How do I get the smell out of my shoes? / How do I clean my shoes?
Where should I get my shoes resoled?
How can I resole / repair my shoes myself?
My new shoes are too tight. How can I stretch them?
How do I wash my rope?
How do I mark the middle of my rope?
What can I do with my old rope? / How do I make a rope rug?
How do I clean gear like biners and cams?
What's the best way to mark my gear?
How do I sling my hexes?
How do I clean the tubes for my water bladder? (Platypus, Camelback, etc.)
How do I resling my cams?
Where should I get broken trigger wires repaired?
How do I make my own replacement trigger wires?
See also: What should I do if my tricams need new slings?

How do I get the smell out of my shoes? / How do I clean my shoes? [back to top] [FAQ contents]

From: Softman

let your climbing shoes air out and dry before storing them - this is probably the single easiest way to avoid stench.  loosen the laces all the way and clip them on the outside of your pack as you hike out from a climb and drive home.  just make sure to shake out all the leaves, scorpions, etc. before putting them on the next time.  put them in front of a fan (no heat) at home as well.

From: user

throw them in the washing machine on cold with a bit of normal washing powder. Let them go through all cycles and then prop them upto dry somewhere out of direct sun or heat. Result: No more poxy boots.

From: Red Rock Resole

Sometimes shoes get caked inside with dirt, sweat and so on, and you can remove this stuff with warm water, mild soap and an old toothbrush. Immersing the shoes, or worse, putting them through the washer, isn't the best thing for them, IMHO. Just open up the laces wide, and scrub the shoes out and rinse by splashing water inside. Once they're completely dry, they should smell better too.

The smell is from a build-up of bacteria. This odor can be masked with scented sprays (one guy I know favors shaving lotion); but more effective is to neutralize it with anti-bacterial spray or baking soda.

Baking soda is probably the most eco-friendly, lowest-impact and cheapest, but it can build up inside the shoe too, and it can feel grainy against the skin. Not good when you're sketching on a dime-thin edge! If you can find a product in spray form that's both anti-bacterial and scented ("deodorant"), both the smell and its source are dealt with. Some products do this better than others. One gym I know of uses Lysol, but it makes the shoes feel slick inside and it's hard in the shoes' interior. It seems to soak into the leather and make it break down.

In my shop, I use a product by Kiwi called "Sport." I use it not just on customer shoes upon request, but on all of my own various shoes, the majority of which are athletic, and if it works on mine, it'll work on anyone's! It comes in a three-tone blue can and costs about $5, and a single can goes a long way. To find out where it's available, you can write to Kiwi (there was no phone # printed on the can): Kiwi Brands, 447 Old Swede Rd., Douglassville, PA 19518-1239. Maybe by now they even have a website. (I order my supply from a wholesale distributor in San Diego.)

Here's a lot more info on taking care of your shoes: http://www.REDROCKRESOLE.COM/care/

From: Chris Kantarjiev

I wash mine once in a while - when they turn black inside, mostly. (I don't have much of a stinkfoot problem - combination of dryer sheets and vented gymbag helps that.)

I wash them by hand.
I wash them with as little water as possible.
I definitely don't saturate them.
The leather stiffens a little, but nothing that doesn't work out after a wearing or two.
I just air dry with no shrinkage problems, but if you're very worried about shrinkage, stuff with newspaper while drying.

I agree with Jules - machine washing would be bad.

From: Paul Brooks

Put the offending items into a plastic bag and leave them overnight in the freezer. It seems to work - presumably by killing the smelly bugs.

From: Jim Leininger

you can take some of the cedar chips that are used in hamster cages, stuff them into cut-off nylon stockings, tie of the stockings and Presto, odor-eaters

From: Christian Brooks

Dr. Sholls odor-eater powder works really well.

From: Michael Gordon

I'd resist putting any kind of powder in my shoes or on my feet. It will result in caking inside the shoe. And though I have no first-hand experience, people who have powdered have reported a 'slimy' feeling as a result of perspiration and caking combined

From: H. Joao

Put drier sheets in them. Change every once in awhile.

From: Adrian McNair

I tried all the FAQs on Dawns Web Page and they did not work. My older pair were hopelessly foul beyond redemption. I made sure with my new pair to always air them out after use and it seems to have worked well so far. Airing them out and putting a scented drier sheet in them works well.

