Buyer's Guide
Rigging Plates & Rings Buyer's Guide
Stacking multiple karabiners at one anchor point to handle several ropes gets messy fast, and risks cross-loading hardware that isn't built for it. A rigging plate or set of rigging rings gives multiple lines a single, purpose-built connection point that distributes force evenly, whether you're setting up a redirect or negative rigging a multi-point system. This range covers CE-certified rigging plates and rigging rings from DMM, Rock Exotica, CAMP, Notch and Petzl, from compact plates for two-line redirects to purpose-built highline and trolley hardware.
Rigging Rings
Rigging rings let rope run freely around a fixed point without the friction or wear a karabiner introduces, making them well suited to redirects and running rigging setups. CAMP's Saturn Series Rigging Rings and Notch's X-Rigging Low Friction Rings both use a smooth, rounded profile to minimise rope wear over repeated cycles — choose the size that matches your rope diameter and expected line count.
Rigging Plates
A rigging plate gives several karabiners or slings a single rated connection point, spreading load across multiple attachment holes rather than stacking hardware on one point. Rock Exotica's PentaPlate, DMM's Rigging Hubs and Bat Rigging Plates, and Petzl's Paw Rigging Plates each offer a different hole count and size — match the plate to how many lines you need to run through one anchor at once.
Specialist Rigging Hardware
Some jobs call for purpose-built hardware beyond a standard plate or ring. DMM's Keanu Trolley Rig Plate is built for highline and trolley systems where a load needs to travel along a line rather than simply hang from it, while Notch's X-Rigging SafeBloc combines a low-friction ring with a captive design that keeps it correctly oriented under load.
Choosing & Rating a Rigging Point
Every rigging plate and ring carries a stated working load limit — check it against your heaviest anticipated section weight with a safety margin, not just the combined weight of what's attached. Keep connections perpendicular to the plate or ring wherever possible; loading hardware at an angle reduces its effective strength well below the rated figure stamped on it.
Pairs Well With
- Rigging Equipment — pulleys, slings and hardware to complete a full rigging setup
- Carabiners & Connectors — rated hardware for anchors, redirects and device attachment
- Swivels — prevent line twist on multi-directional lowers and redirects
- Pulleys — rigging and arborist pulleys to reduce friction and redirect load
- Slings — soft shackles and rigging slings for anchor points and redirects
