Best of the uber-lights
by Alison Dennis on 09/24/2012Pros
Light
easy gate action
nose doesn't snag much even though it's not keylock
Cons
small gate opening
Astro 2024
Description
The Astro has many of the features that run through the Helium concept, creating a ‘biner that’s exceptionally strong, compact and lightweight.
Importantly, the Astro retains a practical size and an overriding ability to be used in all circumstances, which is an essential part of Carabiner design that is sometimes forgotten in the race to shed weight.
Superlight
I beam back
Hot forged
Tech Wire gate
Hooded nose
Retail price
US$ 8.95
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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 |
4 |
| Lock Indicator |
No |
| Strengths (kN) |  23 kN  7 kN  7 kN |
The Wild Country Astro is just a great size and weight. It is not the lightest, but is pretty darn light. Unlike the mega light biners like the Metolius FS Mini, this biner is easy to hold both because it is a reasonable size and has an I-beam spine that is easy to grip. The hooded nose helps to protect the carabiner from getting opened by getting rubbed across the rock. It was on of the easiest to clip of all the small and light carabiners.
The venerable UK outfit Wild Country sells a quiver of ultralight wiregates (Astro, Helium, Nitro, Xenon). I’ve been running Astro draws for a while, so I’m quite familiar with the carabiner. This is a great, middling-light clipper and lands squarely in the upper-middle ranks for gate-opening size. The nose is elegantly hooded, for minimal snag hassles, and the gate is properly stiff like a strong cup of Earl Grey. The I-beam shape is aggressive, with an innovative look that incorporates pockets of varying depths, while the rope cradle has a deep dip and smooth action. The convex spine is easy to handle, a true pleasure to clip. I’d use the Astros anywhere, from trad to sport to alpine.
Astro Features and All Around View
Astro Review
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.
How to use Wild Country Carabiner, general information, warnings and maintenance and storage with instructional pictures.
A pictoral representation of UIAA-121 and EN-12275 standards for connectors (the UIAA's fancy word for carabiners).