In a message dated 9/21/00 3:32:02 PM Central Daylight Time, WSpohn4@aol.com
writes:
> It is principally UV
> that kills the material, and if you have NOS belts that have been in a
> drawer
> for 30 years, they may be almost as good as new.
FWIW.. We did a lot of rock climbing and caving when my daughter was
younger. The kermantle rope manufacturers said the rope lost 15 to 25
percent of its strength in 5 years in perfect storage conditions with no UV
exposure. 10 days of full, all day exposure to dessert sun and heat made a
rope unuseable for climbing. Temps over 145 degrees F for more than five
minutes made the ropes unuseable for climbing. No idea hat kind of safety
factors they built into these statements. Reps would not or could not tell
you. Material to make the rope is basically the same as seat belt webbing,
just in different form. In fact, we used seat belt webbing to make climbing
harnesses sometimes.
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