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.
Plume K3W
Description
Compact and light carabiner with wire-gate.
This carabiner is very light, in fact it is suitable for long routes and demanding approaches where lightness makes the difference. Classic shape with wire opening. Individually tested, with the date of testing and progressive number laser-marked on it.
Retail price
US$ 12.99
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Weight (g) |
29 g |
| Shape |
D / Offset D |
| Locking |
No |
| Straight or Bent |
Straight |
| Full Size |
Yes |
| Keylock |
No |
| Solid or Wire |
Wire |
| Gate Opening |
24 mm |
| Number of Colors |
2 |
| Lock Indicator |
No |
| Strengths (kN) |  20 kN  7 kN  7 kN |
No reviews yet.
With a median weight and size, the Grivel Plume perfectly straddled the gap between performance and minimalism—it was the sleekest, highest performing ultralight we tested. What first struck me was the biner’s ease of handling: The coating, especially on the black version, has a tacky, almost powdery feel (like primer paint) that made it much less prone to bobbling than the category’s more typically slick or anodized units. The Plume’s pronounced, lopsided teardrop curves provided an ample rope cradle, while the gate opening was a good, workable middling size, solid for slapping onto bolts or racking gear. Meanwhile, quick snapback and a muscular gate facilitated clipping on the quick in pumpy situations. This biner won’t gobble pack space, has a “bomber” feel, and nails the size range—it does perfectly all the things an ultralight is meant to do.
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A pictoral representation of UIAA-121 and EN-12275 standards for connectors (the UIAA's fancy word for carabiners).