Retiring a Prussik

Treelimbjim

Treelimbjim

Location
Dallas, Texas
With the advent of these new high-temperature resistant cords for Prussiks, we seem to be solving one problem but deferring the others.

So, could you elaborate on when its time to stop using a cord, even though the outside appears as if its not burned out?

HRC, Beeline, Bail Out, etc?

A big help for me is to keep a about a foot or so of new cord stashed away to compare to.
 
Jim,

my experience with a mix of polyester and kevlar in the mantle, as we're using for the stiched eye to eye slings for the hitch climber ("Ocean Polyester" by Teufelberger), is that what'll happen is that over time the polyester will wear/ melt/ abrade away leaving you with the kevlar. At this point the friction hitch becomes very "grippy", making this point in time a natural moment to retire it. Yet you still have the structural strength of the kevlar in the mantle and the polyester in the kern.

I share your uneas about fail criteria for other materials though. I found it difficult to tell with New England's HRC when it's really reached the end of it's life span due to the extreme fuzzing of the mantle. I have to admit freely though that I have less experience with this prussic cord, so it might just as well be down to my ignorance.

So I suppose what I'm saying is it's down to the combination of materials. In this respect we'd have to discuss specific fail criteria for the various different prussic cords.
 
The HRC does 'fuzz' up pretty quickly. Because, as Mark_B said, fail criteria varies, it seems to be more a personal evaluation that should probably err on the side of caution.

I've used cord that I junk after one descent: sheath melting, glazing.

The HRC, which I now use exclusively, doesn't show that kind of wear (the fuzziness is not a sigh of wear from what I've read).

I inspect my cord after every descent. If there doesn't appear to any damage, I continue to use it.

Erring on the side of safety, I'll replace my cord:
1.) if I take a drop of more than 3-4 feet;
2.) every six months or so, no matter what.
 
Jim D.,

I find that with HRC the sheath will deteriorate rather quickly when it finally starts. What I mean is the sheath will start to look dirty and ragged. Then the yarns will start to pull apart. When I see the yarns begin to do this, I retire it. Remember that the core is Vectran and is also high-heat tolerant and strong enough, so don't get too freaked if the sheath looks a little old. Just retire it when it starts to fall apart and you should be fine.

I would also recommend to all that it is a very good learning experience to take all old cords and cut the sheath off before you throw them away. Then you can get a good feel for how damaged or un-touched the sheath is after your specific treatment of it in your daily workplace.
 
As a few others have stated, much depends on the use. I would also add that at least as much depends on how you care for it. I have been using HRC, ARC, and Beeline, some for more than a year.

Because I use all of them, none of them get the brunt of the wear, but I have had a few of them for more than a year. They are washed quite frequently and inspected daily.

The only one that I have had any issue with was the first run of the Beeline that had a greater percent of Kevlar. The Kevlar began to fuzz and fray. Even so, I used it for at least 9 months and was paid a compliment by the folks at Yale, they said that they had never seem cordage that had been so well taken care of. I try to be nice to the things that keep me alive.

You can never be too alive, and dead is forever.

TMW
 
When I start to see the core and some more ware then tare then it is off to the retirement home for my purssik cords. Been useing Bee line 8mm for 6 months now strong. I ahve some of the Ultra Tech and have had that for 4 months now not bad.
 
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