Protecting wear points

[DemostiX]

Now and then I see improvised protection for strap loops, fabric channels and fixed eyes.

Am I wrong to be concerned about a wear and strength challenge of the popular 7/64 Amsteel blue and similar, when one eye loop pulls on another, as with soft shackles? I think I'm looking at just how knots diminish load capacity and hurt line.

Reading on rope fibers I came across a belief that Kevlar will fail miserably under this kind of treatment. I know the Amsteel Blue is from a fiber without that weakness of Kevlar, but I wonder whether for minimal weight penalty, soft shackles shouldn't be made of much heavier Amsteel Blue, 1/4" or larger. Or have the loop better protected.

So what kinds of sleeves do people use to increase the radius of the 180 turn lines are making when they bare on one another, and protect the lines from abrasion?

[opie]

Amsteel on Amsteel is a non issue regarding abrasion.

As for the loop in something like a SS, if the SS is oriented correctly, each leg of the SS will carry only half of the total load. If the knot and loop are in one leg, a 500 pound load translates into 250 on each leg.

And in a SS configuration, the weak point is the knot. The diamond knot derates the line by around 30%. I dont think the bend of the loop in a SS derates that much.

[Barefeetz]

As Opie stated, no real need to protect Amsteel from itself. Only caveat would be in a situation of heat-generating friction.

That said, I have played around a bit with 550 paracord sheath as a sleeve for experimental applications. Works ok on 7/64"...

[LeDude]

quick question for the experts:

Just finished my first set of whoopie slings using amsteel 7/64th and they work like a charm.

how does the rope perform in cold weather, especially in Winter time, can it freeze and become inoperable
when configured as a sling?

thanks...

ps: opie thanks for all the great tutorials, have learned a lot from them