Rope preference

[TreeClimbI]

Which is better for a climbing rope on a split tail system, kernmantle or blue streak?
Thanks

 

[ddhlakebound]

Kermantles are not recommended for arborist. However I have done some climbing with Kermantle rope Bluewater to be specific. It is a pleasure and very durable to climb with however Kermantles are not really recomended for arborist for a good reason and seem to be used mainly for repelling.

The reason being, Kermantles are very low stretch and should you take a good little fall from a limb your likely to get hurt, even killed from kermantles inabilty to absorb the shock load of the fall. Arborist ropes have more stretch to help absorb the shock load should you fall. In my opinion that is the only advantage true arborist climbing ropes have over kermantles. So far I prefer velocity because it has a low stretch factor for a true arborist climbing line.

Sorry to disagree, but several of the most highly rated tree climbing ropes are kernmantle, namely Poison Ivy, Lava (tachyon), and the Fly.

I wouldn't give up my Lava for anything, except a newer longer hank....

Being kernmantle doesn't necessarily mean the rope is static, although there are some very static kernmantle ropes designed for SRT applications. Kernmantle simply means you've got a strong inner core protected by a durable outer layer.

In tree climbing we should never have enough slack in our system to allow enough dynamic loading that our equipment and our bodies suffer. So in theory (and hopefully in practice) we don't need the same levels of "shock absorption" as rock climbers do.

In comparing tree ropes and rock ropes, even our "springiest" ropes (Arbor-Plex & True Blue) are pretty static compared to dynamic rock rope. Trying to footlock or hipthrust on a dynamic rope is almost an exercise in futility, as most of your energy goes into stretching the rope. I started out on Arbor-Plex, like many of us probably did, and once I got on a real rope I realized how much difference there is in the amount of work it takes to climb between a springy rope and a good tree rope.

Blue Streak is a quality rope too, so the OP should get a piece of each in their hand, and see what they like best.

 

[treeoperations]

kermantles are great as acess lines. i use one to get into really tall trees as its a breeze to footlock on can peel out 20m super fast, then i swap out onto arbormaster and leave the kernmantle just in case something goes wrong.

 

[Job Corps Tree]

Rope Perference

New Englans Safety Blue Soft when broken in , 7700 LB, Good hold for Knots & not hard to Splice

 

[JeffL]

I <3 my PI.

 

[ddhlakebound]

kermantles are great as acess lines. i use one to get into really tall trees as its a breeze to footlock on can peel out 20m super fast, then i swap out onto arbormaster and leave the kernmantle just in case something goes wrong.

Like I said above, being a kernmantle rope does not define the rope's stretch ability. There are very static kernmantles, and there are others with more stretch ability (and better handling qualities imo) than the arbormaster.

 

[ddhlakebound]

Good to know, I stand corrected. I must have gotten something confused in a earlier thread about this subject when I expressed how much I liked using a kermantle and was discouraged form using it by most the the posters.
I started out using safety blue and did not like the stretch in it and after climbing with Bluewater I really hated it...lol. But Accidents can and do happen so I have stayed away from Kermantles because the overall majority of posters here advised me to.

Here's some rope data from Sherrill's site. Turns out that the Lava I use has .2% more stretch than the Arbormaster.

Arbormaster Blue Streak:
WLL : 810 lbs
Weight : 7.7 lbs per 100 ft
Tensile Strength : 8,100 lbs
Strand Count : 16 Strand
Melting Point : Polyester melts @ 480 degrees F
Fabric : Polyester
Elongation : 2.2% @ 540 lbs
Diameter : 13mm
Color : Blue & White Stripes

Poison Ivy:
WLL : 650
Weight : 6.5 lbs per 100 feet
Tensile Strength : 6,500
Strand Count : 24 strands
Melting Point : Polyester melts at 450 degrees F
Fabric : Polyester
Elongation : 1.8% at 540 lbs
Diameter : 11.7mm
Color : Black and Dark Green

Lava:
WLL : 680
Weight : 5.8 lbs per 100 ft
Tensile Strength : 6,800
Strand Count : 24 strand
Melting Point : Polyester melts @ 480 degrees F, Nylon melts @ 460 degrees F
Fabric : Poleyester/Nylon Blend
Elongation : 2.4% @ 540 lbs
Diameter : 11.5
Color : Blue with light Green tracers

Snakebite Static Kernmantle:
WLL : 598 lbs
Weight : 5.3 lbs per 100 feet
Tensile Strength : 5,981 lbs
Strand Count : 48 strand
Meets ANSI Requirements : Polyester melts @ 480 degrees F
Fabric : Polyester
Elongation : .63% @ 540 lbs
Diameter : 10mm
Color : Camoflage

http://www.sherrilltree.com/Professional-Gear/Climbing_2;jsessionid=0a0106431f43d1402d37f3fb4c398fb3ad6ab649b52d.e3eSc3eMbxuPe34Pa38Ta38Rc3j0

Treenoob, I love my Lava, and most everyone who's climbed on Poison Ivy think very highly of it also. They're both very much worth checking out as a one and only climb line.

 

[outofmytree]

Which is better for a climbing rope on a split tail system, kernmantle or blue streak?
Thanks

Perhaps you could add what type of tree you will be climbing, what friction hitch you prefer and what prussik cord you use. These are also factors to consider when buying a new climbing line.

 

[fishercat]

i started out with Arborplex.

i didn't like it at all. i used Arbormaster Bluestreak for years and it always worked well.i bought Lava early this year.nice rope but i bought it because of the light weightwhich appealed to me at the time of purchase.now i am not so sure.because of the weight it is not as easy to advance without a steel carabiner.

because of the smaller diameter,it takes up a lot less room in the rope bag.i also am having trouble finding a small diameter single eye split tail around here.i tried the VT and do not like it.i have gone back to the Arbormaster with a blakes hitch. always works well.

 

[TreeClimbI]

Perhaps you could add what type of tree you will be climbing, what friction hitch you prefer and what prussik cord you use. These are also factors to consider when buying a new climbing line.

I climb michigan hardwoods, I use a Buckingham 3' split tail w/a blakes hitch.