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Cam re-sling advice
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Hello, I recently bought 14 cams and got 12 of them re-slung (all Metolius, done through them). The other 2 I got in my haul are HB wales quadcams. I’m not sure of there age but I believe that they are old. They are barely used and the slings look to be in good condition (slings are rated for 15kn). Should I DIY re-sling or leave them alone? Pictures posted below. Any advice would be appreciated. (The Metolius cams where dated 2011 so I decided 70$ was worth.) Thanks.    |
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I'd leave them alone. Nylon doesn't deteriorate significantly due to age alone. (It's wear and UV exposure that you need to worry about). But YMMV. |
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Maybe rack them and place them with a backup. See how you feel using them. If you are constantly thinking about their integrity instead of just enjoying the climbing, then I'd say it's worth it to resling them. |
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Those cams look1990 +/- vintage to me; that piece of nylon should be collecting a social security check every month. Nylon degrades, even in the most benign garage/basement/closet environment. Read Walter Siebert's thesis on the subject and Bernstein etal's "Nylon 6.6 accelerated aging studies II..." in Polymer Degradation and Stability 95 (2010) 1471-1479. The former is German language and the latter is probably behind a pay wall. If you're not confident about the sewn nylon, you can always just clip a carabiner/draw directly to where the sewn nylon loop is connected. I think you'll find that you won't use those cams so often because your second will bloody their knuckles fishing them out with the ring-trigger-pull that was designed by a sadist. Or simply be unable to remove the cam from the rock if the trigger pull walks in. Me, I'd cut the slings off, rack the 2 cams on a single carabiner, and take them along only when I'm likely to need to retreat or when I need more cams of that size. |
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Place it on a sport climb, take the fall and let us know. |
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Jack I would cut the slings off the 2 HB cams and replace them with Blue Water 5/8" Climb-Spec or equivalent Tubular Webbing. Tie each of the sling with Water knot and saw each end of the water knot (by hand) so it is secure. Inexpensive solution and works well. This is how cams and hexes were tied years ago when sawn loops and slings were not readily available. The sawn water knot will not be as strong as your Metolius loops, but strong enough..... |
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If dead-set on getting them reslung, Ragged Mountain Equipment reslung some of my older HBs a while back. Give them a ring, they may still do it. Good luck. |
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Thanks for the link. |
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https://www.instagram.com/blackdiamond/reel/DCU-yfyyDHb/ You can get yourself one of those. Maybe the cheaper single bartack version. With the Chinese invasion they are getting really cheap, I saw some used ones for a couple hundred bucks |
Shaniac wrote: they still do them. open loop nylon only. 8 per sling. not sure on shipping but drop off for sure |
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Mtntools still lists those cams under "reinforced open loop" 9.95 per cam max + tax and shipping. The website is straight out of the 90s but if you have any questions they'll answer your call and walk you through things. They reslung some 20-30 year old aliens I had no problem. |
Jake Neem wrote: Second for Mtn Tools. If you give them a call it’s usually a fun chat too. Also if they run out of a “normal” color of webbing you might end up with some fun colors on your cams. They’ll also do double loop dyneema (like on WC and DMM) |
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Why on earth would you still climb on that ancient equipment? I’d just treat myself to something modern and put these in the museum. But that’s just me. |
