I'll conduct a comprehensive review of the latest expert consensus, lab testing, real-world failure data, and any other available research on when to retire soft goods climbing gear. This will include ropes, harnesses, slings, and carabiners with soft components, while excluding manufacturer recommendations to focus on independent findings.I'll update you once I have the most relevant and up-to-date information.

Retiring Soft Goods Climbing Gear: Independent Findings and Best Practices

Introduction

Climbing “soft goods” – ropes, harnesses, slings, and any gear with webbing or cord components – don’t last forever, but determining when to retire them isn’t always straightforward. Manufacturers typically provide conservative expiration dates (often 5–10 years) to cover worst-case scenarios and liability. Independent research and real-world data suggest actual lifespan depends far more on use and condition than simply agetheuiaa.org www.blackdiamondequipment.com. Nylon and Dyneema (UHMWPE) materials can remain strong for many years if kept in good condition, whereas heavy use, abrasion, UV exposure, and contamination can drastically shorten a gear’s safe life. Below we synthesize findings from lab tests, expert safety organizations, and field experiences to offer practical guidelines on when to retire soft goods – without relying on manufacturer marketing. We’ll examine how aging and wear affect ropes, harnesses, and slings, and provide evidence-based retirement practices. The overarching principle from experts: inspect often, and when in doubt, err on the side of retirementwww.blackdiamondequipment.com services.thebmc.co.uk.

How Nylon and Dyneema Age

Nylon (Polyamide): Nylon is used in dynamic ropes, harness webbing, and many slings. Aging in nylon is primarily driven by use (mechanical wear and tear) rather than time alonetheuiaa.org. Modern nylon is UV-stabilized, so sunlight causes color fading long before it significantly weakens the fiberstheuiaa.org. Laboratory studies confirm that after months of intense sun exposure (e.g. high-altitude), nylon ropes showed only ~10% reduction in tensile strength, though their capacity to absorb repeated falls dropped more noticeably (up to ~50% fewer high-force falls)sport1.uibk.ac.atsport1.uibk.ac.at. Nylon does slowly oxidize in air, becoming slightly less elastic and more brittle over the span of many yearswww.mountainproject.com. In practical terms, an old nylon item might hold static loads fine but not dissipate dynamic forces as well, meaning its impact resistance declines before its tensile strength doeswww.mountainproject.com. Moisture can temporarily weaken nylon (a wet rope can lose 10–20% strength) and repeated wet-dry or freeze-thaw cycles may abrade fibers internally. Nylon is very vulnerable to certain chemicals, especially acids – even a brief exposure to battery acid or similar can cause catastrophic weakness and delayed failuretheuiaa.org.

Dyneema (UHMWPE): Dyneema, often used in ultralight slings and quickdraw dogbones, has different properties. It’s extremely strong for its weight and less prone to UV damage than nylon in terms of material degradationservices.thebmc.co.uk. However, Dyneema’s melting point is lower (~145°C vs ~245°C for nylon)services.thebmc.co.uk, and it has almost no stretch. This lack of elasticity means Dyneema doesn’t absorb shock loads well – a factor in some sling failures where a static Dyneema tether was shock-loaded. In lab tests, Dyneema slings that had been heavily UV exposed and abraded over years showed substantial strength losswww.blackdiamondequipment.com. In one extreme case, a heavily faded Dyneema sling (rated 22 kN when new) from the mid-1990s broke at only ~10.5 kN – less than half its original strengthwww.blackdiamondequipment.com. In another test, a 9-year-old Dyneema sling left in the sun had a break strength of just ~4.9 kNwww.blackdiamondequipment.com. (For context, 4–5 kN is roughly the force of a modest fall – far below UIAA safety margins.) Essentially, Dyneema’s strength can degrade markedly if the sling is old, sun-bleached, or fuzzed, even if it still “looks” passable. On the positive side, Dyneema doesn’t absorb water (so it isn’t weakened by wet conditions the way nylon can be) and is fairly chemically inert (though strong oxidizers or UV over years can still embrittle it).

Bottom line: Both materials are impressively durable under ideal conditions – nylon ropes and slings stored in a cool, dark place show “virtually no loss of strength” even after decadestheuiaa.org theuiaa.org. Aging from mere time is negligible compared to the effects of use and abuse. Accordingly, retirement guidelines focus on what the gear has been through:

High forces (leader falls, shocks),
Abrasion (running over rock edges, dirty ropes, fuzzing of webbing),
Environmental exposure (UV, heat, moisture, freeze-thaw), and
Any damage or doubts. With this in mind, let’s look at each gear type and the evidence on its lifespan.

