Posted by Abby Normal
...That said, I have heard of caving grottos keeping some extra sets of gear for beginners or special guests, so the idea isn't without some merit. I'm just don't think that UE is a good fit.
Abby Normal
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^Seconded
For anyone not ITK grottos are organizations based around exploring caves. Some host events for the public or non-members (hence the extra set of gear). The idea of having loaner gear is that the activity of caving is specific and requires specialized gear based on the degree of technicality. For the most part I think everyone already has the gear you need to urban explore or you can just improvise.
Now having loaner gear for the more technical aspects such as any sort of ropework (climbing, caving, mine exploration, etc) is a good idea in theory. Climbing gear is expensive, rarely used outside of climbing (whereas a flashlight or waders for UE have many other applications), oh and did I mention expensive? The problem with this type of gear is that it is used as critical lifesaving equipment that requires attentiveness to maintain. A climbing rope that has only been used 10 times may look brand new but could have easily been put through it's life cycle via high factor falls, grit touching the core, UV damage, or chemical damage. The same is true for harnesses. The owner of such equipment generally logs rope condition and notes the condition and expiration dates of harnesses and runners in his/her possession.
Having a rotating door of users presents an obvious problem of the user not having an understanding of the history of the gear they are using and thus cannot determine it's safety or suitability. Liability is another obvious concern if a piece of equipment were to fail. So, you may ask, "How do grottos get away with loaner gear?" and the answer has two parts. Firstly the members of the grotto are constantly with the gear for its lifespan and can evaluate just when gear is reaching the end of its usable life. Secondly the gear is being used under the direct supervision of, hopefully, experts who can ensure the gear is not misused either intentionally or unintentionally.
You sort of develop a better understanding of gear you have spend hard earned money purchasing and will likely be more knowledgeable on its use and care. Again, this post mostly just pertains to climbing gear since I saw that somewhere above. I wouldn't consider climbing off of someone elses gear unless I trusted them or I knew they were knowledgeable and were climbing it with me.
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