Retreating a dry rope

Just wondering if it is possible or worth while to retreat a dry rope that isn't staying so dry anymore. If it is possible and worth while what are some methods that you have used and seem to work.
Thanks

Go buy a new rope ya cheap bastard!
JK...

run a cycle with no soap in your washer.
put the rope in a net gym bag and run 3 or so times on warm or cold NOT HOT.
Buy the NikWax rope spooge and follow the directions.

When all is done we can climb on your gear again!!!!

T-bob

Thanks Tony, It will be ready for Jaws on the 4th, hope you are

I concur Tony! Go buy a new rope! The risk of rope failure outweight any minimal $125-200 rope purchase.

NOTE: SUBJECTIVE POST>>>USE DISCRETION...Water will not really affect the affinity of your rope, it will make it heavy, and if it freezes it will become stiff and inconvenient.

Sun, and dirt are the enemy, obviously the sun isnt something that is too avoidable, one way to avoid it is to have separate ropes you leave fixed on projects (static), when you know it is going to be in the sun for an extended period of time...then this rope will become suspect.

Dirt, obviously this is why your ropebag comes with a tarp. The small particles of limestone and gneiss that penetrate the sheath are sharp and can degrade the core.

As far as rope safety, it is always good to check all your gear after(and/or before) a trip: Oil your cams, feel your rope for core damage, check biners for cracks, belay loop, etc.

Still, ropes are far more strong than one'd expect. I would suspect a rope with a separated core would still hold a rapp, or even top rope, just not a fall.

i've never had the dry treatment wear off before it was time to retire a rope. but, i've been using skinnier ropes for the past few years so the ropes haven't lasted as long as a thicker cord would.

Forestvonsinkafinger wrote: As far as rope safety, it is always good to check all your gear after(and/or before) a trip: Oil your cams, feel your rope for core damage, check biners for cracks, belay loop, etc.

Never oil your cams. Ever.

Maybe a dry teflon-based lubricant if necessary. Never oil.

Thanks Tony Nikwax worked great!!!

Just curious, why not oil cams? Particularly if they get wet? I use finnishline bike chain lube (I think it has teflon in it but is oil based). Just a few droplets. I don't remember where I read this.

Forestvonsinkafinger wrote:Just curious, why not oil cams? Particularly if they get wet? I use finnishline bike chain lube (I think it has teflon in it but is oil based). Just a few droplets. I don't remember where I read this.

Oil-based products are corrosive to nylon. If you oil your cams and put them in a bag with your rope, slings, etc. You've put your life-saving nylon in contact with a corrosive substance. Does it seem as though I'm being a little overly cautious? Check out this story:

rockandice.com/inthemag.php…;type=accidents

You'll see that, although there was no known incident in which the rope was exposed to acid, it broke because of acid exposure. The owner doesn't recall having ever spilled acid on it or exposing it to acid in any other way. Fortunately, he was in a gym when it broke.

Are you dowsing the rope in oil? No. Are you exposing it for long periods of time? Depends on how long it's in your bag. And, it may not matter. It doesn't take much.

Metolius and others make cam lubricant. And, I think it's the same thing as 100%-teflon based chain lube. Why take any risk whatsoever? Spend the $5 or $6 for something that absolutely will not corrode the equipment that keeps you alive.

Forestvonsinkafinger wrote:Just curious, why not oil cams? Particularly if they get wet? I use finnishline bike chain lube (I think it has teflon in it but is oil based). Just a few droplets. I don't remember where I read this.

A little off topic but..

I wise old man once told me "Dont use WD40 or Oil!" (I don't know why) Use a Teflon based lub like tri flow or metolius cam lube.

Lubing a dirty cam is also pointless!! Clean it!!

A little bit of lub goes a long way.. You shouldn't need to lube the cams up before each trip, only do it when it gets hard to pull the trigger back or when its very squeeky.

When the cam head get dirty you can swish it around in some warm water or mild soapy water to clean the dirt and junk out of the head of the cam, dont get the sling wet you don't want all that dirt, soap, and old lube on the sling. You can rinse the sling out later with warm water. Let dry and then lube the joints with a little triflow.. Make sure not get any lub on the cam lobes. Wipe off all the excess stuff. Depend how dirty the cam is you may need to wash it a couple of times and use a brush to clean some of the gunk out.

