Getting started - rope question

Hello folks,
I'm just getting started with basic equipment to do some DRT on the ground/low practice. I'd like to buy a length of rope that will allow me to explore knots and put weight on a saddle. I don't want this short length to become obsolete when I get a long rope later, I'm thinking it could eventually become my daisy rope.

So, what do you think about diameter, length and rope type for this purpose? Would it be a waste to get a 25 ft. length of say Safety Blue 1/2", or is that too heavy for a daisy rope? Would something like an 11mm Fly be better suited for this kind of use?

Your comments are appreciated!

-moss (still on the ground)

Start with at least a 50-60 foot rope. That will allow you to climb up about 20 feet. Start with ½ inch arborist rope. It is easier to grip. A 16 strand braided rope is best. Yale, Sampson, or New England rope are the best manufacturers.

That makes sense, thanks for the advice.

Moss,

Click on the links below for some more “rope” info…
www.samsonrope.com/home/newarborist/index2.cfm

www.yalecordage.com/html/climb.html

www.neropes.com/arborist/default.htm

Below is a small PDF.
www.samsonrope.com/home/pdf/new/Arbormaster-datasheet.pdf

My favorite line for DRT is Samson Yellow Jacket which is available at: www.wtsherrill.com/

What might be best is to click on: www.newtribe.com
Take a look around their site. It’s a good place to get your “starter” setup. Give them a call or an email. They have lots of neat stuff for the start-up climber.

(geez, am I allowed to plug a site like that?)

Moss, I suggest that you buy a large rope from the beggining. The cost of buying plus handling and delivering a short piece of rope is the same and in a couple of weeks you will be ready to go higher and you will have to pay again to get the longer rope.
www.wesspur.com
has rope pieces in odd sizes that they have on sale if you want to go that way. but You can get 150 ft of the Fly rope for $89.00 plus delivery charges and that is the top rope these days from what I heard from the experts here and on the buzz site. I will be getting my Fly rope soon since my basic rope is almost one year old and showing some damage from the regular climbing use.
Good luck and also buy yourself the Tree Climbers Companion by Jepson. It has all the info you need and much more than the smaller book from Flowers:D

Take a class if you have a chance also!

Don't forger your cambium saver.

What do you like to use for your daisy rope or alt lanyard (if you use one)? I'd figure the same spec as the main rope but maybe there's a particular rope type that's better for doing short resets or backup tie-ins in the canopy.

I promise, I won't forget my cambium saver

Thanks for the continued comments!

My current lanyard is 3/8th polyester double braid, Yale Double Esterlon. It's a bit thin, but I like it. I'm trying it out to see if it'd be appropriate to have like a 40' lanyard for climbing the Sequoia's.

So far, so good!

In my eyes, any line that's good for a climbing line is good for a flipline. Some prefer a stiffer line. My only necessity is that it have a snaphook spliced on one end so there are no knots to get jammed in tight crotches.

love
nick

Moss, I am using the Original one that I got w/ my basicbeginers package from New Tribe. It is basically a belt w/ loops at each end to attach your carabiners to the harness side loops. It has a buckle that you can use to adjust the length of the belt. It is pretty handy when I am doing some tree trimmings so I can be tied to two places and gives more stability while I am working . (I do some tree trimming on my and neighbors trees). I also use it to tie myself down when I am transfering from ascenders to descenders so that in case I make a mistake it would not be a fatal one. Look in the NewTribe web site for a picture of the flipline/landyards they sell. Hopa this helps.

I use a 20 foot piece of Hy-Vee arborist rope with an eye spliced on each end.

Each end has an aluminium rope snap girth hitched on and they hardly ever get jammed in tight forks.

They are easy to throw and advance.

In the middle I have tied two split tails with Blake's Hitches so as one end is made snug the other gets longer.

Many times I have just used my lanyard to alternate pitch climb.

See you at the top,
Dan

Get a 120' rope at a minimum. If you want some extra for lanyards etc, buy a 150'.

If you have small hands the 11mm ropes are fantastic. If your hands are large you'll probably need to wear grippy gloves. Actually, I think everyone would benefit from wearing grippies.

Most of the smaller diameter ropes come in at about 70% of the weight and volume of the traditional ropes.

Blaze has got a great following. Good characteristics.

Originally posted by Tom Dunlap
Get a 120' rope at a minimum. If you want some extra for lanyards etc, buy a 150'.

If you have small hands the 11mm ropes are fantastic.

That's what I've been thinking, 150, cut to 120, make a flipline etc. My hands are medium (glove size) and I'm on the "flaco" side so 11mm may do the trick. Also like the lighter weight for the main rope since I expect to do some hiking and will carry photo gear, want to keep everything as light as possible. The 1/2" sounds nice to climb on though.

An arborist friend has offered to take me on a climb so I'll test out his stuff anyway, see what works rope-wise and move from the theoretical to the practical.

Also making arrangements to visit Founders Grove for a class in the spring, looking forward to that.

Thanks again for the comments.
-moss