View Full Version : looking for old rock climbing rope/harnesses
looking for old rope capable of supporting human weight and maybe a harness. CHEAP!
warbonnetguy
08-09-2008, 11:16
how long does it need to be?
miisterwright
08-09-2008, 11:31
heescha, be very careful about buying used rope. A used harness is fine, but if you are intending to climb, you want to know that rope will hold. Ropes need to be retired after so many falls or after so many years. You want to know the history of the rope. Having just bought one, (saved for a long time) I know they are expensive. Just use caution in deciding what to do, I don't want to see you hurt. ~Bryan
warbonnetguy
08-09-2008, 11:38
yeah, what are your plans for it? supporting human weight is alot different than taking falls on it.
kayak karl
08-09-2008, 15:41
looking for old rope capable of supporting human weight and maybe a harness. CHEAP!
used rope?? :rolleyes: check with local roofers and roof suppliers, they may have rope that is outdated or not OSHA approved any more.
"And, hey - let's be careful out there."
Ramblinrev
08-09-2008, 18:38
climbing ropes are subject to serious interior damage that do not show up on the outside after a major fall. If you are climbing you are also going to want a dynamic rope which is even more subject to interior damage. My understanding is that climbers will get rid of their ropes if they have a major fall for that reason. I'd hate to see you get a rope that is not what it's cracked up to be. Also be careful of "cheap". In terms of climbing your life really is on the line.
looking for old rope capable of supporting human weight and maybe a harness. CHEAP!Don't ever,ever purchase used rope for life support purposes. You never know what kind of forces the line was subjected to, how it was handled or stored, etc. My guess is that if you want to buy used rope, you're not trained in its proper use, either. Definitely a recipe for disaster! Enjoy your body cast, kid.
warbonnetguy
08-10-2008, 14:32
generally, falls major enough to retire a rope after, are extremely rare. they say to retire the rope after a factor 2 fall. this would be a fall that is twice the distance of the amount of rope between the belay and the climber. for instance, if a climber climbs up from a belay 15 feet, puts no gear in, and falls, he will fall 15 feet back down to the belay and another 15 feet past it before the rope stops him. a 30' fall on 15' of rope. 30 divided by 15= factor 2. on the other hand, if a climber climbs 50', puts in a piece of gear, climbs another 50' and falls, not counting for rope stretch, he would fall 100' on 100' of rope. a factor 1 fall. yeah, he fell 100', but it was on a much higher percentage of the line, and thus a higher percentage of stretch/shock absorption. this 100' factor one fall would not be cause to retire the rope. most falls are even much less than a factor one. a 40' fall on 100' of rope would only be factor 0.4.
retired ropes are often retired from lead climbing, but still used (by the origional owner) for toproping since the forces involved would be much lower. these things were designed for very heavy shock loading, and should be able to support bodyweight easily even after it's retired from lead climbing. of course, you would want to check the rope for interior damage by carefully running it through your hands, feeling for soft or swollen spots in the core as these are signs of interior damage and looking at the condition of the cover to get an idea of how much it's been used.
i'm fairly certain that there has never been a climbing accident where the rope broke. ropes have gotten cut before but never just snapped due to weakness. they say the human body would not survive a load strong enough to break the line.
you are taking a chance when you buy a used rope, especially if you don't know you can trust the seller. you would probably be ok if you talk to the person to find out it's history and then inspect it before use, and of course you probably shouldn't use it for lead climbing. but if you are confident about inspecting a rope, it's probably because you've been through several ropes yourself and seen what worn and damaged rope looks like, in which case you don't need to buy a used rope because you have a few in the closet already.
ok, i completely understand the fear of rope and everything, i've had alot of friends who climb and have informed me quite a bit. what is done quite often in the black hills is to "hill climb" basically there are alot of ridges that you can't really "rock climb" but it is more of lose rocks, boulders, and trees. so what is done is that people get used climbing ropes and tied one end to a three prong throwing grapple (nija grapple) then they toss it up the "hill" and get it securly hooked on a tree, then basically walk up the steep incline just pulling on the rope for some support. so it's not really supporting your whole weight and it wouldn't need to support the full force of a fall, just if i slipped i would hold on...since i'm basically on just a steep hill and not vertical climbing, i think it would work very well.