Rope

[samh]

I wonder what kind of rope (eg. length, diameter, etc) people carry, if they do carry one. Also I would like to know if you use ropes manly for pack hauling or have you used it to secure yourself or others. I'm not looking for answers for rock climbing

Thanks,

Sam

[stu]

About 5mm dia. is fine as a pack hauling line & 10-15m usually more than sufficient (for say Arthurs).
This can be bought off the reel from most outdoor stores, sold as accessory cord.
It is not a climbing rope tho!

[samh]

so 5mm should be enough for hauling or as savety line, to really hold a hanging person what would it have to be?

[songairen]

I carry 10-30m of 4mm cord for pack hauling, equipment repair, clothesline, extra guy rope, tying people together during whiteouts etc. etc. on every hike. The minimum diameter to hold a hanging person's weight as a safety line however? Too many factors for me to hazard a guess.

[wander]

I'd make it a little longer than 15M. In the WAs a couple of the pack hauls woudl be easier if you could leave the pack on the line for a another 5M to get all safe for re-liftingthe pack. 20M woudl be better.

Also if you only and 10M or 15M but no sling to set up off you'll lose 5M rope just tiying off. So I'd also recomend a lenght of tape. Lenght maybe 5M, but I'm open to more advice on this. I'm normaly the bottom person on hauls rather than the top and set up person.

[dee_legg]

8mm would probably be the most suitable diameter for roping up and belaying when bushwalking. It gives the best compromise between weight and strength/reliability.

I want one of these: http://www.bealplanet.com/portail-2006/ ... do&lang=us in the 20m length!

[Orion]

so 5mm should be enough for hauling or as savety line, to really hold a hanging person what would it have to be?

If somebody slips and falls while held from above with a rope (no slack), the load on that rope will be twice their weight, more or less. 5mm cord has a breaking strength of around 500 kgf, so it is strong enough to hold someone in this circumstance. But the thin diameter makes it impractical as it's hard to grip and belay with. Skinny cord is also more prone to abrasion damage which can make it an unsafe choice. In my mind 7mm is the minimum for top belaying a person. But with care you can get by with less in some situations. Sometimes it's possible to double up a skinniner line if you have the length available.

[tas-man]

so 5mm should be enough for hauling or as savety line, to really hold a hanging person what would it have to be?

I made this comment in an old thread (Nov 07) but it is NOT a recommendation for anyone to try!!!! viewtopic.php?f=15&t=241&p=4760&hilit=Venetian+blind+cord#p4760

[geoffmallo]

A handy alternative I use is 2mm spectra core. Spectra is very strong and is used as standing rigging on some racing yachts to save weight. It has a breaking strain of about 800kg.

I have it for pack hauling and emergency use only. It's too thin to belay from in anything but emergency. Also you must note that it doesn't cope well with heat such as in a friction belay device which is why spectra isn't used for climbing.

However 20m at I'm guessing 100g is worth carrying for pack hauling and emergencies. If you need to get to a ledge or tie someone off you can tie loops and climb.

Makes a great clothes line too

[samh]

Spectra looks interesting, it seems to be the same stuff they have used for my tent guy ropes.

[Orion]

Samh, my tent guylines are also 2mm spectra but they are braided construction instead of kernmantle (sheath and core) and so a lot weaker.

Spectra is ubiquitous in climbing use. It isn't used in dynamic rope but is very common in webbing and cord. Low weight/bulk, high strength, and low water absorption are the main reasons. Its relative inelasticity means that in dynamic situations it will result in a higher load (and may fail where a lower strength yet more elastic material like nylon will not). The lower melting point is not generally an issue but could be if one rappelled on a thin spectra cord. For belaying someone up a steep exposed section I think using 2mm cord of any fabric or construction might be a very bad idea.

In a similar vein, New England Ropes produces a Micro Rappel Device that is suitable for their 3mm and 5mm Technora cord. Technora is related to Kevlar and is very strong and also quite stiff. Due to the nature of the fiber it loses strength with repeated flexing, but it is used in climbing anchors because of its high strength to bulk ratio. The Micro Rappel Device is intended for military emergency use. It is not designed for belay however.

Like so many things it really depends on the situation. Sometimes retreat back the way you came is an option worth considering.

[tasadam]

Searching this site for
builders line
will reveal 5 hits (oops, 6 now), where I have discussed its merits.
The 4th photo in this post shows me using 5mm line to cross the Franklin river with packs.
Lots of photos in that topic so might take a while to load.

[flatfoot]

I've started carrying a length of climbing tape in my pack. I was wondering how to keep it under control and decided that bundling it with cut loops of bicycle tube (as strong elastic bands) and then tucking it in a sock works quite well. This then tucks quite easily in one of the side pockets of my pack.

[Phil Box]

I've started carrying a length of climbing tape in my pack. I was wondering how to keep it under control and decided that bundling it with cut loops of bicycle tube (as strong elastic bands) and then tucking it in a sock works quite well. This then tucks quite easily in one of the side pockets of my pack.

Daisey chain tape. Easy to do and it packs down nicely and you'll never get a tangle.

A lot of Queensland walkers are now taking 8mm dynamic climbing rope about 20 metres long. Does everything you'd ever need in a walking situation. If a few others have similar setups then you can add theirs to yours and you have a decent length of rope. Double that up and you have a decent length abseil albeit one with a lot of knots to bypass. Better than having to walk a long way around.

Add to that a couple of prussiks and a couple of crabs and a 1200mm sling for a makeshift harness and you are sweet. Really lightweight and very safe abseil setup. This is the lightweight abseil setup that FMR researched and came to the conclusion that walkers should carry if they know that they will be in some serious country needing to overcome vertical terrain. I've personally abseiled down through Burnett Creek Gorge using this setup. Works a treat.

I'll do a tutorial here someday.

[north-north-west]

I could just take my caving ladder, harness and reduction system . . .

[optdyl]

I've been thinking about buying some rope to carry with me whilst walking.
Does anybody have experience with paracord? My understanding is that it is made up of 7 strands, meaning you can cut a section and use the strands for applications (shoe laces, clothes line, etc) which don't require the full thickness of the cord.

dyl

[Phil Box]

I've been thinking about buying some rope to carry with me whilst walking.
Does anybody have experience with paracord? My understanding is that it is made up of 7 strands, meaning you can cut a section and use the strands for applications (shoe laces, clothes line, etc) which don't require the full thickness of the cord.

dyl

From memory paracord is quite slippery so you would have to watch out if you were ever to want to use it to belay or even pack lower.