The Wild Country Astro is one of the best lightweight carabiners out there, especially for the price. Only the Mad Rock Ultra-Light Straight cost less but it is a little heavier and did not score quite as high. The Black Diamond Oz scored a tiny bit higher but also costs another $2 and was not quite as easy to grip. All three carabiners are very good so it comes down to personal preference and what you can get the best deal on. We would happily use the Astro as the only carabiner on our rack.
If you are obsessed on weight, get the lighter yet smaller CAMP Nano 23. The Nano did not score as high because it is much smaller, harder to handle and not as versatile. But it is some grams lighter which the weight-obsessed will notice.
If you have deep pockets, consider the Wild Country Helium which is not that much heavier and scored higher.
View our complete Carabiner Review to see how this product compared to others.
Hands-on Gear Review |
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Street Price:
$8 | Compare prices at 2 resellers
Pros: Very light yet easy to handle, easy to grip, hooded nose Cons: Gets hung up when cleaning on steep routes, doesn't hold a lot of knots and slings Best Uses: Any type of rock climbing
Overview
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OutdoorGearLab Editors' Hands-on Review
Likes
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 a feature 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. It was also one of the smoothest to pull rope through (tied with Black Diamond Oz). Dislikes There were no major dislikes other than the standard two things:
Best Application On-sight climbing, trad climbing where light weight and size matter Value One of the best deals out there on light wiregate biners. Less expensive than the Oz and SuperFly. Only the Mad Rock Ultra-Light costs less. — Chris McNamara and Chris Summit Compare this product side-by-side to top competitors >
OutdoorGearLab Member ReviewsMost recent review: April 21, 2010
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 Wild Country Astro Credit: Wild Country.co.uk
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