In the market for a rope

My Arbormaster line has been working out great for DdRT, however, I tried a Rope Wrench on it the other day, and it's too stretchy, besides it's not intended for SRT. I'm looking to "branch out" into SRT, especially the work positioning possibilities, so I'm looking for a new 200' climbing line, probably a 24 strand double braid. I'm not looking for a static line.

I'm thinking about the Poison Ivy 'family', also the Tachyon/Lava lines, and Imori. What's the difference between the polyester core as in PI, or a rope with a nylon core? Does one last longer than the other? I haven't climbed on them, and I wanted to get an idea about your experience. Do you have any strong preferences, or is it six of one and half a dozen of another?

Tachyon is my favorite, PI is too heavy for me, I even stopped using it for a lanyard for that reason. Tachyon is light for its diameter. If you climb Tachyon you'll want to use Atlas or similar rubber palmed grippy gloves, It has a very smooth cover. Another option to consider is Bandit, @ 11mm a little skinnier than Tachyon but is grippable for its size. I would not want to carry 200' of PI very far. Rope weight is also a factor when you're pulling 200' of rope through a natural redirect.
-AJ

Imori is great with the rope wrench but 200' of Imori is a real handful, it's a fat rope. Definitely worthwhile as a 150'. Do any of the above ropes include nylon? I thought they were 100% polyester.

As far as I know, the PI (U.S. version) and the Imori are all polyester. The Tachyon has a poly sheath with nylon in the core. If the Tachyon works well for the Wrench, then i think I'm sold.

I hear you about rope weight. The Arbormaster is not exactly light, and I usually hike in about a 1/4 mile.

dogwood wrote: As far as I know, the PI (U.S. version) and the Imori are all polyester. The Tachyon has a poly sheath with nylon in the core. If the Tachyon works well for the Wrench, then i think I'm sold.

Aha! Yes it has an interesting dual core, I didn't realize the outer layer of the dual core is nylon! I've heard production climbers complain it's too stretchy but... I've found stretch comparable to other ropes in its class. Always a price to pay, a less stretchy rope of the same diameter is going to weigh more per foot. I've never found it to be a problem. With a redirected SRT anchor there is so much give in the tree that percentage differences in rope stretch become irrelevant. A smooth climbing motion does a lot to reduce bounce on any of the semi-static ropes. And lastly, I like a few percentage points of increased load absorption for SRT tree climbing, it adds some safety and comfort when you get small blowouts like a hidden small branch above what you thought was your anchor limb. A softer ride is good!

Yes, those hidden small branches can be quite a surprise, been there!

I'm looking forward to getting started soon with some new techniques. The 200' might be a bit much, but I want to practice some with basal anchors. My PSPs are normally in the range of 70-80', except for beeches. I want to give them a rest right now while they're in the springtime flush.

I have a 150' and a 200' length of Tachyon, I find the 200' very handy at times. If I'm climbing with other folks I'll bring the 150' and we'll tie ropes together for initial access.

Thank you Moss, this is definitely a help.