Mesh basket?

Picked up a folding mesh basket at the local Goodwill store today for $2. I don't have a clue what these are really for. 2ft x 1ft x 1ft nylon fabric mesh with a covered wire frame. They had another one that was slightly larger. I took the one that folded easier.
My idea of course is to use it for my throwline. What do most people use?

Edits: After looking around I think it is a folding laundry basket. It must be for women because if a guy threw ten pairs of jeans in it I think it would bust. Looks perfectly good for the throwline although it only folds flat. I guess Sherrill's sells a similar one for $15 in addition to the more expensive folding cubes which fold into a triangle.

Don't remember where I got this thing.

Dean wrote:

Don't remember where I got this thing.

Well, now that I've looked around a little I see folding things for as little as $10. Guess I'm still not sure what the people here use. The \"linemug\" bags seem to be a favorite once you are in the tree. Maybe they are also used from the ground? I can see why someone wouldn't want to wind up a long throwline very often. I got mine tangled and it took a solid thirty minutes or more to get it straightened out again.

http://www.baileysonline.com/itemdetail.asp?item=34920&catID=34

I use the cheap Sherrill folding cube for my main throwline. In tree, I use a linemug that stays clipped to the accessory loop on my harness' leg strap.

The linemug is almost a perfect in tree throwline holder. A little stronger clip would be nice, and a little pocket inside to put the throw bag in after you've flaked in the line would keep things from getting tangled up when you just drop it all in. Right now I leave a little bight hanging out when I cinch up the drawstring so that I can simply pull on it to get the throw bag out with no tangling.

The other option I've used is to leave the weight outside of the line mug by clipping it into the linemugs clip, or with a mini-biner to the little plastic ring.

Packing the throwline back into a linemug definitely takes some patience. For me it usually means little six inch finger tugs with my hand inside. I thought a line tamer would be perfect, but it sounds like they are touchy tools. I use 3mm Spiderwire. I'm not sure what works with them best.

Sometimes when I'm making a lot of throws I'll just let the line trail behind me with the weight in the mug, or clipped on somewhere.

Carl

I began by \"Packing\" my line mug, but after much frustration with 6 inch pulls I now just figure 8 wrap the line and place it in the bag in one easy to manage bundle. I like the line mug, but I now use the larger Line Bag. It's much easier to pack, and really not that much larger than the mug.

Dave, the cube is a great idea, and the price sure is right too.


I used a little round spiral-wired mesh-type thing for a while. It was originally designed to hold bugs. It was only about 6 inches in dia. and, with a bit of velcro strap modification, could be compressed flat to fit in a saddle bag. Actually, it worked quite well, I may dig it out and give it another go.

http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/yhst-49606484193097_2027_6730493

Baker wrote:

I began by \"Packing\" my line mug, but after much frustration with 6 inch pulls I now just figure 8 wrap the line and place it in the bag in one easy to manage bundle. I like the line mug, but I now use the larger Line Bag.

I have some slight experience with throw ropes and I know re-stuffing them into the bags gets to be quite tedious. I would think a linemug would be roughly the same. How about a beltloop spool with a crank handle? Or maybe something built like a fishing reel?

Edit-- Or what about the line tamer? Maybe that is the right idea and it just needs a little more work???

Sherrill Item 29404
Des cription: Line Tamer Price: $23
\"Brought to us by tree-buddy Eddie Bingle, this battery- operated, line-winding device shuttles 200 feet of throwline from one location to another in just 15 seconds! That's right, from scattered across the ground to inside something as small as a soda bottle in less time than it normally takes to decide who gets the task. This specially modified line-stripping device now works on cordage up to 2.2 mm, including Sherrill's Rhino Line and Zing-it. Does not work with Slick Line.\"

I know someone here has mentioned that it did not work well for them -- and apparently it does not work for Slickline. The line I have is 1/8\" so it would be too large. I myself would prefer a mechanical crank over a battery/motor and I'm not thrilled that apparently the end of the line must be fed through the device... but it looks like a good basic approach to the problem.