Climbing Ropes

Aging and Use: Dynamic climbing ropes are made of nylon core fibers with a woven sheath. Extensive testing by the UIAA Safety Commission found that ropes do not measurably weaken just by sitting on the shelftheuiaa.org. Even UV exposure causes color fading long before any significant strength loss – since the 1960s nylon ropes have UV inhibitors, so sun alone over years had “virtually no loss of energy absorption capacity” in teststheuiaa.org. In fact, multiple tests on old ropes show astonishing longevity if they were not heavily used. Pit Schubert (former UIAA Safety Commission president) reported that 25-year-old and even 30-year-old ropes still held at least one severe UIAA test fall in the lab, meaning they met the standard’s safety requirementstheuiaa.org. Similarly, Black Diamond’s quality engineers tested a 20-year-old unused rope (stored cool and dry) against a new rope: the old rope performed “pretty much as if it was made yesterday,” with nearly identical tensile strength and impact force resultswww.blackdiamondequipment.com. Interestingly, long-term storage might even improve dynamic performance slightly by relieving manufacturing stresses in the fiberswww.blackdiamondequipment.com. All this underscores that age alone (5, 10, even 20 years) is not a death sentence for a rope if it’s been well cared for and lightly used.

Wear and Damage: On the other hand, ropes do age and weaken from cumulative use. Every fall you catch and every time the rope runs over an edge or through gear, the nylon core fibers fatigue a bit. UIAA studies show a rope’s capacity to absorb high fall forces drops roughly in proportion to the total meters climbed or abseiledtheuiaa.org. In Schubert’s report, a heavily used rope holds fewer UIAA test falls than the same model used lightly, which in turn holds fewer than an almost new ropetheuiaa.org theuiaa.org. Abrasion is a major enemy – a rope that’s repeatedly dragged over rough rock or through carabiners will lose sheath threads and eventually expose the core. Once the core is exposed (a “core shot”), the rope must be retired immediately for any lead climbingwww.climbing.com www.climbing.com. Even a partially worn sheath (flat or soft spots, fuzzing) should be treated with caution: if you can pinch a section and touch core strands or there’s a noticeable soft gap, it’s time to retire or at least cut the rope shorterwww.climbing.com www.climbing.com. Dirt and grit can work their way inside ropes and act like sandpaper on the core; a rope used in sandy or gritty environments might wear out much faster despite no big falls. Moisture and freezing can also exacerbate internal abrasion. And as mentioned, chemical exposure is catastrophic – there have been several accidents where a rope failed after contacting acid or solvent (often unbeknownst to the climber)theuiaa.org. Such ropes can break under body weight. Always keep ropes away from car batteries, auto fluids, cleaners, etc., and if you even suspect chemical contamination, retire the rope.

Real-world Failure Data: Actual rope failures in climbing are exceedingly rare. Statistically, a well-treated rope is one of the most reliable pieces of gear in your system. In a 17-year survey of German and Austrian climbers, only one rope broke in use – a case in 1993 where a fall over an extremely sharp rock edge severed the ropetheuiaa.org. There were a few other known rope breaks attributed to acid contamination, but none purely from old agetheuiaa.org. Modern ropes, if they fail, almost always do so due to an external factor (sharp edge, chemical) rather than simply “wearing out” and snapping under a lead fall. That said, an older rope that’s taken many lead falls will have less margin for additional big falls. Laboratory drop tests have shown that weathered or heavily used ropes may hold fewer high-factor falls. As one materials engineer noted, an aged nylon rope can become “less elastic and more brittle… it may hold a static load adequately, [but] will not hold a dynamic load” as well as a fresh ropewww.mountainproject.com. In practical terms, this means an old rope is more likely to let a high fall factor impact reach the climber or gear’s limits (though the rope might not literally snap, the forces could be higher). This is one reason many experts suggest retiring ropes after a certain amount of hard use even if they aren’t visibly damaged – it’s about preserving the rope’s dynamic safety reserve.

