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Replacing 5 yr old Ropes and Slings


shortman

3-Feb-2015
10:29:04 AM

Superstu's recent posting about his rope got me thinking that my rope/slings/harness are all approaching the 5 year old mark, and that when I bought them I was told to replace them after about this time frame.

Now I am a pussy who loathes any sort of falling, so I've probably taken 20 falls, only one of which was big. I also am perennially injured/lame, so don't get around to climbing much these days. Maybe I've spent 70-80 days on rock since I started climbing. The rope shows just a little wear from when I began and was top roping. My slings are 100% nylon, the fat and chunky variety, and have noticeably stiffened up over the years. My belay loop on my harness looks fine and is showing no signs of wear.

What I'm asking you all, especially those who have been at it for a while is how often you replace your stuff?

Would you, (regardless of time spent using it/signs of wear), just replace it because the manufacturer tells you to?

And yes, I know I've asked this before....


rodw

3-Feb-2015
10:35:17 AM

Short answer no...harness I just replace when it starts to wear which is normally well before 5 year mark, if it had no wear i wouldn't replace it..rope much the same but have used a couple beyond 5 years, they have got shorter though as I cut ends of that get the wear...note though I don't use skinny ropes as I'm old school in that department so probably another reason I trust me longer.

But if your don't trust ya gear replace it...enough shit to contend with mental wise when climbing without adding not trusting your gear snapping into the equation.

Jayford4321

3-Feb-2015
10:48:33 AM

On 3/02/2015 shortman wrote:
>Superstu's recent posting about his rope got me thinking that my rope/slings/harness
>are all approaching the 5 year old mark, and that when I bought them I
>was told to replace them after about this time frame.
>
>Now I am a pussy who loathes any sort of falling, so I've probably taken
>20 falls, only one of which was big. I also am perennially injured/lame,
>so don't get around to climbing much these days. Maybe I've spent 70-80
>days on rock since I started climbing. The rope shows just a little wear
>from when I began and was top roping. My slings are 100% nylon, the fat
>and chunky variety, and have noticeably stiffened up over the years. My
>belay loop on my harness looks fine and is showing no signs of wear.
>
>What I'm asking you all, especially those who have been at it for a while
>is how often you replace your stuff?
>
>Would you, (regardless of time spent using it/signs of wear), just replace
>it because the manufacturer tells you to?
>
>And yes, I know I've asked this before....
>

Then read the answers U got last time, or stick to bouldering?

You could always start a rope log. It will last forever then.


shortman

3-Feb-2015
10:51:47 AM

On 3/02/2015 gnaguts wrote:

>Then read the answers U got last time, or stick to bouldering?
>
>You could always start a rope log. It will last forever then.

Na, I tacked my question on to an unrelated thread and can't find it. I'm trying to keep m9 and ajfclark happy, :)


shortman

3-Feb-2015
11:17:05 AM

On 3/02/2015 Cliff wrote:
>On 3/02/2015 shortman wrote:
>
>>What I'm asking you all, especially those who have been at it for a while
>>is how often you replace your stuff?
>>
>Assuming you mean soft gear... I use a harness that's 20+ years. Consider replacing stiff slings/webbing (possible UV damage). I'd climb on a rope as you described for at least another 3-5 years.

That wouldn't be too hard considering the opening paragraph Cliff. Thanks for your input.

20 years!?! Fark.


IdratherbeclimbingM9

3-Feb-2015
11:29:15 AM

On 3/02/2015 shortman wrote:
>On 3/02/2015 gnaguts wrote:
>
>>Then read the answers U got last time, or stick to bouldering?
>>
>>You could always start a rope log. It will last forever then.
>
>Na, I tacked my question on to an unrelated thread and can't find it.
>I'm trying to keep m9 and ajfclark happy, :)

Tacked on or started?
Try here.<~

jprockbelly

3-Feb-2015
11:32:49 AM

Assuming reasonable treatment (like you haven't spilt battery acid on it) that gear should be fine after 80 days of use.

The only thing I would check are the slings, especially if they are dyneema. But a close visual inspection should give you the answer you need.


shortman

3-Feb-2015
11:34:46 AM

On 3/02/2015 IdratherbeclimbingM9 wrote:

>Tacked on or started?
>Try here.<~

Na, that was different, but thanks M9.


shortman

3-Feb-2015
11:38:17 AM

On 3/02/2015 Cliff wrote:
>On 3/02/2015 shortman wrote:
>
>>20 years!?! Fark.
>
>Arc'teryx tested over 200 used harnesses... among the things they found
>was that older harnesses (10+ years) were actually stronger than the newer
>harnesses (<5 years)...
>
>http://www.mountainproject.com/v/harness-retirement/106305984
>
>Surprisingly, the older harnesses had higher than average breaking strengths
>for both belay loops and leg loops. Harnesses older than 10 years had an
>average leg-loop strength of 4,850 pounds, while harnesses five years old
>or newer held 3,747 pounds on average. Similarly, harnesses up to five
>years old had belay loops that broke at an average of 5,291 pounds, while
>harnesses older than 10 years had an average belay-loop strength of 5,952
>pounds, well above the 3,306-pound CE minimum for overall harness strength.
>
>
>The higher strength of older harnesses could be because they were generally
>made with heavy-duty 2-inch webbing, steel buckles and massive amounts
>of stitching. It could also be that the only old harnesses around to be
>returned for this study were quality examples that had been well cared
>for. However, the older a harness, the greater the potential for degradation
>of structural components such as buckles, threading and webbing.
>
>and I wasn't having a go... just being clear...
>
>I check my harness for wear every time I use it...

