Climbing lines

[david1332]

How long do you guys typically keep your climbing lines in service for? I know it depends on use, nicks, discoloration etc. Mine is about a year old now so I'm just wondering

 

[no tree to big]

Normally ours don't make it to a year before it gets nicked but on the rare occasion it does we keep on using it until it shows signs of wear.
The other day I was with a climber I hadn't had on my crew in awhile his line was looking a little funny I walk up to him as he's just pulling the strech out of his rope and sat back in his saddle. I ask him how long his rope was like that about a foot up from the splice (2 complete strands in a 16 strand). He said oh the rope is only a month old it's ok. Haha, nope pulled my knife out and cut it and dropped him right on his ass. Oh how I love being a cruel person.

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

 

[jefflovstrom]

We do not skimp out on rope, some last a long time, some last 1 day,
I have 9 climbers and so I always have a full spool in the office.
When the spool gets low, I buy another.
Jeff

 

[david1332]

I have 1 or 2 small nicks in my line. (16 strand) but it's only 1 partial strand each( stupid hand saw) so I was just wondering. I'm waiting for tree stuff to put a nice 11.7 mm climbing line on sale to buy a new one lol. Should appear in their twelve days sale. But I always inspect my line before and after each climb as I feed it through my zigzag and back into my bag. There's no staining, flat spots, melting, etc. so I think it's still good but I don't wanna skimp out on something that my life literally depends on.

 

[david1332]

Normally ours don't make it to a year before it gets nicked but on the rare occasion it does we keep on using it until it shows signs of wear.
The other day I was with a climber I hadn't had on my crew in awhile his line was looking a little funny I walk up to him as he's just pulling the strech out of his rope and sat back in his saddle. I ask him how long his rope was like that about a foot up from the splice (2 complete strands in a 16 strand). He said oh the rope is only a month old it's ok. Haha, nope pulled my knife out and cut it and dropped him right on his ass. Oh how I love being a cruel person.

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

That's how you keep everyone safe though. I'd rather been an ass to my guys and have them be safe then a pushover and have injuries. I've saved my guys more than once and they've done the same to me.

 

[JeffGu]

With devices like the Rig 'N Wrench you can get a lot of use out of the old ones for light rigging, tag lines, slings, etc. and even shorter lengths end up being useful. I cut one 150' climb line into 40', 75' and 25' hanks that I use for tag lines. Why trip over a long tag line if you're just trying to control the end of a branch that's only 20' or so off the ground? I think we use the 40' one the most. I cut the bad spots out, and find a use for them all.

How much use the rope gets (and abuse it takes) determines its lifespan, not time. So when you inspect it and it starts giving you a creepy feeling that it might not be up to snuff, replace it and put the old one to work doing something else. When you rig with climbing lines as much as I do (I use the RnW and AFB a lot), you start to realize just how tough modern ropes really are.

Sometimes buying a new climb line puts a little fun back in your game, gets rid of that nagging worry about the old one's condition, and just makes you feel like you're doing the right/safest thing. I justify doing it easily, because I'm not throwing the old ones away, I'm squeezing every bit of use out of them I can. Besides.... new rope! Bright, shiny colors!

 

[JeffGu]

Oh... and climb with style. Bring cavier in your lunchbox, not a ham sandwich. Color coordination is important to the stylin' modern climber!

 

[david1332]

Oh... and climb with style. Bring cavier in your lunchbox, not a ham sandwich. Color coordination is important to the stylin' modern climber!

View attachment 544241

I'm gonna buy a rope wrench so I can srt with my zigzag
Not sure what color to get though

 

[david1332]

I currently climb on New England safety blue. It's held up very well considering I don't use any sort of cambium saver while I climb. It tends well through my zigzag but it's a PAIN to feed through. So I just leave it on the rope, I think a smaller diameter might tend better though

 

[benjo75]

JeffGu is right. I use Blue Streak for my 1/2 rigging line a lot. It's pretty amazing at how much it will take and how long it lasts. I have a few older rough ones that I use when it's not very critical. Makes me feel a lot better about my climbline when I see how much they will take.

 

[treebilly]

Jeff is that a Notch pulley?

 

[JeffGu]

That's the green ISC pulley/RW combo that TreeStuff had on their site during Jambo.

 

[acer-kid]

Jeff is that a Notch pulley?

You're one of the only notch owners round here, rich!

 

[treebilly]

I guess I should feel special then.

 

[acer-kid]

Way special.

 

[Zale]

What the F is a notch pulley. If Petzal makes it, what's it cost? $500.00?

 

[treebilly]

ST and TS brand name is all. Not quite on a the market yet.

You're one of the only notch owners round here, rich!

Josh?

 

[beastmaster]

Where I work now they do regular inspections of our gear. I've had two new climbing lines taking out of service in as many months.
I think their over critical my self.

 

[jefflovstrom]

Where I work now they do regular inspections of our gear. I've had two new climbing lines taking out of service in as many months.
I think their over critical my self.

I think they feel like if they do not find something wrong, they are not doing their job,,,yup, over kill
Jeff

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Are you supplying the gear or them?