climbing gear

[John Paul McMillin]

how often should you replace your climbing line and saddle? Is there a set time when you should even if you havent used a line that often? Just curious because i have several lines and i dont use some of them that often and they are kept in a room with a dehumidifier. But i had an older line that i had turned into a work line and i used it to pull a small tree out and it just snapped in two. JPM

 

[treeclimber165]

My lifelines typically should be replaced annually. I might go 2 years on a lifeline that doesn't see much use, then turn it into a handline. I use handlines untill they get burnt, frayed or stiff- signs of impending failure.

Nothing to back it up, but I figure 5 years is about right for a saddle. Mine is about 5 years old (but I didn't climb for 18 months in that time) and it's starting to fray around the edges. Still solid, but I'm ready for a new one.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I'vge heard 2 years on a rope even if it looks good. Nothing to back it up.

If it's caught you on more then two big falls

If ore then four strands are compleatly cut anywhere in the line.

If you have to ask yourself if you should be using it. It's less then 100 bucks with an eye splice.

 

[Treeman14]

Don Blair, whose opinion I highly respect on all arbor equipment matters, recommends a "retirement party" for all vital personal safety equipment after 12 to 18 months. This includes lifelines, as well as lanyards, snaps, and biners. This also assumes there is no obvious major damage which would, of course, require an early retirement.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Without accurate use records it is impossible to give anything other than general guidelines for retirement. The life span has more to do with cycles to failure than use.

After doing innumerable gear inpsections at TCC events I've seen a lot of climbing ropes that are in poor condition. If this is an insight into what ropes look like, I think that ropes should be retired sooner. Once climbing ropes get frayed, chop them into pieces. Fuzzing is a whole other thing though.

Ropes, slings and other soft goods have a much shorter life than hard goods like snaps and biners.

There is a pretty good chance that our soft goods wear out from UV degrade too. Even though the gear isn't outside 24/7 there is still degrade. This is insidious. Just another thing to worry about.

Monty Pyhton's "I'm so Worried":

http://www.montypython.net/scripts/worried.php

Tom

 

[John Paul McMillin]

Thanks for all the replies, I think i need to do some replacing of some of my gear. thanks JPM