Davej Wrote:

I know someone here has mentioned that it did not work well for them -- and apparently it does not work for Slickline. The line I have is 1/8\" so it would be too large. I myself would prefer a mechanical crank over a battery/motor and I'm not thrilled that apparently the end of the line must be fed through the device... but it looks like a good basic approach to the problem.

Ok, my brain has been tossing this over for a couple days now.

What we need is a device that:

1. Can slip on a throwline mid-line,
2. Has a hand crank, and the double roller properties of the wringer washer.
3. Has adjustable tension via a thumb screw or the like.
4. Has a guard to prevent tangles from jamming in the mechanism.
5. Is somehow shaped or designed to funnel the throwline into small containers nicely.

I'm no machinist, but I can see it in my head pretty well, and I really want one.
The double rollers could be made to be covered with the big \"Band-It\" rubber bands Sherrill sells to tighten up eye splices with. This would make a cheap, easily replaceable friction surface for the rollers.

I picture the rest of it almost like a miniature handgun design, with a crank that folds down to hide away for storage.
The crank could even be geared to make the rollers go pretty quick. Maybe even a two speed system.

I'm sure it wouldn't be a cheap piece of equipment, but I'd save up for one

Carl

Culinarytracker wrote:

What we need is a device that:

1. Can slip on a throwline mid-line,
2. Has a hand crank, and the double roller properties of the wringer washer.
3. Has adjustable tension via a thumb screw or the like.
4. Has a guard to prevent tangles from jamming in the mechanism.
5. Is somehow shaped or designed to funnel the throwline into small containers nicely.

And remember that we don't have to start from zero. Common items might be adapted to this task -- with some modification...

how about this concept

Or this:


here's a link to a site that sells 'em:
http://www.colors-wind.com/accessories/linesandwinders.htm

Culinarytracker posted:


I've been searching desperately for something sillier than this item but I just can't find anything. I think the kite thing would probably work; like a reel -- but then you'd have to spool the line back out for your next throw. The \"line tamer\" thingie would put it into the bag and it could feed out of the bag on your next throw (presuming it feeds out smoothly).

Hehe, yes, I know it's a silly object to have on a treeclimbing forum, but it has the right gear system working. I tore apart an electric hand mixer last night, and got a few more decent ideas.


I don't like the kite reel because I like to have both ends of my line available. I guess carrying an extra line would solve that problem, and they could both be on a little reel.

Carl

Culinarytracker wrote:

I don't like the kite reel because I like to have both ends of my line available. I guess carrying an extra line would solve that problem, and they could both be on a little reel.

Carl

Do you think a kite reel will be able to retrieve a line with a throw weight attached? I'm curious because I attached a throw bag to a chalk reel used in construction and I couldn't get enough leverage out of the little handle to retrieve the line plus the weight. The chalk reel is advertised as a 6:1 gear ratio for easier line retrieval and has a \"longer handle for faster rewind and greater torque\".

Here is a link to the chalk reel....

http://www.irwin.com/irwin/consumer/jhtml/detailPressRelease.jhtml?priority=0140

One nice thing about this model of chalk reel is you can release line without the handle spinning if you press down on the center point of the crank handle. You can also quick access the spooled line through a back panel.

James

treebeard Wrote:

Do you think a kite reel will be able to retrieve a line with a throw weight attached? I'm curious because I attached a throw bag to a chalk reel used in construction and I couldn't get enough leverage out of the little handle to retrieve the line plus the weight. The chalk reel is advertised as a 6:1 gear ratio for easier line retrieval and has a \"longer handle for faster rewind and greater torque\".

Even with the handle disengaged, did it spool out nicely when you threw? I would think there would be too much drag from a chalk line. I really like the idea of just being able to pop it open and get at the end of the line though!

Maybe something could be made that did a good job of reeling the line in on a spool, but when you throw, it could flake off the side of the spool. I don't know how it would switch over, and if friction was low enough it might not be an issue.

The 6:1 ratio is probably for speed with a chalkline, In order to lift weight with mechanical advantage if would have to work the other way around, 1:6 But this would slow it down significantly.

Carl

As someone who has never thrown a line while hanging in a tree let me ask a dumb question -- do you need to repack the line into the mug for each throw? Could you just let it hang?