Carabiners are an essential part of any climber's gear. Carabiners can be oblong, oval, or pear-shaped, and are characterized by their gate type, such as locking gate, spring gate, and wire gate. Carabiners are an indispensable tool for climbers, and have gained popularity in the everyday market as key-chains and other promotional items. Many carabiners passed out as promotional tools are not load-bearing and should not be used for climbing.