Climbing ropes and spikes

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Mike Erb

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I'm about ready for new spikes and climbing rope was wondering what everyone was using these days
 
Still using Buckingham's with Cadillac pads and I just switched from safety blue to blue moon rope. Safety blue is a little thick for a zig zag
 
I like blue moon.

Upgrading my gaffs to notch steel geckos

With a Lotta push from my son, I’m slowly starting to move out of the dinosaur era. Looking to upgrade my saddle and possibly try a zigzag or something similar. What new a ascending and descending device is recommend it?
 
You stationary rope or moving rope?

A Hitch climber pulley with a friction hitch is pretty good for moving. Add a Rope Wrench to that to go to stationary rope: https://www.knotandrope.com/products/rope-wrench-with-tether?_pos=3&_sid=2327080b1&_ss=r

Pretty good set up.

I have a Unicender and loke it for moving rope, but like the Wrench with VT and Hitch Climber for stationary.

Lots of love out there for the Akimbo if you want to go mechanical.
 
You stationary rope or moving rope?

A Hitch climber pulley with a friction hitch is pretty good for moving. Add a Rope Wrench to that to go to stationary rope: https://www.knotandrope.com/products/rope-wrench-with-tether?_pos=3&_sid=2327080b1&_ss=r

Pretty good set up.

I have a Unicender and loke it for moving rope, but like the Wrench with VT and Hitch Climber for stationary.

Lots of love out there for the Akimbo if you want to go mechanical.
Thanks for the starting point, I will look into these set up’s. I’m sure they will be more efficient than what I’ve been using for the last 30 plus years.
 
With a Lotta push from my son, I’m slowly starting to move out of the dinosaur era. Looking to upgrade my saddle and possibly try a zigzag or something similar. What new a ascending and descending device is recommend it?
I still use a Blake's hitch I dont think I could trust a mechanical device with my life
 
I still use a Blake's hitch I dont think I could trust a mechanical device with my life
I don’t know it looks awful tempting, these guys look like they go out on a limb awfully smooth compared to me and my Blake’s hitch. Although I may be coming to the end of my rope for climbing maybe I’ll just stick to what I know.
 
You stationary rope or moving rope?

A Hitch climber pulley with a friction hitch is pretty good for moving. Add a Rope Wrench to that to go to stationary rope: https://www.knotandrope.com/products/rope-wrench-with-tether?_pos=3&_sid=2327080b1&_ss=r

Pretty good set up.

I have a Unicender and loke it for moving rope, but like the Wrench with VT and Hitch Climber for stationary.

Lots of love out there for the Akimbo if you want to go mechanical.
What’s the length and thickness should a double eye friction hitch be? I also see a lot of different ropes being used which a Climbing line, which would you recommend I cannot find the Bluemoon that some are talking about. I used and still do use 1/2 safety blue.
 
What’s the length and thickness should a double eye friction hitch be? I also see a lot of different ropes being used which a Climbing line, which would you recommend I cannot find the Bluemoon that some are talking about. I used and still do use 1/2 safety blue.

treestuff.com for Bluemoon, Poison Ivy is the same rope, just different colors. Its available from several retailers, wespur, bartlett, sherill etc. I think wesspur has the same rope as bluemoon and poison ivy but again in different colors.

Can't answer about eye and eye for friction hitches. I use a zig zag.
 
treestuff.com for Bluemoon, Poison Ivy is the same rope, just different colors. Its available from several retailers, wespur, bartlett, sherill etc. I think wesspur has the same rope as bluemoon and poison ivy but again in different colors.

Can't answer about eye and eye for friction hitches. I use a zig zag.
My safety blue is 16 strand, poison ivy is double Braid. Will I noticed much of a difference and what will the difference be? I’m also thinking about going with a tight Eye splice which I’ve never done before. I’m shopping from Sherrill tree catalog.
 
Absolutely yes to a (spliced, not sewn for the climbing line) tight eye splice - in my opinion. Keeps things so much more compact. a few seconds quicker (not a big deal in the big picture). Impossible to tie the knot wrong. Not that this is a frequent problem for experienced climbers... I just like the spliced eye. I also know climbers using newer systems who do not use a sliced eye...so to each their own.

I like 30" 8mm Bee Line for the friction hitch.

Nothing wrong with Safety Blue for the climbing line - you can use it for most of what is being discussed here (except the Akimbo, there is a short list approved for that (https://www.rockexotica.com/akimbo/#ropes). The newer ropes are a little more pliable, hold knots better, have smoother covers (run through hardware better and are easier on the hands), and weigh less... Safety Blue holds it shape very well - right? Some ropes do not...the Yale 11.7 mm do...as does Teufelberger Tachyon which is another rope I really like (http://www.wesspur.com//items/ta15.html).

Any of the Yale 11.7mm ropes are the same;
https://www.sherrilltree.com/sherrilltree-poison-ivy-rope
https://www.gaparboristsupply.com/shop/product/11-7mm-blue-moon/
http://www.wesspur.com/items/bm15.html
https://www.treestuff.com/store/catalog.asp?item=14873
 
Absolutely yes to a (spliced, not sewn for the climbing line) tight eye splice - in my opinion. Keeps things so much more compact. a few seconds quicker (not a big deal in the big picture). Impossible to tie the knot wrong. Not that this is a frequent problem for experienced climbers... I just like the spliced eye. I also know climbers using newer systems who do not use a sliced eye...so to each their own.

I like 30" 8mm Bee Line for the friction hitch.

Nothing wrong with Safety Blue for the climbing line - you can use it for most of what is being discussed here (except the Akimbo, there is a short list approved for that (https://www.rockexotica.com/akimbo/#ropes). The newer ropes are a little more pliable, hold knots better, have smoother covers (run through hardware better and are easier on the hands), and weigh less... Safety Blue holds it shape very well - right? Some ropes do not...the Yale 11.7 mm do...as does Teufelberger Tachyon which is another rope I really like (http://www.wesspur.com//items/ta15.html).

Any of the Yale 11.7mm ropes are the same;
https://www.sherrilltree.com/sherrilltree-poison-ivy-rope
https://www.gaparboristsupply.com/shop/product/11-7mm-blue-moon/
http://www.wesspur.com/items/bm15.html
https://www.treestuff.com/store/catalog.asp?item=14873
Yes the safety blue is a stiff line, I think I will enjoy a more pliable line. But if I go with a splice Eye. I won’t have to worry about how stiff the line is to tie a knot. Thanks again for your advice and everybody else’s input.
 
My safety blue is 16 strand, poison ivy is double Braid. Will I noticed much of a difference and what will the difference be? I’m also thinking about going with a tight Eye splice which I’ve never done before. I’m shopping from Sherrill tree catalog.

I have used both. I honestly like climbing on safety blue, just because it is thicker and with my orangutan hands it gives me more purchase to hoist myself up, but I would pick bluemoon over it if I could only have one. I will not go back to climbing on a blake's hitch after using a zigzag. The safety blue works with Zigzag but it's a little thick. Hence why I like the bluemoon. The hand of the bluemoon is way better, knots well, holds shape. I used 28" bee line for a hitch on a lanyard that I made of blue moon, it worked well. But I like my zigzag. And because I use a zigzag I will never go back to terminating a line on a carabiner. tight eye splice is the way to go.
 
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