Fascinating Cliff.


IdratherbeclimbingM9

3-Feb-2015
11:53:21 AM

On Daisy Chains and other Lanyards thread 8/10/2012 shortman wrote:
>Looks like any pre cirque de soliel rigging to me.
>
>When the rope has worn through kieran, then, and only then do you replace it.
aka...
You are inconsistent shorty!


shortman

3-Feb-2015
12:11:26 PM

On 3/02/2015 IdratherbeclimbingM9 wrote:
>On Daisy Chains and other Lanyards thread 8/10/2012 shortman wrote:
>>Looks like any pre cirque de soliel rigging to me.
>>
>>When the rope has worn through kieran, then, and only then do you replace
>it.
>aka...
>You are inconsistent shorty!

Yeah I know, but I aint in the circus no more, :)

Surely you know me well enough to detect the sense of irony, :)

I should have made a poll about this.

Yes or No to following manufacturers recomendations.


IdratherbeclimbingM9

3-Feb-2015
12:24:13 PM

On 3/02/2015 shortman wrote:
>Surely you know me well enough to detect the sense of irony, :)

... I figured that was what gives me some windupshorty rights ;-)

>I should have made a poll about this.
>
>Yes or No to following manufacturers recomendations.

Why not start a poll thread anyway.
It is likely to throw an interesting light on the numbers who follow, or not, manufacturer recommendations.

Getting back to your original questions...
>What I'm asking you all, especially those who have been at it for a while is how often you replace your stuff?

Slippery answer ~> when it needs it.
I have a descending order of heirachy for my gear, eg for ropes, lead-rope becomes top-rope becomes trailer-rope becomes doormat-rope etc.
For hardware, pro that is no longer suitable for trad leading, becomes body-weight only pieces for aid climbing, & then becomes garden ornament or windchime etc.
... So far I have resisted the urge to on-sell it in the For Sale section of Chocky!
Heh, heh, heh.

>Would you, (regardless of time spent using it/signs of wear), just replace it because the manufacturer tells you to?

No.


phillipivan

3-Feb-2015
12:27:13 PM

Replace your old kit when your partners stop complaining about it. So long as they are complaining they are obviously alive and well.


IdratherbeclimbingM9

3-Feb-2015
12:32:11 PM

On 3/02/2015 phillipivan wrote:
>Replace your old kit when your partners stop complaining about it. So long as they are complaining they are obviously alive and well.

... or just before the coronial inquest to keep the insurance claim legit otherwise?

Some partners complain all the time anyway, and what they are on about often has nothing to do with the kit!
;-)


shortman

3-Feb-2015
12:43:57 PM

On 3/02/2015 IdratherbeclimbingM9 wrote:

>... I figured that was what gives me some windupshorty rights ;-)
>
Fair enough Grandpa, :)

>Why not start a poll thread anyway.
>It is likely to throw an interesting light on the numbers who follow,
>or not, manufacturer recommendations.
>
Done.

kieranl

3-Feb-2015
1:03:45 PM

On 3/02/2015 IdratherbeclimbingM9 wrote:

>Why not start a poll thread anyway.
>It is likely to throw an interesting light on the numbers who follow,
>or not, manufacturer recommendations.

Optimism triumphs over experience


IdratherbeclimbingM9

3-Feb-2015
1:07:34 PM

On 3/02/2015 kieranl wrote:
>On 3/02/2015 IdratherbeclimbingM9 wrote:
>
>>Why not start a poll thread anyway.
>>It is likely to throw an interesting light on the numbers who follow,
>>or not, manufacturer recommendations.
>
>Optimism triumphs over experience

Manufacturer optimism, or user optimism?

kieranl

3-Feb-2015
2:08:10 PM

On 3/02/2015 IdratherbeclimbingM9 wrote:
>On 3/02/2015 kieranl wrote:
>>On 3/02/2015 IdratherbeclimbingM9 wrote:
>>
>>>Why not start a poll thread anyway.
>>>It is likely to throw an interesting light on the numbers who follow,
>>>or not, manufacturer recommendations.
>>
>>Optimism triumphs over experience
>
>Manufacturer optimism, or user optimism?

Neither, I was referring to M9's optimism that "it is likely to throw an interesting light...". I suppose "interesting" is one way to describe the outcome of a Chocky poll.

Wendy

3-Feb-2015
2:29:47 PM

Very rarely do my harnesses or ropes make it to 5 years - but then I would probably do 70 days of climbing in 6 months. Not that I'm renowned for taking big whippers, but I take a moderate amount of mini falls and they are noticably abraided and ropes going squishy well before then and I tend to err on the side of caution. If they really haven't had much use and close inspection says they looked fine, i'd probably keep using yours, but I did notice a few years ago that when I pulled a 5 year old barely used rope out of storage, it was trashed within a year. So perhaps there is something in the age factor that it didn't last? Or Sterlings are just like that?

My loose slings, quickdraw slings and cam slings on the other hand, I frequently loose track of how old they are. The comment by Scott Camps the other night that manufacturers are recommending 3 year replacement on spectra used outdoors regularly had me trying to work some of it out - I think my first ultra light quickdraws are from my first trip to europe in 2004. So I might try and do some sling editing ...


bigchris

3-Feb-2015
4:41:23 PM

On 3/02/2015 Wendy wrote:
Not that I'm renowned for taking big whippers,

Clearly not climbing hard enough.

There are 23 messages in this topic.