From: Lei

When I first started climbing I wore my shoes as everyone else. After a month it started to stink and I said screw it, and wore my normal white cotton socks.

I've been wearing socks for 4 years now, and I will never go back. It's much more comfortable, the shoes don't stink at all, and I don't remember a single climb where not wearing socks would have made the difference between success and failure, whether it's 5.8 or V##++.

Try it out. After a few weeks you might change your mind too.

From: John Byrnes

It just amazes me that this topic comes up so often.  Put your feet in your shoes, not your nose.

Where should I get my shoes resoled? [back to top] [FAQ contents]

Your local climbing gym or climbing store can probably give you the name of the resoler closest to you.

These resolers are very popular with rec.climbers:

The Rubber Room in Bishop, CA
Rock and Resole in Boulder, CO

See also:

Climbing Shoe Resolers on dmoz.org
How can I resole / repair my shoes myself? on Tradgirl

How can I resole / repair my shoes myself? [back to top] [FAQ contents]

From: Retrograde

I've used regular superglue on peeling stealth rubber. Worked fine.

From: Geoff Jennings

I've used Superglue on my climbing shoes, but didn't find it worked well on Tevas or Approach shoes. Not sure why.

From: Ben Craft

The best glue I've found is freesole.

From: Maechyll

Shoe Goo.

From: Jim Leininger

Believe it or not, I used a bicycle intertube repair kit. Worked like a charm!

From: Kai Larson

Barge cement

From: Irishman

I obtained a Five Ten kit for the purpose of putting some rubber on a pair of my kids boots. I procrastinated so long he outgrew the boots. In the mean time I used the glue in the kit to put one of the soles back on my Guide Almightys. (The infamous Five Ten delaminating problem) Since then I've put on some rough miles with no further problems. That's the extent of my experience. Personally, I think it would be hard to fix small areas with Barge Cement. It would be hard to contain the heating process to the areas you're trying to fix. Too much heat in the surrounding areas could undermine the part you don't want to work on. Do you still have the instructions that came with the kit? They mention "Aqua-seal" for fixing delaminating problems and filling voids. I haven't tried that yet.

From: David Wilson

I helped a fried resole his sandals with 5.10 rubber and the thing that worked best with contact glue that came in the kit was to heat it hot over a stove (electric or you will have a cool fire on your hands!) then beat the newly placed sole with a hammer. Since then the rubber has never come off.

From: Mike Yurkish

I've got a pair of beater shoes that I keep applying toe grafts to. I take a razor and cut a slice of rubber off of the heel, grind the nearly bare spot under the big toe, and glue the patch there using two boards and a C-clamp for compression. It's held far better than I'd have thought it would each time I've done it. My shoe looks a little funky, though, and I'm running out of heel rubber.

From: Sam Gilbert

I have resoled my old pair of shoes... You can buy a kit for ~$20 and basically cut and glue your new soles on... They actually work okay as a spare pair... But it depends on your precision skills in this type of thing how well they come out. Meaning, don't try to resole your 1-yr old boreal aces... resole the 10-yr-old 5.10s.

From: Tim Stich

A while back I noticed a friend of mine had two half soles on his climbing shoes. He told me that he resoled them himself, which was something that I was interested in trying. Recently I found a resole kit for $10 on sale and went about buying some sanding disks for my drill and a disk holder. I had no idea if the project would be worth doing myself and I had the mailing address for Rock and Resole sitting on my table. But money was tight, and I reasoned that if I messed up I didn't care. So I set about reading the information in the package.

The first operation was getting the worn soles off. This required a source of heat, in this case an electric stove was suggested. I had one, which turned out to be one use that it performed better than a gas stove. In any case, I waved my shoes for the recommended 30 seconds and then grasped them with pliers. To my amazement, the soles peeled off without a fuss and I was done. I had previously cut the soles in half with a razor, incidentally. That way I didn't have to redo the heel, which was fine.

The next step was somewhat harder. I outlined the patterns of the old soles on the 5mm Stealth rubber provided. A colored pencil made enough of a mark to see, so that sufficed. Cutting the rubber was damn difficult with tin shears, so I used a medium sized exacto knife and just punched cuts along with the rubber at the edge of a table. In the end, it didn't matter how nice the cut was since I ground the edges with the sander.

