It’s become a bit of an ongoing point, but one that seems like it hasn’t yet sunk in with many climbers out there–that is, the inherent differences of Spectra/Dyneema and good-old nylon. Spectra/Dymeema is the latest-greatest material in slings, cordage, and even backpacks…but not knowing its shortcomings is potentially deadly.
There are ample resources on the Web for researching the topic. I just came across this informational video produced by the Welsh company, DMM. The bottom line is Spectra/Dyneema offers fantastic properties in some respects, but is dreadfully suited to certain applications–like daisy chains, or essentially any system without a dynamic component. In general, the rope acts as the dynamic link in the chain, though other gadgets (like an energy-absorbing sling like a Yates Screamer) could do the trick.
Watch and check out the tests. Nylon does admirably as a tried-and-true, inexpensive material. Spectra/Dyneema is absolutely fantastic, save its low melting point (100 degrees F below nylon’s; NEVER use Spectra/Dyneema in any situation in which it might run against another fiber, particularly when under load) and inelasticity (less than five percent). So, use your ultralight Spectra/Dyneema slings and ‘draws…but just always make sure the rope is part of the system.
Check out the vid and enjoy! Thanks to DMM for posting.
