Mason twine for throw line?

[ATH]

Anybody use mason twine for throwline?

It seems to have the important features:
Thin
Not prone to tangling
Doesn't seem like it will hang up easily
Bright colors
*Not sure about the strength???

I picked some up at Home Depot: 250' for $4. I figured it is worth a try. Any good reason I should not waste my time by throwing it into a tree? Surely somebody here has tried it???

 

[woodchux]

I've used it to flag off the work zone before, but not for throw line.

 

[Fumbler]

That's what I use right now (my girlfriend has some zing-it under the xmas tree).

I use the braided one and it works ok. It is not very durable and gets snagged on rough bark very easily. If it hangs up on some bark or gets picked at by a twig then that spot becomes weaker and more likely to break.
If that's all you've got then it's better than nothing. It's cheap too so that's one good point.

Otherwise you need to be looking at buying some real throw line.

 

[ATH]

Thanks Fumbler.

When you say it gets snagged...is that snagged as in: you can't get it back out, so your throw weight is stuck up in the tree; or as in it gets snagged and is frizzy, weakend and needs replaced?

I have a length of zing-it (1.75mm). I was going to buy more so I can make shorter lines (no need to mess around with 150 feet when I only need to throw up to 30-40, right?). Before I got around to picking that up, I saw the mason twine and it made me wonder. I might try it for shorter climbs where I am not throwing into a tight crotch or over rough bark. I'll expect a shorter life, but as long as it doesn't waste my time it could be worth it?

 

[woodchux]

It wouldn't hurt to pick up the zingit and an extra throw ball. It's great to have a spare for when you do get snagged.

 

[Fumbler]

Thanks Fumbler.

When you say it gets snagged...is that snagged as in: you can't get it back out, so your throw weight is stuck up in the tree; or as in it gets snagged and is frizzy, weakend and needs replaced?

It gets snagged as in twigs and bark will frey it pretty bad.
It isn't tightly woven so it is easy for small things to pick at the fibers.
I haven't had the weight hang up because of the twine, but it's not the slickest string in the world either.

If you're doing short throws and you already have the stuff then I say use it.
After it all breaks then buy some nicer stuff.

 

[Bearclaw]

I tried using mason line and other various strings. They all suck. The biggest problem is that they snag on the bark of the tree, and your line gets stuck, or they create so much friction that it won't allow your thow weight to come back down.

As time goes on and they lose their "like new" condition, the line will tangle and the line gets really weak.

I spent quite a long time, and money, trying to find the right line. I should have just used the zing it or equivalent throw line to begin with.

Para-cord, or accesory line works. It is really strong, however it weighs alot, and still creates a lot of friction, requiring a heavier throw weight.