Replies to post #29845 on Kraig Biocraft Laboratories Inc (KBLB)

[es1]

but do they need to be spider silk stronger?..i cant remember the last time i had a computer board break..

No They need to be spider silk flexible.


this should answer your other question. This is just in one quick search
June 22, 2010. http://climbing.about.com/b/2011/03/12/accident-analysis-climber-falls-and-rope-breaks-in-eldorado-canyon.htm

Joseph M. Miller Jr., a 38-year-old climber from Lafayette, Colorado, was killed in Eldorado Canyon State Park

Mr. Miller, climbing on an almost new 9.7mm Beal rope, began "having difficulty with the climbing near the point where the third piece was placed and was being encouraged by the belayer." And then he fell. His highest piece of gear, the #0.5 Camalot, pulled out of the rock when his weight came on the rope and cam. He continued to fall, past a small ledge and over a slight overhang, when his rope broke. He continued falling another 80 feet to the ground.

June 15,2011

http://www2.wsls.com/news/2011/jun/15/6/climber-falls-death-blue-ridge-parkway-overlook-ar-1110997/

A 20-year-old Alabama man fell about 100 feet to his death Wednesday at Ravens Roost Overlook along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

“It looks like some kind of equipment failure,” he said.

Sullivan and two Farmville men had been climbing the rocks at the overlook since 11:30 a.m. Friend and fellow climber Drue White, 21, said he believes a rope broke during the sixth and anticipated final climb.

Saturday, May 20, 2006
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=196553&tn=0&mr=0

[ZincFinger]

Let me see if I understand your logic correctly: if someone hasn't heard of it, despite the fact that they are not involved in the sport and would have no way of knowing if such incidents happened, it must never happen, right?

Few materials have both high breaking strength and high elasticity. Usually one property is at the expense of the other. Both in combination are exactly what is needed for a good climbing rope (I've done a bit of that. On the inside (I'm a caver)). A long fall imparts a LOT of energy to a rope and you do not want it breaking under the stress. Howvever you also do NOT want it to break your back because the arrest of the fall was too abrupt. It needs stretch to absorb as much energy as possible so as little as possible is absorbed by your spinal column.

For a rope that could absorb considerably more energy (per unit length) without breaking, I'd pay a good deal more. What's your life worth? Those who do "single rope technique" (SRT) are betting their lives on ONE strand of rope. (I don't know anyone who uses the old double rope technique anymore). You wouldn't believe the lengths we go to to take care of our ropes (including cutting a few feet off the end periodically to test with an actual drop test. If it doesn't pass the test the entire rope is discarded. Because your rope is your life.

You are once again expressing strong opinions in an area where your knowledge is very limited.

PS: I've seen cavers using helments, overalls, lights* etc that were well past their prime. I have NEVER seen any using a rope past it's prime.

* you've always got at least two spares. And so does everyone else with you. A spare rope is of no use whatsoever if your rope fails (except for body recovery).