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Topic Date User

Replacing 5 yr old Ropes and Slings 3-Feb-2015 At 11:38:17 AM shortman

Message

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.