Mountain Gear offering $25 to retire your harness

[scrambled_legs]

Arc'teryx has gotten together with mountain gear and are offering $25 off $125 of Arc'teryx gear through www.mountaingear.com, if you retire your old harnesses.

 

In light of the recent belay loop failures, they are looking to do some testing on used harnesses, their lifespans, effects of use, effects of salt water etc.

 

I have a harness that's nearing the end of its life cycle so I thought I might as well send it in now and get something for it, and give them a hand with their testing at the same time. After sifting through www.mountaingear.com, to see what harnesses I could replace it with, I was surprised to find that they won't send any Arc'teryx gear to Canada.

 

So if you're looking at sending your harness in and recover your shipping costs through the gift certificate, it is actually useless unless you are going to travel to the US to use it. I find this to be quite deliberately deceiving and have requested that they inform Canadians of this on the advertisment but still no change. I was going to buy a new tent on the same order but won't be shopping through them anymore.

[olyclimber]

I would bet that the reason is because they can't send to Canadia is because of an agreement with Dead Bird (i.e. Dead Bird reseller contract explicitly prohibits them from doing that?). Maybe you should contact Dead Bird and see if they have such a dealio with a Canadian retailer or could set one up?

[scrambled_legs]

Ya, would be a good idea to waive that clause for Canadians sending in their harnesses. Either way, somebody should be putting the fact that the gift certificate is useless to us on the advertisement to send in your harness, or be willing to send the harness back to the owner and refund the shipping costs. It really sucks to find out after the fact.

[JayB]

Have there been belay loop failures other than the late Todd Skinner's?

[scrambled_legs]

Ya, some guide, on rappel as well, bailed off when his loop failed a few feet from the ground fortunately. Not sure where or who but could probably find something if you spend the time. Two failures within a year after how many years without any and both climbers sponsored with free gear??? Talk about strange.

[lizard_brain]

Were these failures both with Arc'teryx brand harnesses?

[Dechristo]

Cra'teryx

[catbirdseat]

Cra'teryx

I don't think it's a funny joke and I don't think the good folks are Arcteryx think it's funny to besmirch their reputation for no reason.

[scrambled_legs]

I don't think they were Arcteryx, but it's Arcteryx that is doing the extensive testing on used harnesses for the first time, so good on them. Bad on them or Mountain Gear for not telling Canadians they won't get anything for spending the money to send in their old ones but good on them for doing the testing.

 

Apparently both harnesses were really badly worn and could have been easily replaced by simply calling the gear man as both were sponsored climbers. To rip a belay loop is damn tough so to have it rip with the minimal force applied while rappeling on both, is damn scary. They must have been in really, really poor condition.

[Dechristo]

Cra'teryx

I don't think it's a funny joke and I don't think the good folks are Arcteryx think it's funny to besmirch their reputation for no reason.

 

Please forgive me. It was a typographical typolaughical typolaughable error.

 

 

 

Lighten up, Grandma Prudence.

Quit wearing your harness backwards and perhaps you won't get that belay loop wedged so tightly.