Camalot Ultralight lifespan question

So , I have some Camalot Ultralights that are dated 2017, they just get light use..........these have a 10 year safety lifespan, is that true?

So will I need to retire my 2017 pieces in 2027? ( I know that is still 3-4 years away but just curious )

Thanks !!

I can understand the slings having a finite lifespan, but why would you retire the cam after ten years?

Just replace the sling and keep using it. 

I thought it was the Dyneema core in the stem that gave them their 10 year lifespan, not the sling.

Just like the lifespan of any new product, I assume the answer is no one really knows so 10 years is a conservative answer. I think they originally said five years.

Following. I have a double rack .5-4, dated 2016 or 2017.

Bb Cc wrote:

Does BD say 10 years for the ultralights?

A is a regular Camalot, B is a UL, so 10 yrs for slings on both, and 10 years for the UL stem.

The hownottohighline guy interviewed the BD designers, & it sounded like they should last way longer than 10 years. Something like 10 years was the lifespan leaving them in your car in the desert.

10 years is what BD is comfortable saying they are good for (guaranteed good that long) and also when they want you to buy another set and pay them for it...

The actual lifespan is likely much longer, depending on how they are used. e.g. in direct sun and used all the time vs. in a dark, cool, closet and used a couple times a year.

The Gen 1 ULs had translucent plastic sheathing around the dyneema.  UV damage is the most likely reason the dyneema (and cam) age out (without other causes of damage) of safe use.  When BD changed to sheathing to black plastic, is when (I believe) the BD published lifespan increased.  

I would guess that days in the sun is a more apt way to judge one’s UL lifespan. Weekend warrior keeping cams in a dark closet and using them once weekly gets more years than a full time d-bag. But the d-bag probably wears down the lobes substantially in five years anyway.

‘We built you as well as we could.’ ‘But not to last.’

This is just me but I plan on using my UL’s several years past the 10 years mark.   As long as they look good and haven’t been left out in the sun for any prolonged period I wouldn’t hesitate to keep using them. 

John Rwrote:

So , I have some Camalot Ultralights that are dated 2017, they just get light use..........these have a 10 year safety lifespan, is that true?

So will I need to retire my 2017 pieces in 2027? ( I know that is still 3-4 years away but just curious )

Thanks !!

Depends on use. 10 years is a very rough estimate. Climb every weekend and they will be trashed in a few years.

I sold my ULs before I trashed them and opted for the regular ones because they are more durable.

In the late eighties or early nineties, Bluewater introduced Spectra for use in its slings, which were woven with Spectra and nylon. Spectra wasn’t dyeable, so the nylon added color. Spectra weighs less than nylon and is stronger. Bluewater was (and I think still is) the only company that uses Spectra to stitch webbing ends together. This is important because nylon is degraded by UV, and Spectra isn’t—at least not nearly as quickly. Dyneema is another brand name for Spectra, and the Dyneema in the UL C4s isn’t aged by UV. However, the nylon stitching that BD, Mammut, and everyone else use to sew webbing ends together IS weakened by UV. Everything is weakened by abrasion, so regularly examine the stitching in all slings and harnesses.

Btw I bought all of my BD ULs in well-used condition. I never spring for new gear, unless I can get a good deal! 

I'll bet a lightly used 20-year-old cam has almost as much strength as a new one. Would love to see the guys at HowNot2 test this!

Michael Spielmanwrote:

I'll bet a lightly used 20-year-old cam has almost as much strength as a new one. Would love to see the guys at HowNot2 test this!

That will be a great episode in 13 years!