Metal carabiners are super useful, being metal, they are not exactly lightweight, this is where a cord carabiner is a great compromise. Depending on what is being attached, different sizes can be used. See instructions on how to make the below, or alternatively, shop for them here. We recommend carrying a few cord carabiners, especially for tethering gear securely to a pack. Because cord carabiners use a loop wrapped around a stopper knot, cord carabiners rarely work loose. This is especially true when under a load. Whilst cord carabiners are not as easy or fast to tie as simply clipping in or on a metal carabiner, they weight virtually nothing. So it’s much easier to justify carrying a couple of spare cord carabiners than it is to justify carrying spare metal ones.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Making a Cord Carabiner

The cord carabiners shown above are home made, making them is easy.

1. Start with a loop of cord about 4 inches in diameter. Join the ends with a biggish knot. For large cords, an overhand knot is fine, for thinner cords a larger stopper knot should be used.
2. Optional – Melt/fuse the ends together.
3. Tie an overhand knot about 1/2 inch from the large knot.
4. Done!