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Climbing spike strap buckle snapped on a big white oak today
Was 40 feet up on a removal in Portland when the buckle on my left spike strap gave out. Caught myself on my lanyard before anything bad happened, but that was 2 minutes of pure panic. Got down, swapped to my spare set, and finished the job. Anyone else had hardware fail out of nowhere like that, and do you replace straps on a schedule or just when they look rough?
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lunah861mo ago
Were they the original straps that came with your spurs, or had you swapped in aftermarket buckles at some point? I only ask because I've seen a lot of guys run gear for way too long just because it passes a quick visual check, but the metal can get hairline cracks you won't spot until it lets go. My rule has been replace every two seasons no matter what, but honestly I've broken that rule myself more than once when money was tight. That panic feeling when hardware fails is something else though, it changes how you look at every piece of gear after. Did you notice any wear or rust on that buckle before it snapped, or was it completely out of the blue?
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