Swiftwater Gear: Screw-gate vs. auto locking carabiners

For the river locking carabiners are safer than non locking carabiners. Non lockers have the potential to accidentally clip on to and entrap people. This brings up the question of what type of locking carabiners are better for the river.

Screw gates have the advantage of being able to be left unlocked when stored in a pocket. This makes it easier to pull out and clip something with out fumbling with the locking gate. But as a trade off this means there is the possibility that they could be left unlocked and  if stored on the outside of a pfd or used for rigging equipment can make the entrapment risk similar to that of a non locking carabiner.

Auto locking carabiners reduce  the unlocked entrapment hazard but can be difficult to operate in a hurry with cold wet hands. They can also be slightly more prone to getting fouled up by dirt and mud resulting in a stuck gate that will either not open or close or properly lock.