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Wild Country Synergy Review

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Wild Country Synergy Review (Wild Country Synergy Lite Keylock)
Wild Country Synergy Lite Keylock
Credit: wildcountry.co.uk
Price:  $11 List
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Manufacturer:   Wild Country
By Chris McNamara and Chris Summit  ⋅  Apr 7, 2010

Our Verdict

January, 2016: The Synergy locking carabiner is Discontinued
REASONS TO BUY
Smooth gate
Light for its size
Easy to handle
REASONS TO AVOID
Gate takes many spins
Small gate clearance
The Wild Country Synergy is a good all-around locking biner at a good price. The closest competitor is the Mad Rock Ultra Tech HMS, which is very similar in size and design. The Mad Rock is $1 less and slightly lighter. However, the Wild Country is a little smoother and has a better shape for belaying in auto-block mode from the anchor with a device like the Black Diamond ATC Guide. Compared to the Metolius Element, it is only a little heavier. Compared to the Petzl Attache it is lighter, bigger and less expensive.

Our Analysis and Test Results

Hands-On Review


Likes


This has one of the smoothest gates we tested. With practice (and while the carabiner is new) you can close the gate with just one spin. The key-lock gate is easy to unclip from webbing. It has a nice, medium size which along with the I-beam design makes it easy to handle (you don't feel like you are going to drop it). Fortunately, the spine gets smooth at the end of carabiner so that rope runs smoothly when belaying or rappelling. It is light for its size and is two grams lighter than the slightly smaller Petzl Attache. It scored well for clipping multiple knots and slings due to its large bottom.

Dislikes


Even though the gate is incredibly smooth, it does take a lot of turns to close. This means that unless you get it just right and close it on one go, it can take a few tries to close. The clearance for the gate is narrow . This means it's not great at anchors if you want to clip lots of ropes in. It scored just slightly worse than other carabiners in its class. But the difference was small so you may not notice it.

Best Application


This is a good belay carabiner for anywhere: gym, multi-pitch, sport climbing.

Value


This biner is a solid value. Only the Mad Rock and Metolius Element are less expensive for a similar carabiner.

— Chris McNamara and Chris Summit
 
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