That cheap climbing rope I bought off Amazon was a nightmare

Last spring I needed a new climbing rope quick and figured I'd save some cash. Spent $90 on a 150-foot static line from a no-name brand on Amazon. Rode it for about two weeks before the sheath started slipping on the core during a simple ascent on a red oak. That's a bad sign, like real bad. Could have gotten myself killed or someone else if I didn't catch it. Ended up tossing the whole thing and dropping $250 on a proper Yale rope from the local supply house. Has anyone else dealt with sketchy gear from online sellers? What's your rule for where you buy your life-support stuff?

2 comments

2 Comments

logan26312d ago

Tbh the scariest part about cheap Amazon climbing gear isn't even the rope itself. It's that you have no idea what the actual factory QA is like or if they're even using real nylon vs some recycled mystery material.

charlie26911d ago

Yeah the "recycled mystery material" part is what gets me. You're trusting your life to something that might literally be melted down plastic bottles from a dump. Not worth saving a few bucks when it comes to gear that's gonna hold your weight.