Re-sling new cam?

Hey everyone,

I got a good deal on a BD #6 when a local outdoors retailer had a sale today and only realized once I got home that the unit was manufactured in 2010. Its still "new" with tag and has likely hung on their shelves for years now. Is this any cause for concern? Is it worth dropping the coin & shipping on having BD re-sling it? If it wasn't for the manufacture date on the tag I wouldn't even question it. The sling itself is still supple and shine like new webbing should be.

Thanks!

Yur Gunna Die,

But honestly, I personally would not bother sending it to BD. I don't have any studies to back that up, I just have cams older than that that i haven't re-slung and there doing fine. But maybe I'm gunna die too?...

its fine

thats all there is to it

;)

How long are you willing to wait? It's probably fine, but at the 10-year mark, I'd definitely resling it. Again, no evidence to back that up.

If you're questioning it, go ahead and resling it for peace of mind.

You'll probably get people telling you it's good til 15 years or 20 years, but it's your call and your safety, no matter what the Interwebs tell you.

The sling is fine. You dont need to retire gear solely based on its age unless the age is extreme. Instead, retire the gear when visual indicators show the sling is too worn for your liking, the sling has been exposed to chemical contamination, or you simply want to buy a new product and put the old one to rest.

20 kN wrote:The sling is fine. You dont need to retire gear solely based on its age unless the age is extreme. Instead, retire the gear when visual indicators show the sling is too worn for your liking, the sling has been exposed to chemical contamination, or you simply want to buy a new product and put the old one to rest.

20 kN wrote:The sling is fine. You dont need to retire gear solely based on its age unless the age is extreme. Instead, retire the gear when visual indicators show the sling is too worn for your liking, the sling has been exposed to chemical contamination, or you simply want to buy a new product and put the old one to rest.

Just an FYI.

When the BD rep was talking about the new ultralights durability (remember they basically are a dyneema sling) he noted he's still climbing on the original 12 year old prototype x4 slings.

He said storage and use is everything.

Now my own anecdotal spew.

I climbed off and on since 2000 buying my rack that year for a great deal. While my cams did sit in a Rubbermaid crate for a year here and there. They also saw hundreds of days on rock and ice over the 15 years. I climbed on my cams till 2014 when I cut most of the slings (left a few of the better ones) and replaced for a year with tech cord. Had them reslung finally. I also had some pull tested and none failed. I still have a few I need to resling out of the originals. I'm gonna die, but probably not from sling failure.

So, I'd say while it's probably not a bad idea to replace slings you climb on frequently, it's a safe bet that a sling hanging in a store, out of the sun, and away from chemicals isn't going to kill you for a while.

It's also worth noting I am pretty sure the slings on the cams are rated for 22kN. I say that because they appear to be the exact same slings BD sells as 2' runners, and those are rated for 22kN. Further, when the C4s are tested, the maincable fails at the sling, but the sling remains intact.

#1 Nylon slings are good for 10 years, standard, assuming they still look in good condition.

#2 You don't whip on a #6 - you slowly ooze onto it.

#3 Yer Gonna Die

Black Diamond has a pretty good article where they collected slings/webbing from a climbing area and tested them. There was a great deal of variation in the strengths - from you're gonna die to you're gonna live.

They also did tests by abrading new gear and then testing it.

The tests are on the BD website: QC LAB: SLINGS AND QUICKDRAWS

Since you really don't know what conditions it was stored in, I would replace it.

Personally, if I have any doubts in my mind about gear I replace it. The last thing I want to worry about when leading is if my gear is going to fail. Isn't your life worth the few dollars to replace a sling?