The sanding was next. At first, I used a hand drill clamped between my shoes on the kitchen floor and let the fine rubber dust pack onto the fridge door and the oven. I vacuumed it later before my live-in girlfriend came home. This was tiring work, so I stopped that nonsense and borrowed a proper table top belt sander. In the end, this was the crucial piece of equipment that made the job possible. I was able to bevel the edges like the old soles and remove several milimeters of rubber without any real problems.

I then sanded the old rands and cleaned both the new rubber and old with a solvent I had called Goof Off. I didn't have any trichloroethane and couldn't find any in town. The solvents made the rubber slimy and even removed some of it, which I took as a good sign for some reason. Call me glib. In any case, I applied the rubber cement and let it dry overnight since it was late.

Just today I briefly heated the rubber and glue pieces and joined them, using a vise grip clamp to smash the whole mess together. To my amazement, the pieces bonded and didn't spontaneously delaminate. I'll be testing them in the gym now. In no way would I trust these shoes for a trip without having a back up. The whole thing was mainly done to save my good pair from a premature gym death.

Judging from the ass-ache from the whole resole project, I think I'll just mail mine off in the future. I would rather have shoes I can trust and spend the spare time I would put into the project gazing into my navel and drinking beer. It wasn't all that bad I guess and I really couldn't afford squat this month. So that's my experience with the task. It was something to do on a rainy day, though.

Note: the following was added in a subsequent post.

I think the key is to get everything really clean and not get finger grease on them. Maybe one should use gloves when handling the pieces? I don't know. I tried the shoes in the gym tonight with mixed results. First of all, I should have sanded the bottoms better. They were still a bit smooth, which made for some comical footwork. One toe is delaminating already, but I think it was due to not using enough rubber cement in the spot. I'll fix it tomorrow.

On a funny note, this guy I know in the gym said his friend resoled a pair of shoes and parked his car over them to compress the rubber. And to think I was just using a clamp!

From: Ted Compton

Tools you need:

pliars
sharp long exacto blade
electrical tape
rough sandpaper and block
wire brush (optional)
electric stove burner

-peel of old sole. follow instructions. don't pull rand loose.

-cut new rubber based on old sole but about 1/4" bigger all around.

-clean, sand, apply glue as per instructions (lightest coat of gule possible is key here)

-heat surfaces and stick together with even overlap all around.

-pinch on with pliars and/or hammer on.

-stuff sock or paper into shoe.

-wrap tightly and extensively with electrical tape.

-leave overnight.

-remove tape.

-trim with exacto knife. This is the key step. Except for maybe some texturing, you can achieve a finished product at this step. Cut so that the knife cuts into the glue bond and just touches the rand. Leave no unglued rubber (it will peel off if you do). Watch your angle (cut it the way you want it to be when you are done). You have to do it in one pass. You can't shave a little away at a time. The key to a smooth cut is to grab the 1/4" excess rubber and pull it away from the blade as you cut (a partner can be helpful here). If you do this the blade literally slides through the rubber.

-sand to add texture and blend sole and rand.

This has worked well for me on probably 10 resoles. Total working time is about 1 hr. per pair.(less if you do multiple pairs).

From: Matt Buckle

unless you've got the right equipment (a grinder etc.) it is hardly worth the 25 bucks you'll save. I resoled a pair a couple years ago, took me about 4 hours, and I ended up with a pair of shoes I'd only use if they were the last pair I had. I'm sure if you had the equipment and experience it would be worth it though.

From: Donna

Takes a few pairs to get it right, but you absolutely need a band grinder. follow the applied instructions completely, try to grind down the old sole at the instep so the new sole will overlap by an inch or so. If you're new at this don't even think of doing the rand, it's a pain in the a#@.

See also:

FiveTen's C4 Resole Kit from Hermit's Hut
FiveTen's Dot Resole Kit from mgear.com
Aqua-Seal from Altrec.com
Barge cement from Altrec.com
Freesole from MEC
Shoe Goo in black from Blank Skate Supply Company
Where should I get my shoes re-soled? on Tradgirl

My new shoes are too tight. How can I stretch them? [back to top] [FAQ contents]

From: Jose Acosta

I'd say try soaking them and wearing 'em wet for awhile, maybe while bouldering or climbing for the day if you don't mind your feet looking like prunes. That helped me with a similar situation.