Also check with the manufacture.

A Dirty rope will hold water and it will wear quicker. Get some Blue Water Rope Wash and try washing your rope first! It will get all of the dust, sand, dirt, and junk out of you rope that will hold water.

I alwasy use a front loading wash machine.
Run the wash maching once or twice to get out the left over detergents.
Follow the directions on the rope wash bottle/packet. I Loosely Daisy chain the rope so I dont end up with 60m of knots.
Run the rinse cylce twice.
Hang the rope up to air dry. Do NOT put in the sunlight to dry.

This will usaully do the trick.

Later

sunder wrote:Do put in the sunlight to dry. This will usaully do the trick. Later

Do NOT put the rope into sunlight to dry! UV radiation damages nylon and other synthetic fibers!

Let the rope air dry in a cool, dark place.

Justin Cantrall wrote: Do NOT put the rope into sunlight to dry! UV radiation damages nylon and other synthetic fibers! Let the rope air dry in a cool, dark place.

See, I guess this is something I've never really bought from the rope manufacturers. Sure, don't STORE it outside, but I think drying it in the sun is OK for a day. Do you always climb at night or in the shade? It isn't going to hurt it to have it outside in the sun for a few hours.

Crag Dweller wrote: Oil-based products are corrosive to nylon. If you oil your cams and put them in a bag with your rope, slings, etc. You've put your life-saving nylon in contact with a corrosive substance. Does it seem as though I'm being a little overly cautious? Check out this story: rockandice.com/inthemag.php…;type=accidents

I think you might be overly cautious. This article has absolutely nothing to do with oil and nylon coming together, did you read it? that guys rope came in contact with battery acid and broke subsequently. At the end of the article it does recommend more chemicals to keep your rope away from and the products they're in. Oil based lubes are not on that list. sorry if this sounds upset, i just woke up from a nap and im easily worked up haha. Interesting article though, worth a read if you've got some time to kill.

Sam Feuerborn wrote: I think you might be overly cautious. This article has absolutely nothing to do with oil and nylon coming together, did you read it? that guys rope came in contact with battery acid and broke subsequently. At the end of the article it does recommend more chemicals to keep your rope away from and the products they're in. Oil based lubes are not on that list. sorry if this sounds upset, i just woke up from a nap and im easily worked up haha. Interesting article though, worth a read if you've got some time to kill.

I'm not sure there is such a thing as overly cautious when you're talking about pretty much the only non-redundant piece of your safety net ;) What's the benefit to using oil? The teflon based lubes, like metolius', are designed to dry onto the surface so that little pieces flake off if dirt or anything else gets in there, carrying the foreign matter along with it. For $3.50 a bottle (which is enough for all of my somewhat substantial rack) it seems worth using something that was intended for this specific purpose, and that you know has been extensively tested for compatibility with the nylon pieces of your rack. Just my $.02

My comment had nothing to do with potential safety. I don't believe oil is damaging to rope at all. Oil is a hydrocarbon, so is the nylon they use to make rope. Besides, the minuscule amount of "oil" you would use on a cam is pretty insignificant (in my humble, non-scientific opinion) when talking about potential damage when being stored with a rope.

The reason you don't use oil is because it stays wet and ATTRACTS MORE GRIT. Same with WD-40. You don't ever use oil or WD-40 on a bike chain either for the same reason - unless you're an idiot or simply don't know.

By using oil, you'll actually have dirtier cams within 2-3 pitches than you had before you even washed them. For the record, a careful washing in warm soapy water is usually all you ever need.

Ooops i typo early....

don't put your rope in the sun to dry after u wash it.

Mark Cushman wrote: See, I guess this is something I've never really bought from the rope manufacturers. Sure, don't STORE it outside, but I think drying it in the sun is OK for a day. Do you always climb at night or in the shade? It isn't going to hurt it to have it outside in the sun for a few hours.

+1

Just curious(and a stupid question), how often does complete rope failure occur? There are all the stories about the sheath breaking and I've read one story of a cooler conducting a f2 fall onto an anchor and snapping an old rope... It just seems so unlikely.
watch out for
~core shots
~battery acid
~... thats 'bout it?

and there are cases of ropes being cut over sharp edges... cathedral rock at GOG.