D Mc

Jim, Glad you were able to find a good use for the cocoon pulley. It certainly is streamlined.

The point of having an excessive strength rating on equipment such as this is to compensate for wear and field abuse. You tie into a tree at your tie in point once every 3 to 5 years using that as a high lead. But you will be using the same hardware hour after hour, day after day, so when you go back to the tree in 5 years, chances are you will still be using some of that same equipment and yet your tie in point has grown reaction wood to compensate for that terrible loading you gave it last time, so is in fact stronger; whereas your equipment has suffered use and is, therefore, continually degrading.

I try to use my own judgment when picking hardware. As a for instance, for snaps on my flip line I will use aluminum. They are softer and will wear faster than the steel D rings that they are snapped into. I replace my flip lines and snaps more frequently than I replace my saddle, so want the rings on my saddle to wear the least. Anything with moving parts, such as a pulley, I want way stronger simply because those moving parts start wearing as dirt and debris start penetrating and I also, because of their price, tend to want to use them longer than other pieces of equipment.

I have no problem replacing a dinged up carabiner but am much more reticent to can a hundred dollar pulley.

I just read an article, unfortunately I can't bring up the title, on the breaking strength of crotches and was surprised at how strong they can be, even with included bark. I trust my trees because experience has given me the ability to appraise and chose appropriate tie in points. My gear I am relying on someone else to determine its strength and I do have trust issues.

D Mc