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rjman53
Oct 2, 2006, 4:26 PM
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I am in a climbing club at college and we have a club set of quickdraws. We've had these draws for a while now and its beginning to show. Im not exactly sure how long we've had our club draws because they were here before i was. I was wondering if anyone had advise for when to start replacing draws or guidelines for how long draws should be used before they should be replaced.
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rockguide
Oct 2, 2006, 4:45 PM
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In reply to: I am in a climbing club at college and we have a club set of quickdraws. We've had these draws for a while now and its beginning to show. Im not exactly sure how long we've had our club draws because they were here before i was. I was wondering if anyone had advise for when to start replacing draws or guidelines for how long draws should be used before they should be replaced.
Now is good.
Typically 5 years is the lifespan for nylon climbing equipment, but if they are showing signs of wear, now is good. Replacement for the nylon portion is probably $2.
I would also recommend checking the quickdraw carabiners for gate action. If they do not close crisply (either are sluggish or catch just short of engaging) then use a pressure spray to clear the mechanism (like what is used to clean keyboards) and apply a little "white lightening" (the mountain bike lube) to make them "snappier". If they still do not close crisply, throw them out.
Dispose of climbing gear where it cannot be found by cheapster students who are willing to risk their necks on inadaquate gear.
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david_smithrock
Oct 2, 2006, 4:56 PM
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Draws tend to be pretty durable, but I stop using them when the gates start to stick open, the gate starts to catch on the "key" when closing, or they get grooved enough to make me wonder about how strong they are. Or if they go through some kind of major trauma like a long fall onto a rock, getting levered over an edge, etc. People will tell you grooved biners are ok unless they're eaten halfway through, or you can drop a biner off El Cap, or fall 50 feet and lever it over a ledge and it's fine if not obviously cracked, etc. but it doesn't fill many partners with confidence!
That's the other main factor when it comes to replacing gear. If you don't know it's history, and something about the way it looks or feels doesn't seem right, you may want to replace them. If you are responsible for others (like it sounds you may be, in the college group?) don't be afraid to be paranoid, if only for legal reasons; the school's insurance policy requires gear to be %100 at all times. For guiding, I go through the draws after every season and replace any draw that looks heavily used (heavily scratched up, gate knocks against the "key", creaky, etc.) Those go on my personal rack until the things listed in the first paragraph happen. Then they go on my aid rack!
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bill413
Oct 2, 2006, 4:57 PM
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Trophy.
Because club gear has a less known record than stuff that you own individually, it is a good idea to be more aggressive about replacing it than you would with your own gear.
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markc
Oct 2, 2006, 5:09 PM
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In reply to: Trophy. Because club gear has a less known record than stuff that you own individually, it is a good idea to be more aggressive about replacing it than you would with your own gear.
It would also be a good idea to start a log of club purchases, possibly even saving copies of the receipts. Club turnover will come sooner than most replacement windows.
Check out your other club softworks, and consider reslinging any club cams or hexes if they're looking ratty. You could even work out a proposed replacement schedule so the impact on your budget is spread out.
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coolklimber
Oct 3, 2006, 12:17 AM
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On a couple of draws at my local gym had the biners on one end rub down to a point, so that they were weakend and sharp. Could you post pics?
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fabe
Oct 3, 2006, 3:54 PM
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I replaced the webbing of my quick draws when the thread started to get damaged. After about 4 years (used them about 3 times a week).
The biners are up to 8 years by now, guess they'll last another few years... If only climbing shoes would last that long! Damn they're so expensive... but why? it's just a tiny piece of rubber and leather, I don't get it..
cheers Fabe
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bill413
Oct 3, 2006, 4:41 PM
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In reply to: Damn they're so expensive... but why? it's just a tiny piece of rubber and leather, I don't get it.. |
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