Retirement Best Practices (Ropes): Rather than an absolute “expiration date,” look at usage intensity and condition:

Retire Immediately if the rope has a core shot or severe sheath damage, was in a high-factor fall that you suspect compromised it, or was exposed to damaging chemicalswww.climbing.com theuiaa.org. No questions – cut it into utility cord.
Heavy Use: If you’re taking frequent lead falls (especially big whippers), projecting routes regularly, or using the rope for guiding/instruction daily, the rope’s lifespan might be quite short. Many high-end users retire ropes in as little as 1–2 years of heavy use – not because the rope will spontaneously break on day 731, but because by then it’s often well fuzzed, shortened by repeated falls, and its UIAA fall rating or impact performance may be significantly reduced. The UIAA fall count is a guide: if a rope is rated to, say, 8 factor-1.77 falls, a few years of dozens of real-world falls can approach that (though real falls are usually lower factor). Keeping track of falls is hard, so default to examining the rope: if it’s got dead spots, noticeable stiffness or sheath wear from many catches, it’s probably ready to retire (or at least downgrading to topropes only).
Moderate Use: For the average climber who climbs on weekends, doesn’t routinely take huge falls, and keeps the rope reasonably clean, a quality rope can often last 3–5 years before showing enough wear to retire. Many climbers use a rope for several seasons. The key is regular inspection – look and feel for flat spots or sheath thinning. Retire once it’s looking worn or if it starts to handle differently (e.g. becomes stiff from dirt or sheath slippage). Even if none of those occur, consider preemptive retirement around the 5-year mark of steady use. While tests show ropes can last longer, at that point you’re trading off a relatively inexpensive piece of gear versus your life. There’s no prize for maximizing rope lifespan.
Light Use / Stored Ropes: If a rope sees only occasional use (a few climbs a year) or has mostly been stored, it can remain safe much longer. Independent groups (like rescue organizations) often consider 10 years a reasonable maximum for a lightly used, well-stored ropewww.14ers.com. Indeed, lab tests confirm a 10–15 year old properly stored rope is often practically as strong as a new onewww.blackdiamondequipment.com. However, beyond ~10 years you should scrutinize it extra carefully each time you use it – sometimes subtle degradation (like that loss of elasticity) isn’t obvious. Any sign of material brittleness, discoloration beyond surface fading, or sheath cracking means retire it. And if you just feel uneasy about an older rope, follow that instinct – peace of mind is worth a new rope. Ropes are one of the cheapest life-insurance policies in climbing. In summary, inspect your rope frequently and trust your findings over the calendar. A rope doesn’t “expire” on a certain birthday, but after enough abuse or damage, it definitely needs to go. Conversely, a rope that still looks and feels great after 8+ years might be technically sound – but many climbers will still retire it out of an abundance of caution (and that’s a valid choice). As Schubert concluded, any rope can break in extreme conditions, but a reasonably well-kept rope is unlikely to fail in normal usetheuiaa.org. If you want a simple rule: retire the rope when you start doubting it.

Harnesses

Your harness is another critical soft good, composed of nylon (or polyester) webbing, stitching, and foam. Harness retirement is often overlooked – you’re not falling on your harness the way you do on a rope, so it’s easy to assume “it’ll last forever.” However, harnesses can and do wear out, and failures have occurred when they were kept in service for too long. The main areas of concern are the tie-in points (webbing loops where the rope threads through) and the belay loop. These spots see repeated friction from rope or carabiners and bear the highest loads.Material Durability: Like ropes, harness webbing doesn’t degrade just by quietly aging in a closet. Nylon harnesses stored away from UV and chemicals can remain strong for well over a decadewww.reddit.com. In one case, a harness from ~1992 that saw very light use was tested and found “still entirely strong enough” – the consensus was “nylon doesn’t degrade from time alone”www.reddit.com. The UIAA requires manufacturers to put a nominal lifespan (often 5–10 years) on harnesses, but this is largely a conservative guideline. In fact, some rescue organizations suggest that, if well cared for, 10 years is a reasonable service life for a harnesswww.14ers.com. That said, heavy use can dramatically shorten a harness’s life. Unlike ropes (which show their wear as fuzz or core shots), harness wear can be a bit harder to notice until it’s severe. The stitching and layers can hide internal abrasion.