From: Walter Strong

Have you been using them for very long? My Paranoia's, when I first purchased them, could hardly be worn for a full climb before the pain made me want to curse the day I bought them. Now, after a few weeks of constant use, they've stretched enough on their own that I can usually fit in a couple short climbs before I have to take them off.

I think it was the "gear" issue of _Climbing_ that recommended not only whearing them into the shower, but leaving them on for an hour or so afterward so that the leather as a chance to take the shape of your foot.

From: Brent Ware

I surmise that by not fitting them quite so tight, the shoes don't need to stretch, aren't getting stretched every time I put them on, and so last longer and fit better through their lifetime (I resoled the last pair three times; the first didn't even last long enough to get resoled once). Hey, it only took me about ten years and god knows how many pairs of climbing shoes to figger this out. For me, climbing shoes will fit better longer if I don't buy them super tight. Paradoxical, eh?

From: Wade Lippman

"Climbing 2001 Gear Issue" suggests taking a shower with them on. I suggest buying the right size.

How do I wash my rope? [back to top] [FAQ contents]

From: Stefan Kruger

Leave it to soak in the tub over night if you've climbed on sea cliffs or if it's excessively dirty. Just beware that repeated washing can  undo any dry treatment your rope might have. An alternative is to flake out your rope into a pillow case and cold-wash it in the washing machine without detergent, or with a small ammount of 'woolite'.

From: Roger Dyke

Being lazy, I just used to drop the rope in the bath after I got out, let it soak while I dried myself, stirring it occassionally, then hung it over the taps to drain off and dry overnight

From: kbctan

I've since invested in a Dobi rope-brush ( caving places tend to sell them). They're like two halves of a plastic tube that clip together, with rotating brushes in both halves. Immerse the rope in warm soapy water ( usually used bath-water), place it in the middle of the two halves, clip them together and pull the rope through ( several times). Amazing how much grit & grime you can extract, even from "cleaned" ropes.

From: Ken.Cline

Here's what Beal Ropes recommends:

Ropes should be washed periodically to help remove sharp particles from the sheath and so prevent them penetrating to the core where they can cut the fibres. Use a mild detergent (as might be used for delicate fabrics) in cold water. Dry slowly, and store away from sources of heat and out if direct sunlight. This applies to the storage of all fibre products - store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and all possible contaminants (if you're really keen, store in an inert environment like nitrogen ; )

http://www.bealropes.com/english.dir/care.html

They show a picture of a faucet and scrub brush.  I put the rope in a mesh bag and toss it in a front loading washing machine.  Tossing a loose rope in a washing machine will result in a gordian knot.

There are wash-in dry treatments you can use to increase water repellancy.

From: Marie

I find that daisy-chaining the rope works quite nicely to prevent it from becoming an unmanageable nylon wad.

From: Blue Water

Put the rope in a pillow case or washing bag and use a front loading machine with cold water only to prevent shrinkage. It is acceptable to use a mild soap to remove oil or grease but avoid harsh detergents. DO NOT USE BLEACH OR BLEACH SUBSTITUTES. Make sure to rinse thoroughly. Small amounts of fabric softener may be used to give better flexibility and a softer hand as a rope stiffens with use. Your rope should be air dried away from direct sunlight. It will not harm a rope to store it wet. Nylon is not affected by water and will not rot or mildew.

See also:

Sterling's Guidelines for Washing Ropes

How do I mark the middle of my rope? [back to top] [FAQ contents]

From: Karl Lew

You have several options:

1) use Blue Water marker

2) whip thread thru and round middle

3) trade it in for a bicolor/bipattern

4) cut the rope in the middle so you don't forget where the middle is.

5) learn to measure rope so you can find the middle in the dark.

From: Matthew Buckle

One thing to keep in mind if you use tape is that over time the tape will get caught in belay devices, edges in the rock etc, and may eventually become loose and slide along the rope.  The only thing worse than no middle mark is an inaccurate one.

