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Poll Question:
What kind of gear should i get? (Im 17 and broke) | | Total Votes: | 16 | | 1. 100-200$ | 5 | 31.25 % | 
| | 2. 200-300$ | 5 | 31.25 % |
| | 3. 300-400$ | 0 | 0 % |
| | 4. 400-My College Savings | 6 | 37.5 % |
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So ive got some friends that are into rock climbing and ive enlisted them to help me out this summer in learning to repel and climb, as there are a few places i know im going to need to repel to get into.
So i was wondering what kind of gear i should buy, I was leaning more toward some cheaper gear (Found everything i need on a chinese website for 160$)
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Well there's a very real possibility that your life may depend on that gear at some point, so I'd say see what your climbing buddies recommend. On something that important I'd spend some serious coin and get quality gear from a reputable supplier, and learn how to use it inside and out. It's not like your looking for a camera light that you may be able to skimp on, your looking for a system that may be supporting you while you hang off a ledge only held by ropes, pulleys, and a harness. Quality and reliability should be first concern, price should be second.
Not trying to talk down to you here, and I hope it didn't come off that way, I just wouldn't want to see a post on here about a fellow explorer that was injured or worse from inferior gear.
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Posted by Securitas
So ive got some friends that are into rock climbing and ive enlisted them to help me out this summer in learning to repel and climb, as there are a few places i know im going to need to repel to get into.
So i was wondering what kind of gear i should buy, I was leaning more toward some cheaper gear (Found everything i need on a chinese website for 160$)
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Securitas,
You have brought up a difficult question. Purchase less expensive gear and potentially risk hardware failure OR spend money you don't have on top shelf gear. As someone who spends a lot of time using this type of gear rappelling into and out of mines, I lean towards purchasing the best you can afford (without cutting into your school money). This may require you to postpone some of your on-rope adventures until you can afford the proper gear.
The problem I see with a lot of cheap Chinese products is that they spend time making it LOOK like a well known piece of gear with no regard as to whether it FUNCTIONS as well as the piece that they copied.
One other thing I want to address is the difference between climbing gear and caving gear. (UE ropework is much more similar to caving than it is to climbing) A climbing harness is designed and constructed to catch a climber if he/she falls. The rope attachment location is normally quite a bit higher than a caving harness which results in less effective rope ascents. Also, many climbers use figure 8's to rappel with. While the price of a descending 8 is cheap, it does tend to introduce twist into rope. Additionally you have to remove it from your harness in order to attach it to the rope. Not a problem unless you accidentally drop it or have to do a on-rope changeover from descending to ascending.
Here are a couple of links you should probably read through before you lay down your hard earned money!
'FROG' system
Another 'FROG' system
If you are super interested learning all about ropework, this 10 part series will teach you a lot. Yes, it's all about cave exploration but it translates almost directly to UE ropework.
Caving ropework
Abby Normal
"Government is not a solution to our problem, government is the problem." Ronald Reagan | |
Posted by Dan Lee
Well there's a very real possibility that your life may depend on that gear at some point, so I'd say see what your climbing buddies recommend. On something that important I'd spend some serious coin and get quality gear from a reputable supplier, and learn how to use it inside and out. It's not like your looking for a camera light that you may be able to skimp on, your looking for a system that may be supporting you while you hang off a ledge only held by ropes, pulleys, and a harness. Quality and reliability should be first concern, price should be second.
Not trying to talk down to you here, and I hope it didn't come off that way, I just wouldn't want to see a post on here about a fellow explorer that was injured or worse from inferior gear.
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Dont worry i didnt take it like that at all, i posted this on here for honest opinions and to try and figure if its worth waiting for better gear
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Posted by Abby Normal
Securitas,
You have brought up a difficult question. Purchase less expensive gear and potentially risk hardware failure OR spend money you don't have on top shelf gear. As someone who spends a lot of time using this type of gear rappelling into and out of mines, I lean towards purchasing the best you can afford (without cutting into your school money). This may require you to postpone some of your on-rope adventures until you can afford the proper gear.
The problem I see with a lot of cheap Chinese products is that they spend time making it LOOK like a well known piece of gear with no regard as to whether it FUNCTIONS as well as the piece that they copied.
One other thing I want to address is the difference between climbing gear and caving gear. (UE ropework is much more similar to caving than it is to climbing) A climbing harness is designed and constructed to catch a climber if he/she falls. The rope attachment location is normally quite a bit higher than a caving harness which results in less effective rope ascents. Also, many climbers use figure 8's to rappel with. While the price of a descending 8 is cheap, it does tend to introduce twist into rope. Additionally you have to remove it from your harness in order to attach it to the rope. Not a problem unless you accidentally drop it or have to do a on-rope changeover from descending to ascending.
Here are a couple of links you should probably read through before you lay down your hard earned money!
'FROG' system
Another 'FROG' system
If you are super interested learning all about ropework, this 10 part series will teach you a lot. Yes, it's all about cave exploration but it translates almost directly to UE ropework.
Caving ropework
Abby Normal
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actually thats perfect! caves are what i was planning on doing, im from MSP so most of what we have round here is caves and drains, And thanks for your input, ive decided to save up a bit and get some more reputable gear.
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You are risking your life when climbing or repelling. Buying the best stuff to keep you from falling to your doom is what to look for. And I'm not saying expensive means safer (because some things are a better material or more eco-friendly which can increase the price) so as Dan said: ask your friends what they think is best. Even if its expensive its meant to protect you. This is also coming from a guy who climbed a rock wall without a harness back in middle school just to wright my name on the ceiling.
[last edit 4/18/2018 5:27 PM by Juxobe - edited 1 times]
If there is something I want to do then Ill do it and if there is something I don't want to do than I wont do it. That's the Dandy way baby. | |
Don't risk your life to save a few bucks. Definitely get your supplies from a reputable source, and not some random site from China. You'll thank yourself one day when something happens and your gear is strong and reliable.
You can skimp on supplies for nearly everything else, but when it's a piece of rope and some small metal bits between you and a drop large enough to kill you, quality matters.
"That sounds like a horrible idea! Let's do it!" |
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