Abrasion and Wear Points: The most famous harness failure was the death of Todd Skinner in 2006 – his belay loop snapped during a rappel. Investigation showed his harness was old and the belay loop was extremely worn and abraded, likely from extended jumaring and friction against a safety lineservices.thebmc.co.uk. The belay loop is designed to be phenomenally strong (new loops often break above 22 kN, far beyond any climbing load)www.blackdiamondequipment.com. But in Todd’s case, years of abuse created a deep groove; essentially, many fibers had been sawed through until only a fraction of the loop’s cross-section remained. This tragedy illustrates that even the strongest part of the harness can fail if it’s sufficiently wornservices.thebmc.co.uk. Another potential wear area is the tie-in points (the lower and upper loops where the rope runs). Repeated falls and hangs, especially if there’s dirt, can abrade these loops. It’s been documented in extreme cases (e.g. route cleaners or big wall climbers who hang in harnesses for long periods in gritty conditions) that the rope can saw halfway through the tie-in loops over timeservices.thebmc.co.uk. Any nicks, cuts, or fraying in the tie-in or belay loop are serious – if you see actual cuts or a fuzzy worn patch where the core fibers are exposed or thinned, retire the harness immediatelyservices.thebmc.co.uk services.thebmc.co.uk. Also inspect the waist belt and leg loop webbing for any tears or stitching that’s coming undone. Buckles and metal parts should be checked for cracks or deformation as well, though these are less common.

One reassuring point: a little fuzziness on harness webbing (or slings) is not a big strength concern by itself. There’s a difference between fluffing of the surface vs. actual abrasion that cuts fibersservices.thebmc.co.uk. Minor fuzz (just the outer fibers roughed up) has “little impact on breaking strain”services.thebmc.co.uk. But true abrasion – like a rough rock or repeated rubbing that severs fiber strands – can reduce strength substantially. A BMC safety demo showed that a sling with a seemingly small knife nick still held above its rated load, whereas an abraded sling (rubbed on a brick wall) lost ~30% of its strength almost immediatelyservices.thebmc.co.uk. The lesson: don’t be falsely assured by appearance. A harness or sling might look only “cosmetically fuzzy” but could have some deeper fiber damage if it’s from serious abrasion. It’s important to feel and flex the material – stiffness, thin spots, or a “flat” worn feel in the webbing are red flags, even if fluff alone is not.

Environmental Factors: UV exposure affects harnesses similarly to ropes – color fading is common (bright nylon dyes will bleach in sun), but the structural impact is minimal unless exposure is extreme. In one test, a brand-new harness was left in a sunny shop window for months until it faded considerably; when pull-tested, the sun-faded harness still passed all strength tests, essentially as strong as the new harnesswww.blackdiamondequipment.com www.blackdiamondequipment.com. The faded outer fabric was just a cosmetic layer, while the structural webbing was largely unaffectedwww.blackdiamondequipment.com. Had the actual load-bearing webbing been directly exposed and heavily UV-baked for years, some strength loss could occur, but usually the fading will prompt you to retire it for psychological reasons before the fibers truly weaken. Moisture and temperature extremes are similar to ropes: avoid storing harnesses damp (to prevent mildew) and don’t bake them in a hot car trunk for months on end. There’s evidence that extreme heat (above ~60°C / 140°F) can weaken nylon over timewww.blackdiamondequipment.com, and freezing cold can make the webbing stiffer (though it rebounds when warm). As with ropes, keep harnesses away from chemicals – battery acid or bleach can destroy the nylon fibers invisibly. If a harness was in a car during a battery leak or soaked in some solvent, don’t trust it.

Retirement Best Practices (Harnesses): The consensus is to retire a harness based on condition, with age as a secondary factor. Key triggers for retirement includewww.blackdiamondequipment.com www.blackdiamondequipment.com:

