Assault Mountaineering
Equipment for tactical mountaineering:
lifetime and tips to buyers
Tactical
mountaineering refers to high-risk operations, because it involves the
risk of falling from a high altitude. That is why the use of high-quality and
reliable climbing equipment is one of the first essential requirements. Today, there are rare cases when even experienced
professionals ignore the basic requirements of storage and selection of equipment
for tactical alpinism, which leads to tragic consequences. Compliance with
the simple rules will help you to be sure in your gear, and
therefore - and in your safety.
How to determine
the lifetime of climbing equipment?
To store this
category of goods it is better to choose a dry room with sufficient ventilation. It is necessary to
think in advance about protection from sun rays, to prevent the contact of
products with aggressive chemicals. Not everyone
knows that even new safety accessory and other equipment upon expiry of their
expiration date are prohibited. Products that do not
have appropriate certification according to international quality and safety
standards are not allowed to work. Another simple
criterion for determining the brand's authenticity and reliability is the
information about maximum lifetime. Each
certificated product manual necessarily has the term
of particular model using. Usually for textile
models and plastic products this term is no more than 10 years from the date of
manufacture. This means that even if the strap
was purchased 10 years ago and it has never been used, the product is to be
liquidated as potentially dangerous gear within a specified period of time.
Owner should not be misled by either perfect look of
safety equipment, nor fact that it was stored
all the time in perfect conditions. The shelf life
of metal products (which is not corroded) is unlimited, if there is no external damage and functional
preservation. At the same time, it is necessary to
take into account features of product use which substantially affects the correction of the
actual life of their validity. The shelf life of equipment
for tactical alpinism depends on the intensity of the mechanical loads, the
frequency of its use and storage conditions. There
are cases where a defect occurs even after one use in extreme conditions. These
are: extreme temperatures, interaction with aggressive chemical compounds or
sharp objects, significant mechanical loads etc. For
example, safety accessory after falling from a high altitude with a Fall
Factor of more than 1 point are subject to
withdrawal from use and disposal.
Before each work at height, all
equipment must be carefuly inspected. Several times a year it is recommended to
check it with the involvement of professional specialists.
Signs of equipment unsuitability
One of the clearest signs of the unsuitability of
products is the presence of visible damage on the surface: chips, cracks,
deformations, uncharacteristic depressions, notches. Safety
straps are rejected if there are tears, cuts, ragged
fibers or damaged seams. The outer synthetic braid
should not have a thickened or thinned area, traces of melting or signs of
contact with chemicals. When compiling cords in
half, there should be no wrinkles that indicate a disintegration of the
product. Usually modern safety accessories
are of high quality and are suitable for long-term exploitation. At the same time climber should pay special attention
to the condition of the problem areas like contact
zones of buckles and belts, location of the safety ring, foot and lap loops. If at least in one of these places there are scuffs,
you need to change the strapping. The safety system should function
easily, without delays and other problems. Signs of
unsuitability of carbines are idle clutch, defective lock (which is not closed or closed badly), traces of deep scuffs from the ropes. To the "problem" signs also belong traces of
blows, scratches, dents. Similar requirements are imposed on the release
device. It should also have no signs of damage or functional problems.
7 reasons for rejecting equipment for mountaineering:
1. The presence of visual defects
(dents, scratches, deformations, scrubs, etc.).
2.
Problems with functionality (inability to perform a standard action or its
execution occurs with a delay, excessive effort).
3.
You do not know the history of product operation
(strange climbing equipment).
4.
Plastic or textile products have been stored for more than 10 years, even
under ideal conditions.
5.
An independent repair or fitting out of the equipment, which is not
provided by the manufacturer, was carried out.
6.
The product has fallen from a high altitude or it was carried out the
maximum load.
7.
Equipment does not meet new standards or technical requirements for
operation.
The VELMET on-line store offers a wide range of tactical
climbing equipment. Our products have all the necessary certificates, and
also meet international standards of quality and safety.
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