hank moon wrote:I cannot understand why some folks say they don't trust belay loops, but have no problem trusting webbing, buckles, rope, maillons, etc. All of which have also failed at some point or 'nother. The solution to this kind of problem is found in developing sound personal safety habits and judgement, not in the quest for double or triple-bombproof.
I agree that safe personal habits is the most preferable answer but in this case inspection actually picked up the fault but the temptation of one more time was too much apparently.
Some thoughts....
Wear on the
inside of loops is less obvious and possibly less likely to be seen than worn carabiners mailons tapes or ropes.
I think a harness is probably particularly prone to being used beyond it's propper retirement date. This is possibly more so for climbers than cavers because cavers are forced to inspect thier gear every time they clean it after a muddy vertical trip. Climbers like to keep clean so aren't forced to inspect thier gear in the same way. OK a caver could just hose it off or throw it in a bucket but I take my harness apart and scrub it clean.
Also I think people become attached to a harness more than some of thier other vertical gear, it is also more expensive to replace than a tape, mailon or carabiner. I also think people have trouble telling when a harness should be retired, wear damage is easier but stuff like being old or the effect dirt and mud may have had in weakening the harness? it's harder to retire a perfectly functional looking harness that is 5 years old than a 2 year old harness that the straps are wearing through. (I know in this case we are talking about a wear situation here)
My Pit Viper harness and it
seems it can fail at any one point (except the central mailon) and I will still be OK, I won't push it that far, but for those people that do a safe failure mode would save thier life. Only a fool would keep using thier harness after it had already failed IMO.
Maybe some thing like a smaller belay loop inside a larger belay loop so if the smaller loop wears through and fails the larger loop catches it ? if you had two belay loops side by side I guess there could be the situation where they are both worn and the failure of one shock loads (slightly) the other and they both fail....