Although rock and mountain climbing might look dangerous to the uninitiated, it's reasonably safe if done responsibly. Responsible climbing means using the proper equipment, and setting it up effectively. A D-ring is one item of rock-climbing gear than helps to anchor a climber in place, preventing potentially disastrous falls.
D-Ring Basics
A D-ring gets its name from the basic shape. It's a hollow tube of metal, often steel or aluminum, in the shape of an upper-case D. The solid structure and durable material makes them some of the most reliable pieces of rock climbing equipment available. You can find D-shaped climbing rings with "gates" that open and close. These are not D-rings, but caribiners. They're also used in climbing, but for different purposes.
Using D-Rings
A D-ring is most often used to create a climbing anchor. The climbers will tie a rope or a chain around a solid object, like a tree or a boulder. Before securing the rope or chain, they'll slide one or two D-rings onto it. They'll then loop their climbing rope through the D-ring, attaching the climbing rope to the anchor point. This is better than looping the rope directly through the chain or anchor rope because it reduces potentially damaging friction.
Weight Testing
D-ring manufacturers will test their prototypes, and randomly selected production samples, to confirm that they can bear the weight of a falling human. They do this by attaching -- usually with high-tensile-strength chain -- heavy weights to the D-ring, then dropping the weight ten or more feet. Although humans who climb recreationally rarely weigh more than 200 pounds, D-rings are usually expected to weight test in excess of 1,000 pounds.
Buying D-Rings
When buying D-rings for a climbing expedition, it's appropriate and smart to ask about the weight testing for different models of D-ring in a shop. The staff should be able to intelligently discuss the differences between the models, or at least point to information on the packaging that tells you what you want to know. If they can't, you should take your business to a shop with more knowledgeable staff.
References
- "Rock Climbing: Getting Started"; Glenn Tempest; 1998
- Definition of a D-Ring
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