I really want to like the Su sleeve variant of the traditional Dan House sleeve. This is the black conduit sleeve that's very flexible. Unfortunately I've worn through 3 of them in 2 months. The black plastic is wearing through in the middle part of the sleeve. I've tried taping the worn areas but it reduces the flexibility and transfers stress to the untaped parts of the sleeve. I'm back to using my traditional gray House _style_ conduit sleeves which seem to be indestructible.

Anyone else experiencing rapid wear on their black House sleeves? Or am I the only one who is beating them up? I posted a gear review to shed light on this problem.
-moss

Moss,

I don't climb nearly as often as you do, but I've worn out one of my two Su sleeves in the past year, and the other one's a bit iffy. I thought at first that it was just because I had used the thing for one of my "cryogenic" climbs last winter - the plastic housing cracked then, but after that the _meta_l conduit seemed to be breaking down even with electric tape repairs. I love the tight bending radius and the ease of installation, but this wear issue has me worried. If the sleeve fails during a climb it seems as though it could eat a rope.

markf12 wrote:
...this wear issue has me worried. If the sleeve fails during a climb it seems as though it could eat a rope.

The good news is that the wear is incremental. First sign of wear is a roughed up surface, then deeper scratches and cracks, then you can barely see the steel conduit showing through and finally the plastic jacket really opens up and the steel coils start to separate.

I didn't inspect one of my sleeves well enough and I found (after the climb) that the coils were starting to separate during a climb. No rope damage occurred.

Pre-climb inspection is key. If the sleeve cover is solidly intact before the climb you're good to go.
-moss

So are we back the leathers? The bomber House Sleeve is sooooo heavy and cumbersome. We have been using leather sleeves at the school for years now with little failure. I tie a bit of throw line around the sleeve and clip it to my saddle with a carabiner. It works for me.

treeman wrote:
So are we back the leathers? The bomber House Sleeve is sooooo heavy and cumbersome. We have been using leather sleeves at the school for years now with little failure. I tie a bit of throw line around the sleeve and clip it to my saddle with a carabiner. It works for me.

I think it depends on your climbing _style_ and how you use the black sleeve. If you put one on your lanyard it will probably last longer than one used on a 150' rope. If you're going on a long hike to the tree and you're minimizing gear weight then maybe it's worth the durability trade-off.
-moss

treeman wrote:
We have been using leather sleeves at the school for years now with little failure. . . It works for me.
Product Development. . .
The test of time shows what products will surface as the most trouble-free.

I still carry a House Sleeve in the gear bag.
In a narrow-V crotch it does provide the most robust mechanical protection.
But yes Mr. Treeman, the leather sleeves work great and have taken first place for rope protection and durability. They last a long time, can handle an occasional splash of 2-stroke fuel and they sure hurt a lot less than a House Sleeve if by chance your get bonked with one during a rope removal.

As for the Su Sleeve. . .
While obviously not as durable as leather, the Su Sleeve is so “high-tech” that I have one in my gear bag for effect. It kind of has that Panasonic Robot look. The Su Sleeve that I have is a little too tight for the ˝ inch line I use but as I understand it, they now have a larger diameter version for fat-rope junkies such as me.

-Ej-