Dormont scout formerly with Harrison City troop holder of new Guinness World Record

After years of scouting, Charles Boone had acquired a decent collection of carabiners — those metal rings used for everything from mountain climbing to holding keys or a water bottle.

By the time he had 50, he thought he might be on his way to a world record.

“I had a lot of carabiners laying around from Boy Scouts. I was curious if there was a record for it, so I started looking around. I thought, ‘I’ll try it myself,’ ” Boone said.

Early in 2018, Boone, 19, of Dormont, linked together 1,856 carabiners to form a chain whose length set a new Guinness World Record.

Now a college student, Boone used his Christmas break to give the carabiners to the Westmoreland-Fayette Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Westmoreland-Fayette is Boone’s home council because he belonged to Troop 236 of St. Barbara Parish, Harrison City.

“We’re going to give (the carabiners) to the Scouts who come to Camp (Conestoga) this summer and tell the story of why they’re getting them,” said council Scout Executive Martin Barbie.

That story goes back to at least 2016, the year Boone earned his Eagle Scout rank. He decided to add to his informal collection of carabiners by asking relatives and friends for donations.

It took about a year, but by early 2018, he felt he had enough for a new world record. He proposed the idea to Guinness, which did not have a previous record for Longest Chain of Carabiners on the books.

“The collecting was the hardest part,” Boone said, noting that he needed at least 1,000 carabiners to set a record that would stick.

“I thought I’d go as far as I can and have it last for awhile,” he said.

Boone had to have the idea approved by Guinness through a lengthy application process. The London-based organization recommends researching the matter first.

“Every newly approved record idea has to be significantly different from existing records and demonstrate a completely new skill,” according to the Guinness website. “Being the first to suggest a record does not immediately qualify for acceptance, with around 60 percent of applications for new records being rejected. However, we are always looking for new exciting ideas to reflect the world’s diversity.”

With Guinness’ approval, Boone then had to gather a small committee to help him assemble and measure the chain.

On Feb. 25, 2018, they met in the parking lot of the Carnegie Walmart — Boone, his parents, Ron and Monica Boone, neighbor Barb Otoole, official measurer Kevin Lewis and official witnesses Beth Smith and Jeff Neiport.

Boone wore a belt with a basket attached, and Otoole dumped the carabiners into the basket 20 at a time. Boone linked them together one-by-one until the chain reached a length of 250 feet, 10½ inches. Connecting all the carabiners took 2 hours, 10 minutes.

Lewis, a building trades instructor at Parkway West Career & Technology Center, measured the chain and made the official notation, while Smith, an accounting teacher at Keystone Oaks High School, and Neiport, a retired correctional officer, served as witnesses.

Boone’s parents took photos and video, both of which are required by Guinness.

About a month later, Guinness certified the new record — Longest Chain of Carabiners — and sent Boone a framed certificate.

A 2018 graduate of Keystone Oaks, Boone currently is studying aviation maintenance at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla.

His record-setting story recently appeared on “Bryan on Scouting,” the adult leadership blog of Scouting magazine. This summer, he will be on staff at the World Scout Jamboree at the Summer Bechtel Reserve in West Virginia.

Stephen Huba is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Stephen at 724-850-1280, shuba@tribweb.com or via Twitter @shuba_trib.