A climbing gear inspection is a hands-on look at every piece of life-support equipment a tree climber relies on: the climbing line, lanyard, saddle, carabiners, rope wrench or friction device, ascenders, pulleys, friction saver and hitch cords. This log takes the kit item by item, records each one's ID, manufacture date and in-service date against the maker's retirement life, asks only the checks that fit that kind of item, and ends each entry with keep or retire. Fill it in here and download a PDF without an account, or speak while you walk, and the document writes itself.
Why item by item
A climber's kit is not one thing. A rope is judged by its sheath and core, a carabiner by its gate and its body, a rope wrench by its moving parts, a saddle by its webbing, stitching and bridge. Each entry in this log asks what the item is and then shows only the questions that make sense for it, so a carabiner is never asked about glazing and a rope is never asked about its gate.
Recording an ID or serial number on every item is what makes the log useful a year later: you can see when that lanyard went into service, how often it has been looked at, and why it was retired.
Age, service life and the maker's word
Many makers set a service life for textile gear, some from the date of manufacture and some from first use, and some set none and rely on condition. The log records both dates and the maker's stated life, and scores whether the item is still inside it. Your company procedure decides what happens to gear with no stated life.
Shock loads and when to retire
Any life-support item that has held a significant fall or a shock load, been in contact with a running chainsaw, or been exposed to chemicals that attack its fibers is normally retired whatever it looks like. The same goes for hardware with a crack, a gate that will not close and lock on its own, or a bent body. Retiring an item here is a safety finding, and the log asks how it was destroyed so it cannot drift back into a gear bag.
Storage and records
Gear stays good longer when it is kept dry, out of sunlight and away from fuel, bar oil and battery acid in the truck. The last section checks how the kit is stored and carried, that spurs are guarded, and that the climber knows the condition of every piece they clip into.
Common questions
How often should arborist climbing gear be inspected?
The climber looks over their own gear before every climb, and a more detailed, recorded inspection by a competent person is usually done on a regular schedule the company sets from the makers' instructions. Any item that has been shock-loaded is inspected straight away.
When should a climbing rope be retired?
When the maker's instructions say so, and earlier if the sheath is cut through, the core feels lumpy, flat or hollow, the rope is glazed from heat, it has held a serious fall, or it has been in contact with chemicals that attack it. When in doubt, retire it.
Do I need serial numbers for every item?
Where the maker provides one, record it. For items without one, mark your own ID in a way the maker allows and record that. The log is far more useful when each entry can be matched to a real piece of gear.
Can I use this log for spurs and helmets too?
Yes. Pick Climbing spurs or Climbing helmet as the item, and the general checks apply. Gaff sharpening and helmet service life follow the maker's instructions.
Does completing this log make my gear compliant?
It records what was checked, what was found and whether each item was kept or retired, with names and dates. Whether gear meets ANSI Z133, a maker's rating or any other standard is judged against that document.