Charly Snaplock Karabiner

Drop-Forged Titanal Snaplock Karabiner for Paragliding

Thomas Finsterwalder's innovative karabiner design!

Charly Snaplock Karabiner > Features:*

• Breaking load: 3,000 DaN
• Breaking load gate open: 2,000 DaN
• Load without permanent deformation gate open: 1,600 DaN
• Replacement interval for mono use: 5 years, unlimited hours of usage
• Replacement interval for tandem use: 2 years, unlimited hours of usage
• Drop-forged from Titanal
• Weight: 76 g

* Weight specifications in DaN (Dekanewton) = 10 Newton = approx. 1 kg

5-year replacement interval:
With the Snaplock, Finsterwalder is now also offering a paragliding karabiner with the popular twistlock whose fatigue strength was tested by an accordingly licensed institute. Karabiners with such a proof are now mandatort for the readmission of harnesses. Until now, for karabiners with a conventional lock a guarantee could be issued for only two years respectively for a limited number of operating hours.
The Snaplock's design in combination with the high strength of the Titanal material now enable a guarantee of five years in mono use and of two years for the use in tandems.

Safer and lighter:
The Snaplock resists 14 kN without incurring damage even with open gate - this is more than four times as much as the hitherto common steel karabiners can bear. It is thus unproblemtic should the Snaplock once be loaded with open gate. Also the breaking load of at least 30 kN with closed gate is a new top mark. Using Snaplock karabiners with only 76 g per piece instead of steel karabiners, a weight reduction at the harness of about 150 g is achieved.

Suitable not only for 25 mm-carrying straps:
The Snaplock is suitable for modern lightweight-harnesses with a band width of 25 mm or less. However, it also fits into the formerly common 44 mm carrying straps if the straps can be tucked in as pictured and if the loops are long enough. This is the case if a rod with a minimum diameter of 20 mm fits through the loops. At harnesses with tight loops, the Snaplock is mounted via the gate side of the karabiner (see » Mounting directions for harnesses with a carrying strap width of 44 mm (PDF 210 KB)).

Convenient:
The single twist-lock is easy to operate as the gate does not need to be pushed down to be opened. As both parts of the Snaplock's locking hook are closed, the paraglider carrying straps do not get caught whilst hooking in and out.

Anti-twist:
By means of its prominent nose, the Snaplock can be mounted at the harness in such a way that a sidewise turning of the karabiner is reliably prevented. Additionally, there is the possibility for harness manufacturers to attach back straps above the nose. The back support can thus be drastically improved.

Further information regarding fatigue strength problems:
Though karabiner hooks with a conventional lock possess high braking loads, they are prone to oscillating loads as they occur during paragliding. Within the range of the gate play, the karabiner is stressed through considerable and frequently alternating forces which can cause fatigue fractures. Thus, conventional karabiners can usually be safely used only for two years.