What is the minimum major axis breaking strength for personal/light-use carabiners and snap links with the gate closed?

The minimum major axis breaking strength for personal/light-use carabiners and snap links with the gate closed is 6000 lbf. This standard is established to ensure that these climbing and safety equipment pieces can endure significant loads during use, providing essential safety for users who rely on them in various applications, such as climbing, rescue operations, or securing gear.

The specification of 6000 lbf reflects the inherent need for carabiners and snap links to maintain a safe margin against failure in real-world scenarios, where unexpected dynamic forces can occur. It ensures that they can handle both static loads, such as when a climber is resting on the gear, and dynamic loads, which can result from falls or sudden movements.

While other breaking strength requirements do exist for different uses and categories of climbing gear, the stipulation of 6000 lbf specifically applies to personal/light-use carabiners to provide adequate safety and assurance to users. The other values mentioned, such as 3000 lbf, 10000 lbf, and 4000 lbf, either do not meet the necessary safety margins or exceed typical ratings for this category, illustrating that the requirements are designed to cater to the intended use and user safety effectively.