REASONS TO BUY
Cool gate design
Good gate clearance
Smooth rope pull
REASONS TO AVOID
Heavy
Bulky
Gate gets hung up
Omega Pacific Jake Review
Omega Pacific Jake
Credit: Omegapac.com
Our Verdict
Omega Pacific's Jake is a solid belay, rappel and top rope carabiner. It's heavy for multi-pitch missions. For that we would go with something like the Petzl Attache. The Jake held multiple knots/slings better than other locking biners we reviewed except the Black Diamond Rocklock and DMM Boa, which held more. This surprised us because we figured the side-swing gate would out perform them. In general, we would go with the Black Diamond Rocklock, which is lighter and cheaper. If you want the ultimate large biner, go with the DMM Boa. It partially comes down to how much you like the unique sideways gate. While it does give more clearance, it is not dramatically more clearance than other large carabiners so it's more about how much you like this unique design.
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Different Versions of the Omega Pacific Jake
The Jake is also available in the Quick Lok version, and the 3-Stage Quick Lok. Omega Pacific reports that with the 3-Stage, the shape orients the load and prevents loading the nose of the biner.
Check out the side-by-side comparison below, with the Quick Lok pictured on the left, the Screw Lock (reviewed here) in the middle, and the 3-Stage shown on the right.
Hands-On Review
Likes
This carabiner stands our for its custom side-swing gate that gives you better gate clearance than some other carabiners. It also has a thick rounded design that lets the rope run very smoothly, especially when using a munter hitch. There is lots space for multiple knots or slings and the Omega scored near the top for how many ropes would fit into it.
Dislikes
This carabiner is a bit on the heavy and bulky size. Many carabiners of a similar size are lighter. Surprisingly, despite its gate design, it didn't score great for having five knots in it because there is not a lot of area from the bottom of the gate to the bottom of the biner. The gate notch gets hung up easily - on this it got the lowest score in our test. The screw gate version was one of the slowest to twist shut.
Best Application
Good belay/rappel biner because of its smooth rope handling. The screw-lock model works well for an anchor or backup biner while the quik-lock gate is a great belay/rappel biner. This is a great locking biner for winter because it is also one of the largest pear-shaped biners, making it easier to handle with gloves.
Value
This $16 carabiner falls in the middle of the value range. It is not cheap like a $10-12 value biner but also not in the $20 range like many of its competitors. Based on how durable it is, it has good long-term value.
—Chris McNamara and Chris Summit
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