The Best Climbing Line

[Tom Dunlap]

The Fly is my favorite these days.

Tom

 

[NeTree]

I still prefer Safety Blue Hi-V.

 

[rahtreelimbs]

I have always climbed on 12 strand. I am in the process of changing over to 16 strand. 16 strand seems to run smoother than 12 strand. Also 16 strand can be spliced.

 

[TREETX]

I really like the fly. Would hate to have to footlock it though.

Love my blue streak. There is no one answer. XTC is good too.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

I vote for the Fly.

 

[jblimbwalker]

Hi-Vee, or Fly. Depending on application.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Occasionally I have to footlock the tail while using Fly. I don't find it any different than any other rope. Since it is smaller diameter, using Smurf gloves does help with a grip though.

Tom

 

[TREETX]

I have only been using it a week now. Maybe I am just slow to get used to trying to lock on a smaller rope.

I love the action of the fly - it is so light - 150' and it is lighter than my 100' hank of blue streak. The action in the RG can't be beat.

 

[arborotto]

The Fly is really great. I just started using mine a couple months ago, and man, what a swell rope. I have no problem footlocking it.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

It realy depends on your climbing style. Those who climb natural crotch and don't footlock like a slicker or waxier sheath. I want something that my boots can grip better.

Some guys still like single brais ropes, I don't like how they flatten out.

I like the fly too, but have been waiting on a spool for a few months. Howard at NER said that the demand is so high for it that they cannot make it fast enough right now.

I had to retire my 120 hi-vee and have been working with iether a 60 XTC or a plain blue streak 150. Sort of a goldielox delema.

 

[dbeck]

blue streak is good stuff...can't beat the price, $75 for 150' from aerial equipment these days. Very durable line. I used my last one for over 2 years.

 

[mikecross23]

I've only used hi-vee and Sherrill's pro stripe. The pro stripe doesn't like my 4 over 1 distel and locks up kinda bad sometimes if I don't tend to it on occation. It's soft and ties great knots but doesn't seem as durrable as the safety blue hi-vee.

I'm tryin' to wear out the pro stripe so I can try out the fly!!! How is the fly w/ the 4 over 1 distel?

-Mike-

 

[NickfromWI]

my fave...

My newly purchased Yale XTC (blue and yellow). It truly is ecstacy!

love
nick

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Nick, you just like new rope. Like some guys with chicks, falling in love every weekend.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I've had no problem with the MT on Blue Streak.

 

[dbeck]

the sherril ropes DO NOT wear good at all. I am very dissapointed w/ mine. I think the life of one of these ropes w/ everyday use would be less than a year and that includes FC use. Also, when splicing, the crossover is a lot easier than any other rope i have spliced. I don't know exactly, but that make me feel uneasy. any thoughts?

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

Wow Rocky, what properties make McFly unfavorable for natural crothes? i still go with putting some wear on climbing lines and downgrading to rigging etc. with virtually untested save for carrying 1/2 my FlyWeight.

Presently kinda liking my Yellow Jacket, moderately light. Am eyeing possibly trying Fly, for something as light as ArboPlex(that has gotten up to 6k, essentially catching up; and adding again in strength as much as i plan on putting on 1 leg of standard line). Perhaps Fly, first as a lanyard per MikeMaas.

i like colored don't cut me/ don't lose me/ don't confuse me type lines. Also tape the ends diffrent bright colors.

"Please grab the red end of Blue"

 

[FBerkel]

Now that all our rigging lines are multi-colored, I went back to plain old Safety Blue. It has a very high breaking strength, and footlocks as well as any rope made, IMO. The Fly sure is nice rope, though.

 

[NickfromWI]

Originally posted by dbeck
the sherril ropes DO NOT wear good at all. I am very dissapointed w/ mine. I think the life of one of these ropes w/ everyday use would be less than a year and that includes FC use. Also, when splicing, the crossover is a lot easier than any other rope i have spliced. I don't know exactly, but that make me feel uneasy. any thoughts?

Dbeck, What do you mean they don't wear good? AS user Gopher has the BlackMax climbing line and I don't remember exactly, but it's well over a year old. The think looks brand spanking new and he uses it a lot. I would say that stuff doesn't wear good because it doesn't have that fuzziness that helps the friction hitch to grab on. What is it about the wear of the Sherrill ropes that you don't like?

Regarding splicing it...every now and then, I encounter a line that seems a little looser that what you usually get. When I am splicing those line, I deviate from the manufacturers directions when they say to start the taper five pics after the "A" mark. I go eight, nine, or ten pics, depending on the rope. Sometimes you might be left with a stiffer throat that can be a bit of a bother when you are way up right next to your TIP, but for the other 99% of the time in the tree, the piece of mind more than makes up for it!

Baraboo? That's dangerously close to Ripon! Maybe we should go tree climbing at Devils Lake sometime!

love
nick

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Why climb a tree with 10,000 short rock routs from 5.4 to 5.14, or was that Irony.