Climbing Harness Safety

[nuglas]

Ok.,,. Just a hypothetical question here team,.,.

 

If you went into a climbing shop and they were selling VERY affordable harness' that were made in 2000-2002,.,.would you think twice?,. Do you think the staff would be dishonest in implying that the harness' were still as safe as they were when made? Does the shop have the responsibility to throw stuff like this into the garbage and deal with the loss in order to maintain sound credibility in the community?

 

I have investigated as best I can, and it seems like most references suggest a 15 year shelf life for an unused belt stored in ideal conditions,. So the question remains, would YOU trust a belt that was made 8-11 years ago?,.

 

If someone told you that it was safe and trustworthy what would you response be?

 

If anyone has some additional beta on nylon lifespan, or just experience that would help me make my position more sound I would really appreciate any response,.

 

OR, if you think I am approaching this from a position of paranoia and being too concerned please tell me!!

[DPS]

I would feel totally fine with it as long as it was stored properly.

[nuglas]

Note: The shop employees have no idea where tha harness' have been during the years since manufacture,. Sold to the store through a private owner,. Maybe an old gear shop employee,. Or maybe someone cleaning out their garage,. No credible word on storage,.

[DPS]

Ok, that is a little weird.

[nordicpunk]

You wouldn't find a harness that old. The store would be worried about hanging on to something like that for too long and would just close it out after a couple years. Also, you would know where it's from- the manufacturer. I have never known a shop to buy climbing gear from anywhere else. No customers, employees, or unused returns, no matter how new and perfect it looks. Standard climbing store practice.

[TRoth]

I would give it a good safety inspection, just like I do every time I go out.

 

[AR_Guy]

Is your life worth saving $10 or $20 on a harness?

 

Frugal is good, as in getting something on closeout.

 

Being cheap when it comes to life critical equipment......mmmmm....not for me.

[ColinB]

When I was working in the industry, if we came across harnesses (new ones) that were more than 4 years old they were destroyed, not sold. Being frugal on safety equipment is fucking stupid even if you're a broke student. Last thing you want to be thinking about when taking a whipper is whether or not your harness is going to hold...

 

Sounds like a sketchy story. The harness is probably fine, but "probably" is the most certain of terms.