Climbing with items having sentimental value?

I understand that, as people, we attach personal value to items sometimes, eg, "my first carabiner," or "grampa taught me how to belay with this stitchplate." No issues here.

We can probably also agree that using any piece of climbing gear can lead to breakage or loss (stuck / dropped & irretrievable / bail-anchor / didn't do idiot check / etc).

If I had a piece of gear that I was sentimentally attached to, I'd probably have it on a display-shelf or something instead of on my harness, but that's just me.

MPers-- care to discuss why those who carry "sentimental gear" do so? And have those who do come to terms that it may result in loss or destruction of that piece of personal history?

I never climb without my left pinky finger around my neck.

After climbing so many walls together it would feel odd leaving him at home.

I had a few biners from a deceased partner that have a ton sentiment attached to them. For a long time they sat in the bottom of the bin, occasionally looked at with sadness and loss. I started taking them on alpine trips and to sport crags to leave as bail/rap biners. I figured it was better the gear was out adventuring. Who knows, maybe picked up and used elsewhere, another adventure another friendship. Everytime I leave one, I don't feel loss, but a bit of happiness in having had the opportunity to begin with.

Every time I take a whipper on something and it holds, it has great sentimental value for me. I still get tearry eyed thinking of my #4 Metolius Master Cam that held me 2 weekends ago at Tahquitz.

Not quite 'gear' in the same way, but my first time up Rainier I picked up a broken-off top 6 inches of a wand that was lying on the glacier, and it's lived in the brain of my Variant 52 ever since.

I have a special biner on my nut tool. dragged my 1984 chiounard ice ax up on the Grand this summer and usually try to take it for a walk at least once a season. If i get a chance to get back on the Grand next year however I will have one of those new light weight jobs...

I still have the locking beaner I was gifted and taught to belay on. I finally retired it and now I use it to hang my chalk bag from my harness and as an emergency backup/bailer.

Jason Todd wrote:I had a few biners from a deceased partner that have a ton sentiment attached to them. For a long time they sat in the bottom of the bin, occasionally looked at with sadness and loss. I started taking them on alpine trips and to sport crags to leave as bail/rap biners. I figured it was better the gear was out adventuring. Who knows, maybe picked up and used elsewhere, another adventure another friendship. Everytime I leave one, I don't feel loss, but a bit of happiness in having had the opportunity to begin with.

Not gear... But the rings I used to wear before I learned what a sheathed finger was now hang off my. Chalk bag beaner