When to replace soft goods

More than 10 years ago I got injured and thought that my climbing days were over. Turns out there may be a second act in me after all. My question is: should I be concerned about the soft goods on my rack? They were all stored inside and out of the sun. Stuff that has seen use ill certainly replace, like slings and such. But what about integrated slings on pro and the 9.2 sterling nano (that has never seen a fall) 

Josh Kernerwrote:

More than 10 years ago I got injured and thought that my climbing days were over. Turns out there may be a second act in me after all. My question is: should I be concerned about the soft goods on my rack? They were all stored inside and out of the sun. Stuff that has seen use ill certainly replace, like slings and such. But what about integrated slings on pro and the 9.2 sterling nano (that has never seen a fall) 

The manufacturers will tell you all of this needs to be replaced. If you're concerned, it's worth spending a few hundred dollars for the piece of mind  

New chapter=great excuse to buy new gear.

Also, if it gives you peace of mind, it’s worth it.

No, concern is warranted when the soft goods look damaged. If they look and feel ok then keep your perfectly good pile of nylon out of a landfill.

Sam Oudekerkwrote:

New chapter=great excuse to buy new gear.

Also, if it gives you peace of mind, it’s worth it.

It's certainly a good gear buying excuse. Also alot has changed in climbing tech over a decade. 

Well used 10 year old skinny dyneema draws, yeah, replace those. 22kN nylon slings used to clip to 10kN cams/nuts... don't waste your time or money. The "just for peace of mind" reasoning would have me replacing my ropes after 7 falls, believing in microfractures, etc. And gear tech really isn't that better than 10 years ago. Mostly just lighter and less durable. 

Josh Kernerwrote:

It's certainly a good gear buying excuse. Also alot has changed in climbing tech over a decade. 

Not really. I’d say that climbing gear tech has not changed significantly since the late eighties/early 90s. (Double axle cams, GriGri, high performance shoes, wire gate carabiners, crash pads, etc). 

Looks like the MP verdict is in - either replace them or don't replace them. Do one of the two!  

(personally, I'd replace them for the peace of mind).

OP, without pictures the default will be replace… (lots of scientific studies show that slings/ropes really don’t degrade with age stores properly.(sounds like yours were)

Most times when I have had friends ask this the slings are minimally fuzzy and in better shape that what I whip on regularly.   But there is the off case of the buddy with totally thrashed soft goods.   Have a friend I affectionately refer to his ropes as “playground ropes” as they are so fuzzy they don’t feel like climbing ropes anymore.  

So in general people default the cover your ass approach and say replace.  When most climbers (especially the ones asking this question) gear is usually perfectly serviceable.   

I dont see how dynema or nylon would degrade with time if keept away from sunlight and chemicals. But then again, you get to buy new gear and dont have to be the dodgey guy with 10 year old slings and shit. I dont want to be belayed by people with 10 year old harnesses. 

The “peace of mind” argument basically says that a large “piece of your mind” is illogical and prone to false fears.  I’d just quit climbing altogether to be safe. 

Wictor Dahlströmwrote:

I dont see how dynema or nylon would degrade with time if keept away from sunlight and chemicals. But then again, you get to buy new gear and dont have to be the dodgey guy with 10 year old slings and shit. I dont want to be belayed by people with 10 year old harnesses. 

Even if said harness has been barely used and stored properly?  Knowing that synthetics stored properly do NOT degrade appreciably.  

Feel like your statements are contradictory in this post.

Not coming after you OP.

Have to agree with Mark Pilate.  I get the mental aspect of climbing and myself have retired a cam that after cleaning/lube would occasionally not expand.   Worried I would climb above a microcam that was on two lobes etc.  

Have asked for a different belayer on occasion whom I trusted more when falls were likely.

But this new defacto soft good paranoia/replacement seems wasteful to me.  A drop in the bucket in the rand scheme of waste I’m sure. :)

For what it's worth, I don't think I have a single sling that is less than a decade old, and only just retired a 10+ year old harness last season.  If your soft goods are dyneema and have been sitting under sunlight that would be another matter, but I would personally have no issue using your properly-stored gear.

Well stored and taken care of nylon slings and ropes are perfectly fine.  I recently had a rope break tested that was used as a rap anchor on top of a spire.  It had been up there for 4 years exposed to sun, rain and snow and was turning white from UV exposure and it broke at 2k lbs.  Not too bad for a brittle bleached rope.   

If your stuff looks good, I wouldn't hesitate to use it.  Im still using ropes that are well over 10 years old for top roping and definitely using draws past the 10 year mark.   I wouldn't sweat it unless you just want an excuse to get new gear.

greggryllswrote:

Even if said harness has been barely used and stored properly?  Knowing that synthetics stored properly do NOT degrade appreciably.  

Feel like your statements are contradictory in this post.

Well, I don’t think a properly stored harness degrades significantly with time. I however don’t want to be they guy with ten year old harness and I don’t want to trust randoms who say their very old gear is good. It’s very likely that old gear is fine, but it is very bad if it is not.

Anyone with eye and/or need for safety will spot a mile away that you stuff is old. Even if nobody nothing is said, it may relegate you to someone who doesn't get invited often (or at all).
Climbing is a partnership. It's not just your gear, your partner needs to know he can whip hard and you belay loop is beyond reproach.

The tests I've seen show full strength or close to it for good condition nylon up to 30 years old. Dyneema can lose strength especially when subject to a lot of repeated bending.

For slings/harnesses that look good and under 15 years old I wouldn't worry about it. I'd get a new rope for lead because elasticity could be reduced and it's the primary component of the system. I'd do all my top roping on the old rope. I replaced my cams after about 15 years, but you could also ship them out to have new slings put on.

https://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en_US/stories/experience-story-qc-lab-old-vs-new-gear-testing/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9yZ7-aO6jE&ab_channel=HowNOT2

How many kN is beyond reproach?