Visible damage: Any rip, tear, or hole in the webbing; any torn or significantly worn threads on the belay loop or tie-in pointswww.blackdiamondequipment.com. If you can see even a small cut or if the belay loop’s woven sheath is worn through to inner fibers, it’s done. Harness belay loops are typically built with redundant bar-tacked stitches; if you see those bar tacks abraded or missing, retire itwww.blackdiamondequipment.com.
After a major fall or load: If your harness was in a severe fall (e.g. a factor 2 fall directly onto a daisy or via ferrata lanyard) or any unusual high load, inspect it thoroughly. Even if it looks fine, such an event could justify erring on the side of retirementwww.blackdiamondequipment.com. Normally the rope and pro absorb falls, but say a factor 2 onto your harness (via a via-ferrata style lanyard without a tear-out) could shock the belay loop or tie-ins.
General wear and fuzz: Look critically at high-wear areas: the lower tie-in loop often shows fuzz from rope abrasion. A bit of fuzz is okay, but if it’s fuzz with fiber wear (it feels soft or flattened, or the width is thinned), it’s near time to retire. Some climbers report harness tie-in points getting dangerously worn after just a year or two of heavy gym climbing (thousands of falls); others have harnesses 5+ years old that look new. So mileage varies enormously.
Age as a cutoff: Even if a harness looks good, many experts propose around ten years max for a harness’s life, assuming light usewww.14ers.com. Harnesses are relatively affordable and crucial; past a decade the nylon could have unseen micro-deterioration. If a harness is older than 7–10 years and has seen a moderate amount of use, it’s wise to replace it. In institutional settings (climbing gyms, clubs), it’s common to retire harnesses after ~5 years regardless of appearance, for a safety margin. One independent tester who pulled many old soft goods found “anything older than 10 years consistently fails at less than half of its rated strength”, including harness belay loopswww.reddit.com. That’s a general statement, but it aligns with the idea that by 10+ years, even if not visibly trashed, nylon gear may have lost a lot of its original strength. While your harness belay loop at 50% of 22 kN (i.e. ~11 kN) is still unlikely to ever see that load, it’s not a comforting thought. Why push it? As the BMC tech guide put it, “if you are starting to wonder if it’s time to replace something then it probably is!”services.thebmc.co.uk.

In practice, many climbers use a harness ~3–5 years before retiring it. Competitive sport climbers who take countless falls might swap harnesses even more often due to wear at tie-ins. A trad climber who seldom falls and keeps gear clean might safely use one harness 5-7+ years. Always inspect your harness each time you put it on – it only takes 30 seconds to look at the belay loop (flex it open, check all sides), inspect the buckle and waist belt, and feel the rope wear points. Never use a harness with questionable integrity. If you find a nick or you just have that nagging doubt (“hmm, it is 8 years old…”), retire it. As with ropes, destroy retired harnesses or clearly mark them, so they don’t find their way back into use by someone unaware of the issueswww.blackdiamondequipment.com.

Slings and Quickdraws

Slings, quickdraw dogbones, personal anchor tethers, and any sewn webbing are another category of soft goods that require retirement judgment. These items are either nylon, Dyneema, or a blend of the two (some slings are nylon/Dyneema mixes to combine properties). They’re also relatively inexpensive, which encourages a “when in doubt, throw it out” approach since replacing slings is cheap insuranceservices.thebmc.co.uk.

How Slings Fail: There are virtually no reports of a new sling simply breaking under a normal climbing load – new slings (Dyneema or nylon) typically have a minimum breaking strength of 22 kN by spec, far above any climbing force. Failures occur when slings are severely compromised or misused. The British Mountaineering Council noted “no incidents of direct tape (sling) failure have been reported [in the UK] since another part of the system usually fails first or bad slings are discarded by users”, but worldwide there have been many sling failures involving “badly weathered (abraded, frozen, thawed, UV-damaged) in-situ slings.”services.thebmc.co.ukIn other words, the typical sling failure scenario is a fixed sling left on a route or anchor for years, exposed to the elements, that eventually becomes a crusty time-bomb. Another mode of failure is misuse – for example, running a rope directly through a sling (nylon on nylon friction) can melt it in as little as a few meters of loweringservices.thebmc.co.uk, or a poorly tied knot in webbing slipping undone. Here we’ll focus on aging/wear, assuming proper use otherwise.

Aging and Environmental Effects: Slings start to weaken from the moment you rack them – each UV ray and each abrasion can add up. Notably, UV exposure can degrade slings, though the extent depends on material. Tests suggest nylon may actually suffer more UV strength loss than Dyneema if both are directly exposed long-termservices.thebmc.co.uk. But in practical experience, any sling left in the sun long enough becomes suspect. Slings in sunny high-altitude environments (think slings on anchors in the Alps or Rockies) have been found bleached and weakened after just a single season or year. One study found dynamic ropes at 2500 m elevation lost about 50% of their drop-fall rating after 3 months sun exposure (with only ~10% loss in tensile strength)sport1.uibk.ac.at; slings likely see analogous effects. Water and freeze-thaw can also harm slings: repeated freezing of a wet sling might cause micro-cracks or accelerate abrasion of fibers (plus a frozen sling has zero flexibility, so a shock load could snap it). The BMC explicitly warns that many failed slings were “badly weathered… frozen, thawed, UV damaged”services.thebmc.co.uk. Dirt and grit can abrade sling fibers too, especially in nylon.

