gear Lab Gear Review rating 5/5

We were excited to see that CAMP redesigned the Photon Wire because our previous review of this carabiner was not so favorable. The improved gate design seems to have minimized the issues we observed before, and we're happy to be able to recommend this carabiner now. It almost unseated our Editors' Choice winner!

If you know of a good product video that should be here, let us know, and we'll put it up.

If you're looking for gear videos in general, check out our Vimeo and YouTube channels to see the newest gear.

The UIAA equipment standard provides a baseline for equipment performance in a test lab under controlled conditions on new equipment. Although these test conditions are relevant to the conditions encountered climbing, conditions encountered at the crags and the condition of the equipment are equally important. This recommendation from the UIAA member federation The British Mountaineering Council (BMC) provides vital equipment information that is NOT explicitly addressed in the standard, particularly failure modes of the equipment and recommendations for the use, inspection, maintenance, and retirement of equipment.