I currently have a bicolor rope, and don't think I'll go back.  It may be an extra 15 bucks, but it gives you 100% certainty of the middle of the rope, and is much easier to find than a taped or ink middle mark.

From: Michael E. Gordon

In Advanced Rock Climbing, John Long has endorsed the Sanford "Sharpie" marker for middle-marking. I've done this to three ropes with no problems.

From: the Maxim rope brochure

To mark the midpoint of your rope, tests show that the following markers will not weaken the fibers of the rope: Carter Marks-a-Lot, Sanford Sharpie and Binney-Smith Majic Marker.

From: New England Ropes (via email)

We recommend Avery Marks a Lot and Binney-Smith Majic Marker.

We do not recommend Sharpie.

From: Michael Lamoreau

The info for Marking maxim rope needs a minor tweak... When I went to look for Carter Marks a lot I was unable to find it. I was able to find Avery Marks a lot(I thought maybe Avery bought Carter). I sent a quick email to New England ropes and was able to confirm that indeed Avery bought Carter so the Avery Marks a lot is ok for use on the Maxim ropes.

From: Bob Cable

Have not read anything positive on taping the midpoint. Maybe I'm the only one who likes to feel that half way point. Yeah, you do have to check it occasionally and redo it once in a while, but you can't feel a little black mark at night.

From: Christopher A Kantarjiev

dental floss, woven through the outer sheath, and whipped. You can see it pretty well (it will get dirty) and you can feel it if you're paying attention.

From: troutboy

It seems the black marker crowd is in the majority, but I like my method of flourescent pink embroidery thread sewn through the sheath with (of course) a blunt end embriodery needle.  It can be seen and felt (especially when the thread starts to wear a bit) but won't get hung up in a crack or belay device (although you can feel it going through).  The best part is the looks and inquiries from other climbers regarding my rope sheath that appears to be quite worn, until closer inspection.  One to three treatments last about one season of 75-100 climbing days.

The marker is hard to see on dark-colored ropes, can't be felt in the dark, and isn't nearly as stunning :-).

From: Dave Wood

Just a thought from the MIC (mountaineer in charge - highest award from the British Mountaineering Council) who inspects the club gear I've looked after:

Never mark the mid point of a rope. If it needs the end trimmed off because of damage then it's not the midpoint. If you want to find the midpoint, grab both ends and run them through your hands, _that_ is the midpoint!

See also:

Will using a magic marker to mark my rope weaken it? on Tradgirl

What can I do with my old rope? / How do I make a rope rug? [back to top] [FAQ contents]

From: Ulrich Prinz

As long as there are no obvious and visible damages to the rope, you can safely assume it has not had too much abuse.

Especially for toproping you can use the rope until it nearly falls apart. The only times when modern ropes break is on extreme falls, or if they are hanging over a sharp edge. Toproping takes away the falls, and the age won't change the edge-issue.

From: Dave Andersen

There's a place on the net to which you can send your ropes and they'll weave them into a rug for you:

* Retied Rope Rugs

If you feel like doing it yourself, then consider one of the following options:

* Weave your own with an oval weave called an "ocean platt"

* Get Ashley's Book of Knots - it has a few ways to weave rugs

* Get The Morrow Guide to Knots

What else can I do with my old rope?

* Yucca Dune Outdoor Adventure Gear buys old ropes for trade-in.

From: Ange Hamish

Good scheme for ropes you think are a little passed it for walls, high fall factor leads etc. Rotate them.

1. New rope=main lead rope

2. Worn but structurally ok rope=top roping rope

3. Mostly ok but one or two core shots=cut up and use as rigging/anchor rope

4. Manky/dodgy/shag pile carpet rope with tufts of core sticking out everywhere=car tow rope (you'll be amazed how much static strength it probably still has!) or washing line in the garage for drying out all your gear after a wet weekend.

Also check out http://www.realknots.com for some cool ways to make door matts out of old ropes (use the ornamental knots).

See also:

Marvin Minsky's Original Rope Tie
When should I retire my rope? on Tradgirl

How do I clean gear like biners and cams? [back to top] [FAQ contents]

From: Dwight Haymes

Blow the dirt out with the air compressor down at the gas station

From: Staff @ Climber Online!

