<i>'''What causes damage?'''</i> * Wear with normal use * A fall (tearing or stretching of stitching and webbings) * Prolonged exposure to UV radiation * Contact with chemical products (acids, oil, fuel) * Storage in damp or insufficiently ventilated areas * Contact with heat sources (welding shards, gas burners, cigarette butts) * Rough handling (scuffing along walls or against other material; an aluminium carabiner used on a steel lanyard wears very quickly) * Use in dirty conditions. A rope that has been used in a grit environment, such as a canyon can develop micro abrasion of internal fibres weakening the rope. Dirty ropes also abrade other equipment faster.
