Good Idea for BP/W Harness?

[MaizeNBlue88]

Just out of curiosity, has anyone ever thought of using Spectra/Dyneema for a BP/W harness? If so, where would you get Spectra/Dyneema in flat webbing spools? The only thing I could find was cord and slings. It just seems to me that Spectra/Dyneema would be a superior material because of it's comparable strength to Nylon but it doesn't absorb water so it wont degrade as quickly. Just a thought. Any opinions?

 

[rhwestfall]

Just how long do you need it to last in comparison? And, since conventional webbing is about $12, what price point do you need it to be in to be "better"?

 

[MaizeNBlue88]

This is more of a question of theoretical application. I don't want to compare the question to the argument of Stainless Steel vs. Titanium. Obviously Titanium would be better in most applications, but it doesn't make financial sense considering Titanium costs almost 10 times as much. So with price point aside: If Spectra/Dyneema webbing were commercially available, wouldn't it make more sense to make harnesses out of that?

 

[tbone1004]

as one who designs this type of stuff for a living, you would gain nothing from switching to HMWPE over traditional nylon. There are some other fibers int he works that behave better in hazmat environments, but from a price/performance perspective you can't really beat the nylon that's being used today. Keep in mind that while it does degrade in water, especially quickly in salt as it will absorb salt and abrade against itself, the stock breaking strength is somewhere around 4000 to 5000lbs, even if it loses 80% of its strength, it will still hold up 800lbs, and it takes an awfully long time for it to break down to that point.

HMWPE 2" webbing is commercially available, but it is only used in very specific applications where weight is a concern, otherwise nylon is still king, and you really don't want to know how much it costs.... Easily an order of magnitude more expensive than nylon

 

[MaizeNBlue88]

So I'm gathering that it is similar to the comparison of SS vs. Ti. Basically it can't be justified. Well enough, thanks for the info.

 

[cool_hardware52]

So I'm gathering that it is similar to the comparison of SS vs. Ti. Basically it can't be justified. Well enough, thanks for the info.

The webbing on a BP&W harness is very lightly loaded WRT to the strength of plain old nylon webbing. No gain to be had from Spectra. I will point out that webbing stiffness can impact the ease of use, soft webbing can twist, super hard webbing can chafe etc. No idea how the available Spectra or other UHMW fiber based webbing might compare.

A loaded singles rig is 50-70lbs 2 Inch nylon is rated at ~5000 lbs or more.

Tobin

Oops, missed Tbones posts, good stuff.

 

[RJP]

This is more of a question of theoretical application.

It's either theoretical... or it's application. You can't have "theoretical application."

So with price point aside: If Spectra/Dyneema webbing were commercially available, wouldn't it make more sense to make harnesses out of that?

Crazy-hard to answer "with price point aside" really. My limited knowledge (reinforced above by folks who know more) says there's no incremental benefit. Accordingly, the only way it would 'make more sense' were if it were actually cheaper... which requires an inclusion of price point in the discussion.

 

[danvolker]

Just out of curiosity, has anyone ever thought of using Spectra/Dyneema for a BP/W harness? If so, where would you get Spectra/Dyneema in flat webbing spools? The only thing I could find was cord and slings. It just seems to me that Spectra/Dyneema would be a superior material because of it's comparable strength to Nylon but it doesn't absorb water so it wont degrade as quickly. Just a thought. Any opinions?

I got my halcyon 18 pound lift..bp/wing back in 97 (whatever first year was for them..)....the harness is as good today as it was then...so durability is clearly not an issue....I have seen some new halcyon harnesses that use a softer material, potentially easier to thread...and it looks pretty durable as well

 

[Rich Keller]

Just out of curiosity, has anyone ever thought of using Spectra/Dyneema for a BP/W harness? If so, where would you get Spectra/Dyneema in flat webbing spools? The only thing I could find was cord and slings. It just seems to me that Spectra/Dyneema would be a superior material because of it's comparable strength to Nylon but it doesn't absorb water so it wont degrade as quickly. Just a thought. Any opinions?

Nylon webbing is already stronger then need be to do the job so I do not see a need for something even stronger. If it is just an issue of price you could use seatbelt webbing instead of nylon. It is cheap, easy to find and like the nylon it is stronger then you need for the job.

 

[Dave616]

Does anyone here prefer using the softer webbing over the stiffer standard?

I ordered some soft webbing to try on a travel plate (still has a 5,000lb. rating).