As far as loosening sticky camming action, try a little WD-40 on the bearing surfaces. Let it soak in a little and work the cams. Do this a few times to get them totally smooth, then apply some bicycle chain lube to the bearings. The key is to be stingy with the lubricants. Dirt will be attracted to almost anything, including WD-40 or teflon based lubes. Wipe up all excess stuff.

From: deadhorsepoint

If you have access to an ultrasonic bath, that's the ultimate cleaning/decorroding/degriming treatment. I ultrasound my cams in a solution of citrus de-greaser for about 30 min at a time, with periodic scrubbing with a narrow brush.

I used WD like Scott, until I discovered Mountain Bike Lube for lubing the inner workings of the cam. The best ones are teflon-based and therefore they repel water and mud.

From: John Byrnes

If you visit a marine climbing area, I recommend you wash all your gear in fresh water when you get home.

If you live in a marine environment, I'd say you need to wash it regularly.

From: troutboy

I know some cam manufacturers recommend it, but WD-40 is one of the worst things you can put on any mechanism that will be near dirt (including locks). It is especially wicked for Aliens which tend to gum up easier than other cams due to their design. It works great until the dirt starts sticking to the gear thanks to the WD-40 (about one climbing day).

I second the bike lube or other silicon spray products. They lubricate w/o leaving an oily residue.

From: Ken.Cline

For what its worth: Black Diamond, though they recommend a teflon based bike lube for Camalots, found that WD40 works just as well and gathers no more dirt.

From: Ray Martin

I shake them vigoursly in warm soap and water, shake them dry, then apply triflow. The process works wonders on carabiners as well.

From: Inez Drixelius

Brutus of Wyde recommended tryflow to me and I don't like the results. Seems everything is caking up more.

I recommend going back to my old routine of cleaning cams and biners by soaking them in kerosene (I then also remove the nylon, of course), for a few minutes.

Then I wipe off crud, let everything dry out overnight all spread out on old towels and in the morning I treat the moving parts with a lock lubricant. Wipe off again, let dry for a few hours, then do the nylon/spectra/whatever, mark with new tape and voila.

A good weekend job for sitting on the porch with a glass or two and some good tunes.

From: rick d

Try a soap bath, or I always use white gas (Colman fuel) after desert runs and a lite scrubbing with brass or stainless brush (I don't dunk the slings).

From: Micah Lauer

Black Diamond recommends TriFlow and Metolius recommends a dry graphite like LockTite, so it's basically your call. I think the dry graphite stuff like LockTite almost sounds better because I assume it would collect let grit, etc., but then again, I've only used TriFlow, so I can't compare lubrication properties, etc. If you use TriFlow, use a cotton swap or bit of rag or something and wipe off all the extra after working the trigger some to distribute the lubricant - it will keep the grit from collecting so quickly.

From: Alistair Veitch

I'll go with Clyde Soles on the best answer - White Lightning. It's a wax-based bike lube. Seems expensive for the small bottle, but it works *really* well.

From: Eric D. Coomer

I used this stuff (White Lightning) and found that it ended up gumming up the action on all my gear once the wax dried. Even after playing with the action to smooth it out, it's not near as good as using tri-flow, WD-40 or graphite. I know another person that tried the white lightening stuff with the same results I had.

From: Hans Lehmann

I've heard that some people soak their rack in gasoline overnight, then set the whole mass on fire until the remaining solvent has burnt off. Sounds OK to me.

WD-40, Tri-flo, graphite, spit, urine, whatever... Use what you've got, it all works.

What's the best way to mark my gear? [back to top] [FAQ contents]

From: mfletcher

I use two colors of tape for my carabiners.  Go to a hardware store and get two different colors of 3M colored tape.  Everybody uses one color and sooner or later you and a partner will have the same single color, so use two colors of tape.

For soft gear, slings, webbing, runners, etc., I use a Sharpie permanent marker.  John Long's "Rock Climbing" book states that this pen will not damage nylon or Spectra.  Just put your initials and date of purchase on the soft gear. Another option which I have not tried, but some of my partners use, is to put wraps of colored tape around the soft gear also.

From: Russell Odom

Or just do what everyone else does and use insulation tape, which is far cheaper. Just don't go for obvious colours, like black and red, since every man and his dog use them.

