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asimpson1983
Aug 3, 2007, 12:38 PM
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I'm realizing that my rope has been sitting in the car all week long, in a rope bag, and baking in the sun all day (it's been hot and sunny). Is this something to worry about or is the rope protected by the bag?
Thanks,
Andrew
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Jbitz
Aug 3, 2007, 1:40 PM
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The good thing is that you had it in a bag. What would have been more harmful is to leave the rope exposed to sunlight (UV degradation).
The melting point of Polyester (nylon) is around 480°F and you can experience progressive strength loss above 300°F. The temp in your car on a 100°F day would maybe reach around 150°F. Your rope should be fine.
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truello
Aug 3, 2007, 1:44 PM
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Rope bag would protect the rope from UV damage. As for the actual temperatures reached inside a car, I don't think they'd reach anywhere near the amount to damage a rope.
But as for anything in climbing, don't listen to some noob on rc.com and email the manufacturer.
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dalguard
Aug 3, 2007, 1:57 PM
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My rope lives in my car. I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in that.
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sterlingjim
Aug 3, 2007, 1:58 PM
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Nylon = polyamide
Nylon is not polyester.
It's true that nylon melts at about 480F but it can start to have problems after roughly 300F.
Nevertheless you will not reach 300F in your car. If it did you would probably find evidence of damage to a lot of other things in the car also.
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pastprime
Aug 3, 2007, 2:46 PM
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You have gotten the answer above, but just to drive in the point: as someone pointed out a while back, your rope is made of the same material as your car's seatbelts, and they survive years of that kind of conditions.
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Jbitz
Aug 3, 2007, 3:39 PM
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Thanks for the correction. I did not mean to imply they are the same. A slight grammar error on my part. 
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sterlingjim
Aug 3, 2007, 4:14 PM
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I figured but just wanted to be sure.
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Jbitz
Aug 3, 2007, 4:17 PM
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The only problem that I have when you often ask a manufacturer a question you often get an answer through a lawyer whose job is to protect them from lawsuit. You do not always get a real or should I say definite answer.
For example: A manufacturer would truly need to replicate the circumstances and compare it to a rope made of the same lot of materials as a control and perform a fall tests with several ropes.
I doubt that any of the manufacturers stuck any ropes in a bag for a week in a hot car and did this or something similar. So, any answer they give would also be based on theory.
Your climbing on it so the best you can do is get some opinions and weigh them and decide for yourself if you are comfortable that it is still ok to use.
As an aside one of the best ongoing discussions is the marking of climbing ropes. It has become almost comical.
(This post was edited by Jbitz on Aug 3, 2007, 4:40 PM)
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sterlingjim
Aug 3, 2007, 5:07 PM
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Jbitz wrote: The only problem that I have when you often ask a manufacturer a question you often get an answer through a lawyer whose job is to protect them from lawsuit. You do not always get a real or should I say definite answer.
I'm not a lawyer.
I agree you will not always get a straight answer from manufacturers. Sometimes they just have to cover their own a$$es.
In reply to: I doubt that any of the manufacturers stuck any ropes in a bag for a week in a hot car and did this or something similar. So, any answer they give would also be based on theory.
Sure it's a theory but it's one that is based on a concrete knowledge base. I don't need to stick my hand in a fire to know that I will get burned. I don't need to drink a gallon of anti-freeze to know it will kill me. Given what we know about the properties of nylon and what we know about temperatures inside a car on a hot sunny day it's reasonable to conclude the rope will be no worse than it was when it was placed in the car.
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flint
Aug 3, 2007, 5:16 PM
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sterlingjim wrote: Jbitz wrote: The only problem that I have when you often ask a manufacturer a question you often get an answer through a lawyer whose job is to protect them from lawsuit. You do not always get a real or should I say definite answer. I'm not a lawyer. I agree you will not always get a straight answer from manufacturers. Sometimes they just have to cover their own a$$es. In reply to: I doubt that any of the manufacturers stuck any ropes in a bag for a week in a hot car and did this or something similar. So, any answer they give would also be based on theory. Sure it's a theory but it's one that is based on a concrete knowledge base. I don't need to stick my hand in a fire to know that I will get burned. I don't need to drink a gallon of anti-freeze to know it will kill me. Given what we know about the properties of nylon and what we know about temperatures inside a car on a hot sunny day it's reasonable to conclude the rope will be no worse than it was when it was placed in the car.
I love it when the guy who made the gear gets on the thread and shuts everyone up.
Big thanks to you, sterlingjim for reading and answering questions, nice to see a manufacturer taking an active part, as I have seen you (and others) do.
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builttospill
Aug 3, 2007, 8:34 PM
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Is there any climbing gear that any of you would hesitate to leave in your car for weeks at a time in the sun? I always was nervous about it (as well as camera equipment) and it occasionally made my life difficult (trying to find shade to park in that was far away from my building at work).
Just wondering....I never knew the temperatures you guys are citing.....so nylon slings and spectra slings are all fine too? Anything wrong with your harness staying in there semi-permanently as well?
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flint
Aug 4, 2007, 1:31 AM
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Shoes, you can really trash climbing shoes by leaving them in the car. The rubber will start to peel away from them.
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