Whether you are assembling a backpack for a day hike or hiking the Appalachian trail; kayaking a back river or white water rafting…In almost any event that you participate you are likely going to need some sort of gear. The most loved category of gear is the gadget. Guys and Gals both love gadgets. Gadgets can exist in almost any format. There are electronics gadgets, tool gadgets, automotive gadgets, kitchen gadgets, even cosmetics gadgets. Gadgets are big business for companies in many different fields.

There is such a wide assortment of gadgets that one could easily become overwhelmed. To start off our gadget review, we will take a quick look at one of the most versatile gadgets available. The S-Biner.

The s-biner is manufactured by Nite Ize. (niteize.com) Based in Bolder Colorado, Nite Ize is the brain child of Owner and President, Rick Case. Rick started the company in 1989 and has watched it grow to one of the leaders in innovative accessories within the United States. Nite Ize began by making accessories to make flashlights more versatile and now has four distinct accessory categories.

The construction of the s-biner is incredibly simple. With less parts, there is very little that can malfunction. It is basically a single “s” shaped piece of stainless steel. Single piece wire gates on either end complete this double gated carabiner. The design and placement of the gates allows each gate to spring closed without requiring any additional components. Each end of the wire that composes the gate is riveted so that the gate becoming detached from the carabiner is nearly impossible.

S-biners come in many different sizes and can be used in almost any situation. They work quite well for attaching water bottles and other gear to the outside of packs. Doing this allows for very quick access with little effort. Smaller sized s-biners can be used to double zippers together to keep them from opening accidentally. The ease of attaching and detaching items makes the s-biner ideal for anyone who needs to secure an item but doesn’t have time for a knot.

Some people may think that because they don’t rock climb or spend time outdoors, they’d have no use for a carabiner of any kind. Those people should think again. While it is extremely useful for outdoor activities like camping and hiking it is just as easily used at home to securely hang coats that are too heavy for plastic or thin metal hangers. It can be used to quickly connect a pair of running shoes to each other so they don’t get lost in the pile of shoes that lives in the bottom of your closet. Got a neighbor with an annoying little dog? Clip an s-biner to it’s collar and hang it from your ceiling fan…okay…maybe not that last one, but I think I’ve made my point. These things are useful. Once you find a use for one, I’m sure that you’ll want more.

Article by Matt Capps
Images from www.niteize.com