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All - How does everyone care for and store their ropes? I am now up to 4 ropes (two 60m's, a 35m and 70m).

After a climb, I usually let them dry out, give them a run through with my hands and eyeballs (feeling/looking for and damage or wear) and coil or butterfly them. Then I throw the rope in a box with a somewhat airtight seal. Worked pretty good in Colorado and so far near the beach in California (somewhat dry climates).

Anyway, I've seen guys hang them, put them in bags or bins, inside the house or in the garage, back of the car, etc. What's best practice --- or does it matter?

Also, after how many years (or climbs) do you retire a rope. I've got a 5 year old rope that is spotless, but I'm getting nervous about the age... thoughts?

Thanks in advance...

Fletch, there isn't much you didn't cover. Outside of the old danger of leaving your ropes close to any acid (car battery fumes etc), ropes don't require special care. I would not leave my ropes in the back of the car/truck, I store/hang them (dried and coiled) in my climbing room. As you say, it is important to run your hands over the rope once in a while or after a fall. If you find any irregularities, discard the rope

I get nervous after about 5-6 years of weekly use of my ropes. My climbing friend Miguel used to say is $150 worth risking your life for?

That goes the same with my climbing harness.

On the other hand, my famous physicist friend Bob keeps his rope 10 years and according to his calculations, nothing will ever happen if you treat the rope well and don't fall on it much. He rarely ever falls.

One more thing, I would never buy used rope from anyone no matter how new, rarely used, no falls, used only once, someone says it is. Harness is the same thing.
That (in my book) is absolute disaster waiting to happen...

This report is worth reading: http://theuiaa.org/upload_area/files/1/ ... _Ropes.pdf
People tend to repeat and share rules of thumb regarding retirement of climbing ropes after some set period of time, but even 25 and 30 year old ropes can survive a standard drop test. So if you have a near-new condition, hardly used rope that has been carefully stored, you don't necessarily have to throw it out simply because it has hit the 5 year mark (or even 10).