What must general use carabiners have for their minor axis breaking strength?

In technical rescue and climbing, carabiners are essential pieces of equipment that must meet specific strength criteria to ensure safety. For general use carabiners, the minor axis breaking strength is a critical factor. The standard for general-use carabiners stipulates that they should have a minimum minor axis breaking strength of 11 kN. This strength is necessary to provide adequate safety margins during operations involving various types of loads and forces that can act on the carabiner when used in different orientations.

The minor axis strength is particularly important as carabiners often experience forces that can act on their side, especially during dynamic movements or in rescue scenarios. A carabiner with a breaking strength of 11 kN ensures that it can handle the loads imposed during a rescue without failure, adhering to safety standards set by organizations like the UIAA (International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation) and the EN (European Norm) standards.

In comparison, breaking strengths of 7 kN, 5 kN, or 27 kN do not align with the established requirements for general use. Thus, confirming that the correct answer regarding the minor axis breaking strength for general use carabiners is indeed 11 kN ensures that safety and reliability