My late husband died 7 years ago & I still have his gear. I'm not comfortable leading (and I've lost half my shoulder tendons anyway), so I won't use it.
I think the ropes, etriers, etc should be trashed, but what about used cams, pitons, friends, stoppers with no leader falls on them?
Any ideas, or ways to assess which are safe to sell?
I know lots of people that buy second hand gear, especially cams (they're expensive!). I'm pretty sure you'll find there is a good market on ebay, etc for stuff like this.
Climbing.com offers some good advice on what to check:
Any bend in a cam’s axle compromises the unit’s strength, even if the spring and trigger actions are still smooth. Regularly inspect your cams to make sure the axles are in good condition. As with biner gates, it’s essential that a cam’s springs work well enough to hold the unit in place until the cam is weighted.
If the springs are sticky, give the device a good cleaning. Cam lobes slightly deform where the metal touches the rock during a fall. Small dents and deformations are fine, but any significant deformation can prevent a cam from rolling smoothly when loading. In this case, replace the unit. Most cam manufacturers will replace the slings for a reasonable fee, as will several third-party stitching services — follow the same guidelines for these slings as you would other “software.”
Main issue with cams is the sling. I'm not sure I'd trust a second hand cam sling, but given that a new cam can cost £50 I'd buy a second hand one for much less and replace the sling, I'd probably still save money on this.
Take a few good falls onto a nut placed in a horizontal and the cable will likely fray. After a good whipper, inspect the nut to make sure there aren’t any sharp burrs or frays in the non-weight-bearing ends of the wires that could tangle or damage your runners or draws — remove these burrs with a standard file or nail clippers. If there are frays or burrs in the weight-bearing wires, replace the nut. In the case of micro-nuts, especially the silver-soldered variety, bent or damaged wires at the head (from falls or aggressive cleaning) are common, and are grounds for immediate retirement.
Your right, second hand ropes and slings, etc. should prob be trashed.
