Knots

[Guest]

Great site, i have used to brush up on some of my knots.

http://www.animatedknots.com/indexrescue.p...imatedknots.com

[Guest alsfirefighter]

I've used that site as well roof. I have similiar animations I use when teaching knot tying in curriculums and send my students there so when they practice at home and have any trouble they have something solid to assist them.

Thanks for sharing bro.

[ny10570 745]

This is a great topic that pops up every few months. Knots are too often forgotten (I'm a big offender here) and accurate easy to use resources can be tough to find. Maybe a list of sites like the one posted by roofsopen can be pinned to the top this or the training thread.

[TR54 239]

Excellent site!

Does anybody know if there is an automatic replacement time or life span of rescue (Life) ropes?

Thanks

[DaRock98 76]

Great site! I have always had a hard time with knots this looks like it will help a lot. Thanks.

[Guest]

Excellent site!

Does anybody know if there is an automatic replacement time or life span of rescue (Life) ropes?

Thanks

Climbing ropes are good for 2 years OR one fall, you must visually inspect and feel the rope for any breaks or hard and soft spots which can represent splitting in the rope. Also NFPA might have a requirement for annual or semi-annual replacement.

[Bnechis 3,961]

Climbing ropes are good for 2 years OR one fall, you must visually inspect and feel the rope for any breaks or hard and soft spots which can represent splitting in the rope. Also NFPA might have a requirement for annual or semi-annual replacement.

Note: 1 fall on all climbing ropes, even ones listed as a "6" fall rope. The number is for comparrison only, i.e. 5 fall is better than a 3 fall.

NFPA does not require annual/semi replacement. they require inspection.

Most manufacterers claim the nylon losses 1% per year just due to exposure to air. General belief is 10% or 10 years is max for nylon....ropes, harnesses, webbing, etc.

Other exposure: UV (sunlight), corrosives (note: air is slightly corrosive to nylon), heat will reduce the life.

Consider your harness, particularly if it is outside your bunkers

[ONEEYEDMIC 68]

I bought a book awhile back about ropes. Hard as hell to do reading but it looks like that site may help me. Thanks.

[Guest]

Climbing ropes are certified by the UIAA. The UIAA tells you how many test falls the rope held before failure. The rope that I use is rated for 6 UIAA falls. THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT AFTER 6 FALLS I SHOULD RETIRE THE ROPE. The UIAA is a Laboratory Torture test. The test fall involves dropping a 80 kg load 16.5 feet on 8.25 feet of rope with the rope running over an edge that simulates a carabiner without time between tests. This test cannot be duplicated under normal climbing conditions.

Edited January 31, 2008 by Smiley

[Guest]

http://www.theuiaa.org/act_safety.html cool video showing UIAA conducting safty tests. Its kinda cool to see carabiners fail at more 5000 lbs.

[Guest]

From: Micah Lauer

The *standard* that many rope companies go by is as follows: retire after:

-6 months to 1 year - if used heavily, i.e. - guiding or lead climbing almost daily

-up to 2 years - if used on a semi-regular basis, i.e. every weekend or every other weekend

-up to 4 years - if used only occasionally, i.e. - every few months/several times a year, etc.

Of course, after any *major* fall, a rope becomes suspect and should be retired, especially if over a sharp edge.

You should regularly examine your rope for irregularities, sheath damage, core damage and soft spots.

Store your rope in a cool, dry place - away from gas fumes, chemicals, battery acid, weapon grade plutonium, etc...

The rationale behind the length of life scale is that nylon does break down and deteriorate over time (and gear companies want to sell more ropes, of course). Some people get away with using ropes for longer, some for less. What appears above is just a general guideline.

Use your best judgement and, if in doubt, retire your rope! Better to shell out $150 than risk your life and your partners'.

[Guest]

ah now I understand you 67. You bring up an interesting point when you say "Store your rope in a cool, dry place - away from gas fumes, chemicals, battery acid, weapon grade plutonium." It is very important that rope of any sort not be stored in the same compartment on a piece of apparatus as the gas containers or anything that consumes gas.

Obviously your right when you say that you should regularly examine your rope for irregularities, sheath damage, core damage and soft spots. I say that retiring a rope after 1 fall might be a tad on the conservative side but as you clearly state its better to be safe than dead. It clearly depends on the type of fall. A fall with a lot of rope in the system is going to be more gentle(less force) than a fall with almost no rope in the system(more force).

http://www.theuiaa.org/upload_area/files/1...mbing_Ropes.pdf Here is an article for UIAA where they test ropes that were 30 years old and they freaking passed the drop test.

BOTTOM line is its a judgment call. It depends on how well you care for your ropes, how often you climb with them, and how many falls you take. I have top roped with ropes I be ashamed to explain there history. The best protection in climbing is not falling

[Guest]

thanks... I also bought up a point on the NFPA, i didn't mean for that to sound as if they certified the rope. This being a fire rescue forum i figured that the question posed would be for more of a "professional" use then for climbing.

[jcoppola 52]

Great site! I bookmarked it.

JVC

[NWFDMedic 58]

Thanks for the site roofsopen. My department is doing a drill on ropes and knots Monday night and it will be something nice to add into the class.