The subject of using old gear has three elements to it. Even though your question was about a specific product, I'll expand my answer to cover all three.

	Don Mellor Don Mellor Don Mellor has been climbing, writing about climbing, and teaching climbing for more than 25 years. Meet Don Expert Answers

1. Degradation of materials over time

Synthetic materials like nylon and plastic begin to degrade as soon as they are manufactured, whether or not they are in use, whether or not they are exposed to UV radiation. The material simply breaks down over time, and manufacturers of ropes, slings, harnesses, and helmets suggest around five years as a conservative product life. Metals, on the other hand, show very little decline over time, other than superficial exfoliation of aluminum or oxidation of steel. Thus, if you are going to use that old Friend, at least replace the sling.

2. Use and abuse of the piece

The above guideline pertains to gear left unused and in the dark. Obviously, gear that has been abraded or banged around will need much more frequent replacement. Abrasion is easy to inspect. Tougher to see, and thus more insidious, is the destruction caused by UV radiation. Sunlight is very harmful to most synthetics. Ropes left out for long periods of time should be relegated to an afterlife as a rug or a clothesline. I was especially convinced of this when a partner of mine reached up to clip a faded one-inch sling attached to an old piton on a seldom done climb. When he clipped in, the weight of the rope (what, 5 pounds?), broke the sling!

3. Improvement of product line

When I posed your question to Martin Atkinson of Wild Country (manufacturer of Friends), he brought up a different issue from the obvious ones concerning degradation of materials. Wild Country and other manufacturers continue to refine and improve their product line. Every slight change is an improvement, and though the piece of gear you bought 20 years ago was then state-of-the-art, the ones in the shop today are quite a bit better.

Good luck,
—Don

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