Appreciation post: My 15-year-old climbing rope finally gave out on a big oak removal last Tuesday.

It was a clean break about 8 feet from the end, and I had to switch to my backup line to finish the job. Anyone else have a piece of gear you trusted for years that finally quit on you?

3 comments

3 Comments

henderson.hayden22d ago

Glad you're safe, but that rope was way past its service life for climbing gear. Most manufacturers recommend retiring a climbing line after 10 years max, even with light use. That's a serious reminder for everyone to check their gear dates.

ivanp7822d ago

Guess my retirement plan kicked in before the rope's did.

joseph_green1322d ago

Way past its service life" feels like fear mongering. My dad's old gear from the 90s still works fine if you take care of it. This just makes people scared of perfectly good stuff.