4
Hot take: bushings on climbing lines aren't always the best move
I was chatting with this old school climber named Jerry at a gear swap in Denver last Saturday. He told me he never uses bushings on his friction hitches because they can hide rope wear and make you complacent about checking your gear. It hit different because I've been running bushings for like 5 years and never thought about the downside. Anyone else ditch bushings for bare rope on their climb kit?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
phoenixw111mo ago
Whoa, Jerry sounds like a madman running bare rope like that.
8
miller.rowan1mo ago
That bare rope thing is a rookie mistake waiting to happen. Trust me, you learn fast after watching someone get rope burn that goes straight through their glove. Had a buddy do that once on a cold morning, rope was stiff and he figured he'd just skip the gear for "one quick pull" - ended up with a gash that took weeks to heal. A good pair of handling gloves (leather, not those cheap cloth ones) and a rope bag makes a world of difference. Also, keeping the rope dry and clean cuts down on that friction damage too.
3