Rope Care, Safety & Usage
We strive to make only the highest quality ropes. By observing a few fundamental rules for their use, you can prolong the useful life of your ropes and get the best possible performance out of our products.
Abrasion and Sharp Edges
Abrasion and sharp edges are the worst enemies of your ropes. Check all your pieces of equipment prior to using them in order to verify that they do not have any burrs or sharp edges. Following climbs in highly abrasive environments, be sure to always check the ropes for wear-induced damage.
Checks and Inspections
Prior to any use, be sure to verify that the ropes are in a proper functional condition. Any abnormalities must be noted on the inspection card accompanying the product. In order to ensure the user's safety, the product must be checked at least once annually by a qualified expert. If there are any doubts about its safety, the product must be retired. For more detailed information, please read the instructions for use accompanying our products.
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Damage and Retiring of Products
Textile products (harnesses, ropes, lanyards) shall generally be retired:
- If straps or seams are damaged
- Upon contact with chemicals, acids, oils, solvents
- Upon exposure to heavy mechanical loads (falls)
- In the event of signs of extreme wear (abrasion, furring)
- In the event of heavy irreversible contamination (grease, oils, bitumen)
- In the event of fusion or signs of melting (after extreme thermal loads)
- Contact and friction heat
- End of permitted maximum service life
- If exceeded fall rating
Elimination of Twist
Twist increases the likelihood that a rope will kink and get caught in pieces of equipment. Strong twist can cause the rope's cross-section to become non-round, which accelerates wear and reduces its strength. Eliminating twist from a rope improves its handling comfort and prolongs its life span. To this end, the rope must be unrolled correctly and placed in a straight line and then dragged along while the loose end is allowed to untwist itself freely. Winding it up in figure 8 slings or stowing it in a rope bag prevents the rope from becoming twisted during storage.
Rope Storage and Care
Recommended conditions for proper storage:
- Storage temperature: approx. 68°F
- Relative humidity: 65 % max.
- No direct exposure to sunlight
- No aggressive chemicals in the rope's vicinity
The best way to store your rope is loosely, in a dry condition in a rope bag, protected against dirt and sunlight. In the case of slight soiling, it will be enough to clean it with clear water. In the case of more severe soiling, clean the rope using a mild soap solution; the use of distilled water is preferred, as upon drying extremely calcareous water causes lime to crystallize inside the rope. Allow the washed ropes to dry slowly in the shade, not in direct sunlight and not near radiators.
Service Life
For details regarding the service life of the various products, please see the relevant manufacturer's information documents. The actual useful life depends solely on the condition of the product, which in turn is influenced by various factors (see below). Extreme influences may shorten it to a single use only or to even less if the equipment is damaged prior to its first use (e.g. in transport). Mechanical wear and other influences such as the impact of sunlight will decrease the life span considerably. Bleached or abraded fibers, harness webbing, discoloration, and hardened spots are surefire indicators that the product needs to be retired. It is clearly not possible to offer a general statement about the product‘s service life, as such life span depends on various factors, e.g., UV light, type and frequency of use, handling, climatic influences such as snow, environments such as salt, sand, battery acid, etc. In general, the following rule applies: if the user, for whatever reason – however insignificant it may seem – is uncertain whether or not the product meets all the necessary criteria, its use must be discontinued and it must be handed to a qualified expert for testing and inspection. Retire any product that exhibits signs of wear! Following a fall, it is absolutely necessary that the product be replaced!