Spotting wear and tear on used gear: my quick routine

I hear you on the humidity thing. I’ve had gear go stiff or weird after a summer in the wrong spot, and it’s always a little annoying trying to figure out if it’s just my storage habits or if the stuff was never going to last. That bit you mentioned -

I had a Black Diamond harness that got stiff after just one hot summer in the garage, while my Petzl seemed to last longer before showing any real wear.

I’ve tried cleaning gear to get some flexibility back, but honestly, I’m not convinced it helps much. Warm water and a little soap is about as far as I’ll go. Once I tried using a “gentle” fabric conditioner on a rope sling - bad idea. It got a little softer for maybe a week, then started feeling gummy and weird, almost like it was breaking down faster. Probably not worth the risk, especially for anything load-bearing.

From what I’ve seen, the tightness of the weave and the material blend both seem to matter, but storage is huge. The garage here is basically a sauna in July and August, so I started keeping harnesses and slings inside, just on a shelf in my closet. Haven’t had the same stiffness issues since. I do a quick flex-and-inspect every few months - if anything feels crunchy or has visible fraying, it’s out.

Kind of makes me wonder if some brands just use a different finish or treatment on their webbing. Or maybe it’s luck of the draw. Either way, I’d say skip the conditioning products unless the manufacturer specifically says it’s safe. Learned that lesson the hard way.

Yeah, I’ve had similar luck with gear getting weird in the garage. One summer I left a set of webbing straps out there and they felt like plastic by September. Tried soaking them, but honestly, once they stiffen up, it’s game over. Now I just stash everything in the basement - less convenient, but way better for the gear. Never trusted those fabric softeners either... seems like more trouble than it’s worth.

Yeah, the garage is brutal on gear. I left a harness out there one summer and it basically turned into a board - no amount of flexing brought it back. I hear you on the basement being a pain, but it’s way better than tossing out expensive stuff every year. Never tried fabric softener either... feels like it’d just gunk things up more. At this point, I just do a quick check for any weird stiffness or fraying before every job - saves headaches later.

Never tried fabric softener either... feels like it’d just gunk things up more.

Yeah, I wouldn’t mess with softener either - seems risky for safety gear. I’m with you on the basement, even if it’s a hassle. I lost a lanyard to the garage last winter, just froze solid and cracked. Quick checks before every use are a must, but I also run my hands along the stitching - sometimes you catch little snags you’d miss otherwise.

- Totally agree on skipping softener - tried it once on an old harness and it just felt weird after, almost slippery? Not worth the risk.
- I keep my gear in the mudroom now. Garage is way too cold, and I had a harness buckle seize up from frost last year... lesson learned.
- Running your hands over the stitching is key. Found a tiny fray that way before it turned into something worse.
- Quick visual check, then a feel for any rough spots or stiff webbing. Takes two minutes but saves a ton of worry.