The old climbing rope trick I almost forgot about...

I was up in a big oak yesterday in Austin and my flip line kept slipping on the smooth bark. Remembered an old timer showing me to wrap it twice and then give it a half hitch before you even load it... been years since I did that. Has anyone else got a forgotten trick from back in the day that still works better than the new gear?

2 comments

2 Comments

viola_ward5d ago

You ever have one of those days where your gear just decides to fight you? I was trimming mesquite down near San Antonio last spring and my brand new prusik cord kept slipping on a wet limb. Tried all that fancy new friction stuff and it was useless. Finally just grabbed a piece of old manila rope I had in my truck, doubled it up, and it held like a champ. Sometimes the simple stuff from thirty years ago just works better than anything they sell now.

jesse_williams625d ago

That mesquite bark is slicker than people realize, especially after a wet spring. I remember one time up near Waco on a post oak, my brand new climbing line just wouldn't bite either. An old fella I was working with told me to spit on my hands and rub some dirt on the rope before wrapping it around the limb. Sound crazy, but the grit gave that extra friction and it stopped slipping right away. These days everyone wants to buy some expensive silicon spray or rubberized wraps for the same problem. Sometimes you just gotta go back to the basics and use what's on the ground around you.