Perhaps the biggest factor is age combined with wear. Numerous independent tests have shown that as slings get older (approaching 10+ years), their strength can drop well below original spec. For example, one tester pulled a batch of slings and found anything over ~10 years old broke at under 50% of rated strength on averagewww.reddit.com. Black Diamond’s lab tested a collection of an experienced climber’s old slings: most were still reasonably strong, but a very old, heavily faded Dyneema quickdraw dogbone from the mid-90s tested at only 10.5 kN before breaking – less than half its 22 kN ratingwww.blackdiamondequipment.com. That sling “looked a bit sketchy” and indeed it waswww.blackdiamondequipment.com. In that same set, other slings ~10–15 years old, though frayed, still broke above 15–18 kN, which is within a safe range for normal usewww.blackdiamondequipment.com www.blackdiamondequipment.com. The worst cases are often fixed “perma-draw” slings on sport routes: these stay hanging on bolts for years, getting baked by sun and rubbed by rope. Tests on old perma-draw dogbones from Red Rocks (sunny desert) found breaking strengths like 5–6 kN in the most sun-fried 20-year-old nylon drawswww.mountainproject.com. A summary of one batch: a 7-year-old nylon draw was still ~20 kN, but a 20-year-old nylon was ~13 kN, and another mystery-brand 20-year-old only ~5.8 kN【60†look 0 238】. Dyneema perma-draws 11 years old tested around 8–12 kN in that series【60†look 0 238】. And as shown in the image above, a 9-year-old Dyneema sling broke at 4.9 kN in a HowNot2/Slacksnap testwww.mountainproject.com. Bottom line: by the time a sling is hitting 10+ years, especially if used or left out, it may have lost anywhere from 20% to 80% of its strength, highly variable on conditions.

Real-world Incidents: Unfortunately, there have been fatal accidents from old slings failing. In 2022, two climbers were killed at Tahquitz (CA) when a single old, sun-bleached sling around a tree anchor broke during their rappelwww.climbing.com. They likely thought the weathered sling was “probably okay” – it wasn’t. The rescue report noted the sling was extremely degraded, and its pull-test strength (after the fact) was far below specwww.climbing.com. Another accident the same year at Joshua Tree also traced to a worn-out rappel sling breakingwww.climbing.com. These tragedies underscore that any UV-exposed anchor webbing (“tat”) should never be fully trusted – back it up or replace it. Even at climbing gyms, there have been quickdraw sling failures on lead routes where the draws were left up too long and saw thousands of falls. If you encounter in-situ slings (on threads, around flakes, fixed draws), assume they are significantly weaker than new – ideally, replace them with your own gear or backup with your rope or another slingservices.thebmc.co.uk. The BMC advises treating in-situ slings with “extreme caution. Never rely on them totally, and always use a backup.”services.thebmc.co.ukThis is solid real-world advice: many failures occur when people trust old tat without backup.

Inspection and Retirement (Slings & Quickdraws): For personal slings (the ones you own and carry), inspection is straightforward:

