Natural crotch rigging rope

[coolbrze]

What's a good natural crotch rigging rope? Something that's good for tip tying & hanging sm. to med. size trees?

 

[Groundman One]

I've been using 9/16 Dynasorb for a few months and I love it. We always use a rope "condom", as we call it, in crotch rigging with this rope. Don't want to burn this lovely rope. I'm not sure how easily it burns because we have (so far) taken care not to burn it. http://www.sherrilltree.com/Profess...orbing-Rigging-Line-9-16#sthash.856qXaS6.dpbs

The rope condom. This thing is da bomb: http://www.sherrilltree.com/Profess...r-Cambium-Friction-Saver#sthash.0tuvddTQ.dpbs

9/16 might be a bit big for what you're plans are, but the 1/2" Dynasorb might be perfect.

 

[lone wolf]

Stable Braid Rigging Line by Samson, 9/16"

Built by Samson this all polyester rope is coated with (red colored) urethane for maximum abrasion resistance and protection to the core. Tensile strength 13,300. Stable Braid is softly woven (similar to boating double braided lines) to maximize fiber strength and present a spliceable product for those who want a hand-spliced eye in the end

 

[Nemus Talea]

Light duty tip tying allows many choices. Use an old 16 strand climb line, (don't be dumping loads into it, some guys do, but not designed for it) Samson arbormaster and New England safety blue are tough. Be sure to get a different color for your new climb line.
Tru Blue is popular in my parts for light rigging.
Arborplex has the advantage of being light weight and is "rigging line." Not a bank breaker if a brain dead helper cuts it to pieces. Would pick and get chewed up by some rough bark species.
+ 1 one using rope sleeves. I have a House sleeve. Save wear and tear on any line you choose. Can use on a prune. No tree damage and ya don't have to climb back up to retrieve sling and block. Easy to place with overhand knot. For rigging get the long, large diameter version. Mind your bend radius.
If you go with double braid - using it without some kind of friction relief will just wreck it. Only money, your money.

 

[beastmaster]

I know it's not the latest thing, but I use 1/2 inch three strand a lot for false crotching. It'll take a lot of abuse. It's easy to splice, it's cheap. I let it do the dirty work and save my good ropes for tasks that need them.

 

[coolbrze]

I've seen quite a few people using Samson 1/2" True Blue 12 strand climbing rope, what are your thoughts on that. I looked it up & see that it can be used for light duty rigging...

 

[squad143]

For light rigging, pretty much any climbing or rigging line will work. I'm partial to double braid for rigging and arbormaster for climbing. My retired climbing lines often become light duty rigging lines. I like the feel of 1/2" lines. Tried the smaller stuff and it just didn't "feel" right to me.

Any natural crotch work will be hard on any rope. The heavier the load and faster run will cause friction and can burn the rope. You'll notice a glaze on the rope. This decreases the life if the rope. To eliminate this I started using a steel biner, first attached to a nylon loop runner, but finally I made an eye to eye out of a piece of amsteel (tennex will also work). I made the eyes using a locked brummel splice. With the amsteel this is very easy to do (lots of help on YouTube).

When in a tree, I'll usually wrap the e2e around the trunk above the branch I'd be natural crouching off of. The rigging line runs through the steel biner and causes a lot less friction. The advantage to an e2e is that you can also girth hitch it (as long as you make your eyes big enough) to any section of the trunk.

The eye to eye I have made are 36" in length. (You'll need approx 6' of amsteel to make one of these). In the pics I have lock stitched the eyes, but have found that with a brummel splice, they are not really necessary. These splices are not that difficult. This was my first ever attempt at splicing.

On the odd occasion that I absolutely have to natural crotch a line, I grab my oldest rope.

 

[Nemus Talea]

I know it's not the latest thing, but I use 1/2 inch three strand a lot for false crotching. It'll take a lot of abuse. It's easy to splice, it's cheap. I let it do the dirty work and save my good ropes for tasks that need them.

3 strand is a solid suggestion for all reasons stated.
Good to have some around just for splicing extra rope tools.
When the going gets sappy, grab the 3 strand!
If twist under load is cited as a detriment - its not so bad.

 

[Nemus Talea]

For light rigging, pretty much any climbing or rigging line will work. I'm partial to double braid for rigging and arbormaster for climbing. My retired climbing lines often become light duty rigging lines. I like the feel of 1/2" lines. Tried the smaller stuff and it just didn't "feel" right to me.

Any natural crotch work will be hard on any rope. The heavier the load and faster run will cause friction and can burn the rope. You'll notice a glaze on the rope. This decreases the life if the rope. To eliminate this I started using a steel biner, first attached to a nylon loop runner, but finally I made an eye to eye out of a piece of amsteel (tennex will also work). I made the eyes using a locked brummel splice. With the amsteel this is very easy to do (lots of help on YouTube).

When in a tree, I'll usually wrap the e2e around the trunk above the branch I'd be natural crouching off of. The rigging line runs through the steel biner and causes a lot less friction. The advantage to an e2e is that you can also girth hitch it (as long as you make your eyes big enough) to any section of the trunk.

The eye to eye I have made are 36" in length. (You'll need approx 6' of amsteel to make one of these). In the pics I have lock stitched the eyes, but have found that with a brummel splice, they are not really necessary. These splices are not that difficult. This was my first ever attempt at splicing.