From: mark

I use nail polish on all the hardware- durable, cheap, and you can always find a color that noone else has. Automotive touch up paint from Wal-Mart should work about as well, but the colors just aren't the same...

From: Michael Gordon

I'm not necessarily one to plug products, but the claims the company makes about its own Identitape are true

No sticky residue, no easy peeling, hard to scratch, etc. ALL of my gear is marked with it. I have NEVER seen another climber with their gear marked like mine, but perhaps this post will change that.

From: Chris Harmston

I have never heard of any instances with markers affecting structural aluminum. This doesn't mean it can't occur. What solvents are in these I have no idea. The potential is real I suspect.

I know that many many people have been using nail polish and paint to mark carabiners and other gear and I have never seen any indication that this leads to any type of corrosion or failure of the product.

Stamping. In general most of the lettering and numbering on product is done during the forging operations, before heat treat. These will not affect the strength of the product. It is possible that marking after heat treat by stamping numbers into the product could act as stress concentrators. I have never seen evidence of this and we have tested this out in some detail. Many products on the market have traceability stamps (look on the spine of BD carabiners for an example) and these are placed in the product in its finished state. I have seen many products that are more than 20 years old with hand stamped initials and have never seen any evidence that this weakened the product. Most of my partners us stamps in their gear.

I personally use paint (brown) and nail polish (purple). I hate tape because it does come off and once got stuck in a carabiner gate when I was using a partners biner making it stay open.

From: Michael Hulbert

Just did the auto touch up paint thing last week. Gear's been on one trip and it's already showing some scratches. I put it on the inside and sides of the spine. I kind of wish I had put it on the inside of the gate as well. I might also try nail polish. The auto paint DOES hold up on the little plastic heat shrink on my BD Stoppers. Probably better penetration into PVC plastic.

Get touch up paint at Pep Boys. It's like $3 per can, and you can get some cool colors, brush is in the can.

From: Michael E. Gordon

It so happens that most of my gear is marked with blood. I can always prove ownership by the wounds on my hands.

How do I sling my hexes? [back to top] [FAQ contents]

What kind of cord to use

From: Thor Lancelot Simon

5.5mm Spectra or Gemini (Spectra/Kevlar blend). The Gemini is even stiffer than the Spectra, but supposedly stronger and more cut-resistant.

I have some hexes slung with each. Both were so stiff initially that they were a huge PITA to tie the knots in (triple fisherman's for spectra, at least a double for gemini) but have loosened up quite a bit over time.

I have a cordelette made from 20' of the same 5.5mm spectra I sling my hexes with. It was a nuisance to use and even to rack at first because of the stiffness, but after three or four days' use it was fine and now it's really not appreciably stiffer than my other, 7mm nylon, cordelette.

Nylon cord thinner than 7mm isn't really strong enough to sling hexes with (IMHO) and cord thicker than 6mm won't really fit through new hexentrics, so if the hexes are reasonably modern your only real choice is between spectra and gemini.

From: Art Howe

I don't know about what Camp recommends, but I recently asked Black Diamond the same question about what 5.5 mm cord to use. Jeff Maudlin at BD sent me a prompt helpful response (with the standard disclaimer that his note wasn't necessarily company policy). According to him, you can use any of Gemini (BD), Spectra-A (New England), Titan (Blue Water), and High Tenacity Vectran (Sterling) to string hexes. Of course, BD would like it if you used its Gemini cord. Jeff added that you should check whatever cord you buy often for wear, and replace it as neccesary -- say around every 12-24 months depending on use.

Jeff at BD suggested 3 to 3 1/2 feet for length and using tails on the knots of 2-3 inches. FYI, I found that tying a triple fisherman's with 3 inch tails on Titan takes a little over a foot -- about 14 inches of cord. Also, some manufacturers recommend that you tighten the knot using full body weight.

How much cord do you need

From: Steve Prouty

Cord Length for Slinging Hexes

Size		Cord length (inches)
					
11		45

10		44

9		43

8		42

7		41.5

6		41

5		40.5

4		40

Total 	337"

From: Walter Pienciak

I don't think so hard or measure so closely: 3 feet per hex works fine for me.