Look for cuts or serious abrasion. Any nick or cut yarns on a sling is cause for immediate retirementservices.thebmc.co.uk. Because slings are usually flat webbing or sewn loops, even a small cut can concentrate stress and lead to failure at much lower loadsservices.thebmc.co.uk. Likewise, if a sling shows heavy abrasion – fuzzy and thinning over a region – it’s wise to retire it. Remember the test where even moderate abrasion led to ~30% strength lossservices.thebmc.co.uk. Often the edges of a sling get abraded from contact with rock or bolt hangers; if the sling’s edge is visibly frayed, don’t trust it for high loads.
Check sewn joints (the bartacks). Though rare, if any stitching is loose or abraded, retire the slingservices.thebmc.co.uk. The stitching is usually well protected, but over years it can fuzz. If you see a bartack with threads sticking out or worn, that sling’s done.
Fading and stiffness: Fading alone (UV bleaching) is a warning sign, but not a death sentence by itself. Often, however, a severely sun-faded sling will also feel stiffer or more brittle to the touch – that indicates material degradation. Compare a suspect sling to a new one: if it’s dramatically lighter in color and less supple, it’s probably significantly weakened. When Dyneema slings age, they often get a fuzzy, white, chalky appearance (since Dyneema is white fiber) – any sling that looks “fried” should be retired.
Age and usage: As a general guideline, many climbers will retire nylon slings after about 5–7 years of use, and Dyneema slings after 5 years or sooner, even if they appear intact. This isn’t a hard rule, but reflects that Dyneema has less reserve (no stretch) and tends to be used in skinny form that doesn’t tolerate as much abuse. If you use slings frequently (lots of trad climbing or alpine climbing), they might get beat up faster – replacing them every few seasons is reasonable. If you have a sling or quickdraw that is 10+ years old, most experts would say retire it regardless of appearancewww.reddit.com. We saw that even well-kept old slings can have half their strength left – perhaps still okay, but with so little cost to replace, why risk it? It’s better to cycle in new slings regularly than push an old one to the limit. For quickdraws, remember they consist of two parts: the carabiners (metal, which seldom need retirement unless damaged) and the dogbone sling connecting them. Inspect the dogbone just like any sling – especially where it loops onto the carabiner ends. One side of a quickdraw (the bolt-end carabiner) often has a rubber keeper to hold the biner; remove it periodically to check the webbing underneath, as dirt or salt can accumulate there. Also examine where the rope runs over the opposite end carabiner – sometimes the rope end carabiner develops a sharp lip (from wear) that can actually start cutting into the dogbone sling or the rope. A “bolt scarred” carabiner with a sharp notch “could rip through a sling under load” if it’s scraping the slingservices.thebmc.co.uk. So, retire quickdraw slings that show any fraying at the ends, and file smooth or retire carabiners that have sharp grooves. Many sport climbers retire the dogbones after a number of years while keeping the carabiners to re-use with new slings or alpine draws. If you do this, make sure to use proper sewn replacements or tie with a tape knot (for nylon only; Dyneema must not be knotted as it can slipservices.thebmc.co.uk).

After a Shock Load: Treat slings like your rope in miniature – if a sling was subjected to a huge shock or fall, it may be compromised. For example, if you factor 1 fell directly onto a sling anchor (e.g., via a daisy chain or sling rigging with no rope in system), that sling should probably be retired. Even if it didn’t break, the fibers could be elongated or damaged. The BMC notes that a severe shock load can cause over-stretching that breaks internal fibers, forming small lumps in the weave – you can feel these and that sling should be binnedservices.thebmc.co.uk. In general, “slings should also be discarded following a severe fall, even if there is no visible damage”services.thebmc.co.uk. The same goes for personal anchor slings – if you ever fall on one (which you really try not to do), retire it.

Retirement Interval: Because slings are easy to replace, a good practice is to periodically retire them on a rolling basis. For instance, if you build anchors or extend placements often, you might retire your longest runners every X years and buy new ones, and downgrade the old ones to non-critical use (like tying down gear or using as bail tat, if still reasonably strong). Many climbers mark slings with the year they bought them (some slings come with date tags too) – when those hit ~5 years of use, consider replacement, especially for Dyneema. If you can’t remember when you bought that sling, it’s probably old! Another tip: any time you retire a sling or dogbone, cut it in half with a knife or otherwise destroy itwww.blackdiamondequipment.com. This prevents the scenario of someone finding it and thinking “oh, a sling!” and reusing it. There have been cases of retired slings accidentally ending up back on a rack; avoid that by making them obviously unusable.

In summary, be far more strict with slings and quickdraws than with metal gear – soft goods have a finite life. They’re cheap and plentiful, so there’s little reason to run them into the ground. If a sling looks sketchy or simply old, retire it. As one climber quipped after seeing test results, seeing those old slings break made his “perceived risk vs the real risk get re-set”, and he vowed to replace aging slings more regularlywww.blackdiamondequipment.com. It’s a good mindset to have.