On the odd occasion that I absolutely have to natural crotch a line, I grab my oldest rope.

Is the biner the sole point of support for the rig line? Or, is the biner placed "above the branch" to break full rope contact with branch and still preserve bend radius by the sides of the branch?
Splicing hollow braid 12 strand into tools is easy and saves lots of money. I lock stitch my final bury. Not a big task. The experts of splicing don't seem to be in full agreement.

 

[squad143]

The biner is the only contact for the rope.

Ill basket hitch the e2e above the branch (biner will hang below the branch) for simplicity and speed or girth hitch the e2e directly to the trunk whereever the configuration requires it.

I know the proper 4:1 bend radius requires at least a 2" bend for 1/2" rope, but were talking "light" rigging.
If the weight increases, I'll throw in a 2" pulley, or if it gets serious, I'll use a a false crotch with an arborist block.
But the OP was talking natural crotching small to medium size trees.

 

[Nemus Talea]

Thanks for clarifying. What you stated in your reply did occur to me. Light duty false crotch.

 

[2treeornot2tree]

1/2" Static kermantle rescue rope works great. It has around 10k mbs and all of its strength is in its core. It is alot stiffer then tree rope but super abrasion resistant. Last i looked its around $0.94 a foot

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk

 

[treeman75]

I use arborplex for light rigging

 

[pdqdl]

...To eliminate this I started using a steel biner, first attached to a nylon loop runner, but finally I made an eye to eye out of a piece of amsteel (tennex will also work). I made the eyes using a locked brummel splice. With the amsteel this is very easy to do (lots of help on YouTube)...

The eye to eye I have made are 36" in length. (You'll need approx 6' of amsteel to make one of these). In the pics I have lock stitched the eyes, but have found that with a brummel splice, they are not really necessary. These splices are not that difficult. This was my first ever attempt at splicing....

While a brummel is intended to prevent a splice failure, it is not intended to replace all the splicing techniques. That looks like you "whipped" the splice rather than lock stitched it. That works good until it comes loose, then you are relying entirely on the brummel to keep the splice intact. Strength is lost and premature failure can result.

Amsteel is very strong, but it is not real suitable for a lot of tree rigging applications. It has almost no elasticity, so it is more subject to breaking during shock loading. If you put it in a dymamic situation with friction caused by any sort of slippage, it melts VERY quickly with even light friction. It melts at 300°.

 

[squad143]

While a brummel is intended to prevent a splice failure, it is not intended to replace all the splicing techniques. That looks like you "whipped" the splice rather than lock stitched it. That works good until it comes loose, then you are relying entirely on the brummel to keep the splice intact. Strength is lost and premature failure can result.

Amsteel is very strong, but it is not real suitable for a lot of tree rigging applications. It has almost no elasticity, so it is more subject to breaking during shock loading. If you put it in a dymamic situation with friction caused by any sort of slippage, it melts VERY quickly with even light friction. It melts at 300°.

Very correct.

For what it is worth, I should have stated that I locked stitched and whipped the splice . I made these as my first attempt at splicing. I found the hollow core an easy start. If I ever get more time (yeah right ) I may try something more complicated.
Just a reminder, this is for "light" rigging and mainly to ease friction on the rope from natural crotching. Rigging rope travels through the biner. I could use a pulley, but that's more gear I have to carry. This e2e is light and you don't notice it on your hip.
Anything with weight goes through a proper false crotch with an arborist block.

 

[bootboy]

A good hard lay 3 strand will definitely take the most abuse for natural crotch rigging.

Natural crotch rigging is a waste of a nice double braid rope.

I don't see any harm in just putting up a block.

 

[sgreanbeans]

I don't see any harm in just putting up a block.

True, but, sometimes it is way faster to just toss a rope up over, esp if you need to move it around. 3 strand all the way.

 

[bootboy]

If I need to do it quickly, I just put my block on another line, throw it through the crotch and adjust accordingly. I guess you could call it a "floating crotch".

But yeah, sometimes for smaller stuff I just run some old 1/2" kern or 3 strand through a crotch, like when I'm cutting and lowering from up high. I'll just tie the line off around a branch stub, cut, push, unwrap, and lower. But I'd never take big pieces that way, esp with my nice double strands, too easy to burn a good rope.

 

[pdqdl]

Very correct.

For what it is worth, I should have stated that I locked stitched and whipped the splice . I made these as my first attempt at splicing. I found the hollow core an easy start. If I ever get more time (yeah right ) I may try something more complicated.
Just a reminder, this is for "light" rigging and mainly to ease friction on the rope from natural crotching. Rigging rope travels through the biner. I could use a pulley, but that's more gear I have to carry. This e2e is light and you don't notice it on your hip.
Anything with weight goes through a proper false crotch with an arborist block.

Try some tenex. It is just as easy to splice as amsteel, it is far more durable to friction and heat, and it is actually stronger in a splice. Amsteel is incredibly slippery and requires a longer bury to be reliable.

Plus...Tenex is a whole lot cheaper. Twice as bulky, but better by far for making slings.

 

[Groundman One]

Try some tenex. It is just as easy to splice as amsteel, it is far more durable to friction and heat, and it is actually stronger in a splice. Amsteel is incredibly slippery and requires a longer bury to be reliable.

Plus...Tenex is a whole lot cheaper. Twice as bulky, but better by far for making slings.

I thought Tenex and Amsteel were super strong but had low melting points?