I’m going to resling with 8mm slings, just thread through and clip both ends. Just trying to work out what to use to ensure the 2 ends stay together so i don’t manage to unclip one

I suppose I should join in this discussion since writing some of those manufacture’s instructions is actually my day job….

I am an engineer, I’m also the technical manager of a rope company and responsible for their R and D, QC, CE approval etc.

It’s true most ropes get a 10 year shelf life, not because after 10 years they’ll not work but because there’s evidence that 10 year old ropes are still ok if stored correctly. I’ve tested ropes older than that that have met their ‘as new’ performance. I do have to put a figure on the datasheet though, so 10 years it is!

Regarding the markings; Often the centre tape mentioned up there ^ only gives a year of manufacture, there may be other codes in marker yarns etc but often without the ferrules or the labels it’s only possible to track a rope to the type and year of manufacture.

It’s good practice to down rate old ropes as they get old and perhaps use then in less critical applications. They certainly shouldn’t be sold for climbing!

Bear in mind that this is a story I heard in a training course that was probably 6th hand but I was told that a rope access company in Australia left a rope on a roof by mistake once. They were back on the building 2 years later and retrieved it. Did some ‘testing’ back in their unit, shock loading with weights, dropping a dummy onto a toothed backup device (Petzl ASAP) etc and it performed identically to new stuff.
Nevertheless I’d happily use the metalwork if it didn’t show much sign of wear or damage but I’d never use out of date fabric or second hand, it’s not worth the risk to me.
Old rope makes great dog leads! Have used old dynamic 9mm stuff as storm straps for my caravan awning too.

I have a load of stuff in the loft, must be 20 years old. If I ever take up climbing again, I’ll re-buy everything. I was always nervous climbing, now I’m 20 years older I don’t need even more stuff to worry about.

When I started climbing (early 1980s) it was common practice to make your own cord loops for loose nuts and hexentrics. It meant you could make the loops the correct length for you. Presumably it was the PPE regs that led to pre-made slings.

I used to retire ropes when they “didn’t feel right”, given the amount of climbing I was doing this was usually one season, i.e. one for summer and one for winter.

@grahamt1980 do you mean tape (flat) or cord (thin rope)? If the former then a straight length of tape tied with a tape knot, if the latter then use a double fishermans knot.

Tape – have got some lengths coming and some 8mm sewn slings to try out and see what works best

From memory I don’t recall many nuts requiring tape rather than cord, I’m sure there must have been some since I do remember threading some with tape. Possibly the larger Hexentrics – you could arrange it so that the knot sat inside the hollow centre of the Hex. This would have been on the original models, once Kevlar/Dyneema cord came out they reduced the size of the holes to match that. Until then each size required a different diameter cord otherwise the Hex would slide around on the loose cord.

I think this conversation is turning into a good example of “a little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing”

I’m going to resling with 8mm slings, just thread through and clip both ends. Just trying to work out what to use to ensure the 2 ends stay together so i don’t manage to unclip one

This sounds like an additional unnecessary risk. Sounds like an accident waiting to happen. Either get it properly re-slinged, perhaps larks foot it, or just tie it properly.

Having said which…

If the former then a straight length of tape tied with a tape knot,if the latter then use a double fishermans knot

Christ no. Tape knots and 2fishs are only suitable for certain types of sling and cord. Much of the newer, stronger, thinner software is also slipperier, and thus NOT SUITABLE for old school knots.

Fair enough, ask on here for advice on fence posts, divorce, coffee and other unimportant things, but please be careful with important stuff like climbing gear.

About half the posts above have a common theme (and I include myself in that group) of “I gave up climbing about 20 years ago, still have some kit lying about and have a very out of date knowledge about how things used to be done ie tape knots.

Not done it but this looks like a neat hack. You’d never really need to take the crab off (and risk clipping one loop only) almost like a captive loop on a quickdraw. http://www.kakibusok.plus.com/Equipment/ReslingCams/Resling.htm

Re: above. TRIPLE fishermans is recommended for modern slippery dyneema cord

@thegeneralist

Fair enough. The slippy stuff is usually some form of kevlar or dyneema (or has some content of same), the older style nylon cord is fine.

Having said that I’ve an original rigid stemmed Friend 2 1/2 that I’ve a Kevlar loop threaded through one of the holes in the stem. I know exactly where and when I fitted it: Sept 1984 at the Shawanagunks in New York State. It was common practice there as the horizontally bedded rock had lots of shallow slots meaning that falling on the loop at the end of the stem could cause the stem to bend/snap. It’s still tight now so there must have been some “trick” to ensuring that it didn’t come loose. (I haven’t used that Friend for many years so don’t worry on that score)

Hang on, larks foot the sling on the end of a cam?
That will produce a much weaker link that most things.
Ok my climbing gear is relatively old but it doesn’t mean i haven’t climbed in 15 years.
Will replace the cams in due course but for now the slings feel fine but i would rather ensure they are fine and by threading a sewn sling through the eyelet and securing the end with non-load bearing stitching to locate the krab it will retain the strength.
I can’t be arsed to faff around with the hexes as they only cost 50 ish quid to replace.
Ropes are going to make something more entertaining as the new ones are in the post, even though it pains me to bin the twin ropes

When I started climbing (early 1980s) it was common practice to make your own cord loops for loose nuts and hexentrics.

In the old days, climbing shops would routinely cut cord to length for hexs, Moacs etc and tie the knot for the customer. I guess you can’t do that kind of thing any more 🙂

On a related topic, is there somewhere that will take in old climbing equipment for recycling? Like many on this thread I have a box of (unused) climbing equipment that I don’t want to simply put in landfill.

Our local wall (awesome Stockport) has a wheelie bin for recycling climbing gear…

Thanks dashed. I’m not far from Stockport.

That’s exactly what I have done on my Friend and it works very well (though yet to be tested in a fall). ISTR I got the cord from a shop which sells specific lengths for exactly that use.

Agreed on the triple fishermans for dyneema (or other brand names for that). Exactly how the cord was tied on my rocks on cord when I bought them, and exactly how I’ve retied them. My hexes are on normal nylon cord/rope tied with double fishermans (and like all my other kit, that was replaced a couple of years ago).

You certainly can still buy the cord to put on hexes etc., though I guess you wouldn’t get a shop to tie it for you any more. Not the hardest thing to do if you’re competent with climbing ropework – I’d be a bit dubious about climbing with somebody who wasn’t capable of doing it themselves!