Conclusions and Practical Timeline Guidelines

Retiring soft goods is part science, part art. The science (lab tests and material knowledge) tells us that nylon and Dyneema can last a surprisingly long time if undamaged, but also that wear and tear can dramatically cut down safety margins. The “art” is the judgment call of knowing your gear’s history, inspecting it closely, and deciding when that fuzzy harness or aged sling has served its time. Here’s a concise summary of recommended retirement timelines based on independent findings and usage intensity:

Dynamic Ropes: Retire immediately for any core shots, deep sheath cuts, or chemical exposuretheuiaa.org. Under very heavy use (constant big falls, daily climbing) a rope might last only 1 year or so before it’s beat; many pro climbers replace ropes every ~6–12 months in that scenario. For regular recreational use, expect ~3–5 years – inspect often, and retire when sheath wear or soft spots appear. With infrequent use and good care, a rope can remain safe up to ~10 years or even morewww.blackdiamondequipment.com, but extra caution is advised as age increases. Always retire if you have doubts – ropes seldom break, but you don’t want to be the outlier case. As one expert famously said, “If you want 100% guarantee against rope breakage, you’d need a new rope every climb”theuiaa.org theuiaa.org– not practical, so instead we manage risk by retiring ropes at sensible intervals before they get anywhere near failure.
Harnesses: Retire immediately if belay loop or tie-in points show cuts, serious fray, or if any part of the webbing is damagedservices.thebmc.co.uk. Under heavy use (daily gym, guiding, big wall), a harness might be retired in ~2–3 years as the tie-ins get worn. For moderate use, many aim for ~5 years before replacing, or at least very careful inspection beyond that point. With light use, a harness can often go 5–8 years and still be sound, but after ~10 years you should retire it even if it “looks okay”www.14ers.com. The strength may still be there, but materials do age and you don’t want to push a critical life-support item to the bitter end. Remember Todd Skinner’s lesson – don’t ignore a fraying belay loop thinking “it’ll hold one more”. Harnesses don’t usually give clear warning before failure, so proactive retirement is key. As a rule of thumb, max 7–10 years even for lightly used harnesses, and sooner if used frequently or any wear is presentwww.14ers.com.
Slings & Quickdraws: Retire immediately if any sling has a cut, tear, or heavily abraded sectionservices.thebmc.co.uk. Also retire any sling that has been shock loaded severely (even if it looks intact). For gear you use regularly (e.g. trad alpine slings or sport quickdraws), consider retiring nylon slings after ~5-7 years of use, and Dyneema slings after ~5 years – or earlier if they show wear. Certainly by 8-10 years, even well-kept slings should be retiredwww.reddit.com. In harsh conditions (high UV, fixed in place), slings can become unsafe within just a couple of years – always inspect and replace anchor slings frequently. If you inherit or find old slings of unknown age, it’s safest to assume they are weaker and retire them unless proven new. Given the low cost, many climbers just periodically refresh their slings and cordalette supplies rather than trying to eke out maximum lifespan. As one safety officer put it, “you can be fairly rigorous when retiring webbing items as they’re inexpensive to replace – so why chance it?”services.thebmc.co.uk. In all cases, inspection is paramount. Make it a habit to do a visual and tactile check of your soft goods each time you climb: flake your rope and feel for odd spots, glance at your harness belay loop and tie-ins, and quickly scan your slings and draws for any damage or discoloration. Most issues can be caught early. And pay attention to that inner voice of concern – if you’re ever thinking “I wonder if this is still okay…”, that’s a strong sign to retire and replace the itemservices.thebmc.co.uk. The consequences of a failure are too high, and thankfully, the climbing community has provided abundant evidence that replacing gear in a timely fashion saves lives, whereas pushing old gear too far can end in disasterwww.climbing.com.

To conclude, soft goods longevity varies widely with usage: a rope or sling used by a casual weekend climber can be safely used for years longer than the same gear used by a relentless big-wall siege climber. Aging effects like UV and oxidation are real but usually secondary to the mechanical wear of actual climbing. Real-world failure data reinforces that catastrophic failures happen when gear is visibly worn out, blatantly old, or misused – which means they are preventable by good judgment. By following the best practices above, you can ensure you retire your ropes, harnesses, and slings on time – not too early to be wasteful, but not too late to where safety is compromised. Keep track of your gear’s history, stay educated on how it ages, and don’t hesitate to retire anything that no longer inspires full confidence. Climbing gear is remarkably strong and reliable, but nothing lasts forever. Replacing a piece of nylon is a small price for continued safety in the vertical world. When in doubt, throw it out – and enjoy the peace of mind on your next climbwww.blackdiamondequipment.com services.thebmc.co.uk.