by hunter » Sep 15, 2005 10:13 am
bigalpha,
Don't know if your looking at vertical, but vertical gear is normally a good area to be cautious. Some people won't buy used vertical gear at all.
At the very least I (personally) would recommend against any worn nylon gear (harness, slings, ropes, etc...). Your life will be hanging on the gear, used once maybe, but if it shows wear be cautious. UV expose and, possibly, age can also affect the strength of nylon.
Metal gear is harder to say but caution is good for the same reasons. I would avoid anything with significant wear or signs of being dropped (chips).
Of course the best thing to do is find someone good at vertical in your area and work with them on training and what to get.
Also, it depends on the area and temp caves you are looking at but I often use coveralls from army surplus stores as a cheap alternative. They don't last as long but get the job done. (these don't work so well in really muddy or cold caves, mud does bad things to zippers)
Hardware store kneepads are the same way.
Hunter