Climbing equipment keeps you alive, so knowing when to retire worn items is critical. Ropes, harnesses, and carabiners degrade with every fall, exposure to sun, and contact with dirt. Manufacturers give general lifetime recommendations, but real-world use varies widely. This calculator helps you translate your own activity level into a replacement timeline.
We start with the manufacturer’s suggested lifetime in months. Multiply by an environment factor , where harsh conditions (salt, grit, high UV) might push the factor below 1. The estimated months of safe use given sessions per month is:
If you climb twice as often as average, your gear wears out nearly twice as fast. Always inspect equipment for cuts, fraying, or deformation; this tool simply provides a rough schedule.
Enter how many climbing sessions you complete each month, the recommended lifetime from the manufacturer, and an environment factor between 0.5 and 1.5. A lower factor shortens the schedule due to harsher conditions, while a higher factor applies if you mostly climb indoors on clean walls. The result shows approximately how many months until replacement should occur.
Suppose your rope is rated for 48 months of casual indoor use. You average 6 sessions per month and occasionally climb outdoors in dusty areas. Set the environment factor to 0.8. The replacement time would be months of use. Even if the rope looks fine, it’s wise to retire it around that mark.
While numbers provide a guideline, always follow the gear maker’s instructions and your own common sense. If equipment takes a major fall or shows visible wear, replace it immediately. Keep logs of each session and note any unusual stresses. Safety should always come before saving money.
Climbing gear is your lifeline. Use this calculator as a quick check on how long ropes and harnesses might last under your specific conditions. Combine the result with regular inspections so you can climb with confidence.
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