From: Drew Mitchell

I just slung a set and found that about 45" worked well.

Slinging newer hexes (cord too big)

From: Mike James

But the Spectra is too big for the holes! What do it do?

If it really is too big I can't help you. On the other hand, if it's exactly the right size and therefore almost impossible to push through, I've had that trouble before:

1. Pull the sheath back and cut off about about 1/2 an inch of the core.

2. Pull the sheath back out, so that you have a 1/2 inch floppy bit on the end.

3. Stick the floppy bit through the hole in your hex and use a pair of needlenose pliars to pull it through. I find it helps to pull as much as you can and then twist the pliars to wrap the material around the nose -- sort of like the key on a can of Spam.

4. Repeat until you've done all four holes.

From: Keith Jewell

If you've got the 5.5mm Spectra, which is about all you can find, then you've got the right size. Like somebody else suggested, cut the cord, pull the sheath back, cut the core, slide sheath back over it (I've even gone as far as to melt the sheath into a point), pull it through the hole and repeat.

From: Born2Bad

The problem prollay isn't the fact that the 5.5 was too big. what happens is when you cut it it unravels a bit, kinda loosens. You get the same thing even if you cut it with a hot knife, which kinda deforms it. My trick is just heat the end with a flame and then squish it/ shape it with my fingers ( wearing gloves ). You can shape it into a nice sharp point.

Just make sure that you use a triple fisherman's knot. I put the end into a vise and pull it as tight as I can.

Slinging older hexes (cord too small)

From: Richard White

I had some questions regarding slinging old-style (large hole) hexes a few months back, and got a pretty quick e-mail response from Black Diamond's customer service. Their advice:

"In regards to slinging hexes there are a couple ways you can sling them. First, Gemini cord is WAY stronger than perlon you can get in todays climbing shops. So, you can run the Gemini cord through the Hexes without the rubber tubing or...you can get the rubber tubing at the hardware store and use that in conjunction with the Gemini cord to make the sling more secure. Either way, the strength is going to be about the same. If you have any other questions please don't hesitate to write.

ps. 3 1/2 feet of Gemini Cord is what I recommend for bigger Hexes and 3 feet for the smaller ones. Good Luck."

From: Tim Howe

i have some old hexs i would like to sling with spectra and use but the spectra comes around 5.5 mm and the holes in the old hexs are way bigger than the new ones....

You have two options that I know of. Find some surgical tubing whose inside diameter is about 5-6mm and whose outside diameter is 8-9mm. Feed the cord through the tubing and then feed the tubing through the hexes. This seems to work well and it is probably better than the modern hexes as it reduces teh sharp bends over teh edges of the hex. The tubing should extend about 1 cm past the bottom of the hex.

I have also used some re-slung old hexes without the tubing and it doesn't bother me that it is a bit loose. You can't use the cord for reachy placements though. On the larger hexes (10 and 11) you can put the knot inside the hex which helps somewhat with ridigity but you can't usually place those sizes like that anyway.

From: Steven Cherry

The advice I got, which worked well, was to get some clear plastic tubing at a hardware store (eg Home Depot). It comes in different sizes and should snuggly fit into the hex holes (bring the hexes to the store); the spectra needn't fit into the tubing quite so snuggly, but shouldn't be too loose either. The tubing is quite cheap, and an entire set of hexes took me about an evening of sitting in front of the boob tube to complete (effort probably comparable to Slime's tape-based solution).

If your set includes any of the largest hexes note that the knot can go inside the hex, which is a pretty neat thing.

From: John Byrnes

String the hex on the spectra as you want to use it. Get the length right and tie the knot. Position the hex on the loop so the knot is where you want it.

Now mark the cord with a marker on the top and bottom of both holes. Push the loop through the hex so the marks are exposed. Use climbing tape (cloth athletic tape) and wrap the cord between the marks with tape until it will fit tightly in the holes (experiment). Tear the tape for the smaller sizes.

Do both sides, then pull the cord back into place. I put the hex in a vice and pulled like mad. You may need to use a smalle flat blade screwdriver, or a little soapy water (K-Y if you've got it) to get a nice tight fit.

After a bit in the sun, the hex will become unmovable. Tape is easy to find and the time, money and weight are negligable.

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