We think carabiners are sexy, and we know you do too, which is why we're always excited to see a new biner on the market. Rock-N-Rescue hooked us up with their fresh-off-the-forge Lava Infinity wiregate, and it's a case of beauty going all the way to the bone. Or the hot-forged aluminum, in this case.
Ten years ago the Lava, at a verified 34g/1.2oz, would have been classified as an ultralight biner used mostly for racking in quantity on serious climbers' skinny little Spectra/Dyneema dogbones. Today RNR casually throws the Lava out as an "all-mountain wiregate" so we can all enjoy ultralight hardware without breaking the bank.
The Lava is a pretty little thing and seriously strong: 23kN on the major axis and 8kN on the minor and with the gate open. The mouth is a good-sized .92 inch, easily swallowing our 10mm test line without a hiccup. RNR even throws in a useful innovation: the gate itself is pinched in the middle, making it less likely to open when dragged across a face. We tested this on our rock wall and it does seem to work, but what we liked about it was how the skinny waist helps us pinch the rope through the gate – with one hand, remember!
So to recap: great design, great price, great quality and with a useful innovation to boot. What's not to like? Nuthin. Grab a handful today.