Marking the center of a rope.

[TreeBarber]

I just got a new rope and am wondering the best way to mark the center. Some have said not to us a permanent ink pen. I tried tape but that didn’t work to well when my ascender and figure 8 went over it. Any suggestions?
Thanks.

 

[beowulf343]

May be a stupid question here, but why mark the center of your rope? I've actually never done it or heard of any reason for doing it.

 

[Dadatwins]

Curious also, why would you mark the center, never heard of this.

 

[zopi]

find the middle of the line and open it with a small knitting needle, and run a short tuft of yarn through..leaves a little flag..


but then..why bother..everytime you coil down, just halve the line and
put a figure eight the bitter ends...coil from the knot, and tie open the coils
using the bight in a clove hitch...

 

[geofore]

marking center?

I just got a new rope and am wondering the best way to mark the center. Some have said not to us a permanent ink pen. I tried tape but that didn’t work to well when my ascender and figure 8 went over it. Any suggestions?
Thanks.

Have you thought about going to an electrical shop and ask for a piece of 3/4" or 1" shrink wrap tube. Slide it to the center and heat it. It will shrink down tight to the rope. If you buy the expensive stuff it will become one with the rope. Short tube, with sealer that melts when you heat it is about 7" long and will shrink from 3/4" tube down to number 8 wire if you flame it too long. It'll run you about $7. I use the shrink tube to do the ends of my ropes and to cover spliced ends.

 

[TreeBarber]

The middle of the rope.

Maybe I should have phrased it as the middle of the rope not the center.
I like the middle of the rope marked so when I’m in the tree setting up for a rappel, if I tie off at the middle I know that both ends of the rope are extending the same distance. Another reason is when hauling up the rope over a limb with a throw line, if the rope makes it up and over the limb before the center mark comes out of the bag I know the rope is long enough to make it back down and have some left to tie-in with. This particular instance came in to play yesterday, I was SRTing up a tree, the crotch appeared from the ground to be about 60 feet up I had a 120foot rope. I hauled the rope up and over before the center mark came out of the rope bag and I knew I had enough rope. Its not a big deal just something I like to have on the rope. Most rock climbing ropes are marked in the middle for the purpose of rappelling.

 

[Dadatwins]

Have you thought about going to an electrical shop and ask for a piece of 3/4" or 1" shrink wrap tube. Slide it to the center and heat it. It will shrink down tight to the rope. If you buy the expensive stuff it will become one with the rope. Short tube, with sealer that melts when you heat it is about 7" long and will shrink from 3/4" tube down to number 8 wire if you flame it too long. It'll run you about $7. I use the shrink tube to do the ends of my ropes and to cover spliced ends.

I would not advise doing this on anywhere but the ends of a rope. Rope should be inspected before climbing and how can you check under a shrink wrap? Sorry but this is poor advice, and not the way to treat any lifeline. Shrink wrap all day long on the ends, but leave the working part of the rope alone.

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

yarn method would be safest IMLHO.

Markers; may be okay one time and detrimental with next marker. The active ingredients will be the same, but per batch the inert ingredients can legally change; and are chosen by present market value/ cheapest option. Mountain / rescue has done extensive testing and on a straight run you are pretty much okay, but a bent portion of line with marker on it can be disastrous.

A sleeve could hold out contaminants, but then lock them in at some point; not sure how it would do tracing around rough bark and thru friction hitch.

It seems if you are on the ground; and throw line; you'd know when placing unloaded line in tree if it will reach back to ground; becasue it would or wouldn't when you were done? Then there would be some play, in that it would only really have to reach to your belt; and would be stretched and branch might flex down to give added cushion.

If in tree and placing line, retying into and wondering about reaching ground safely; the line parts above you would be doubled and the line part below would be single; but you'd need 2x as much of below part to descend. So i pick up that part and place end against belt; and see if the bight will touch the ground.

 

[zopi]

would not use tape/shrinky dinks.....hold sand and crap in the fibers and slowly cut them...



you DO wash your ropes occasionally?

 

[geofore]

Bad advice?

I would not advise doing this on anywhere but the ends of a rope. Rope should be inspected before climbing and how can you check under a shrink wrap? Sorry but this is poor advice, and not the way to treat any lifeline. Shrink wrap all day long on the ends, but leave the working part of the rope alone.

I'm not convinced a 1" long piece of shrink wrap to mark center is bad for the rope. As for checking the rope under, done wrong/over shrunk is bad. Done right it has not caused me any problems but then it is an individual choice on what to use to mark it. Granted, you can't inspect under it visually. Best would be what? Leave it alone?

 

[Dadatwins]

The least invasive and damaging would be the colored stitching. I would not climb and place my life at risk on any lifeline that had been modified by adding a heated shrink wrap to the center of the span. Beside possibly damaging the fiber during the initial process, as the rope is passed over limbs under tension during climbing the wrap will not bend normaly at that spot possibly causing further damage. Just my opinion based on using climbing rope for 20+ years and treating my lifeline as, well my life depends on it.

 

[TreeBarber]

Thanks for all the info. I agree its a bad idea to put heat on a climbing line. I will give the colored yarn/thread a try. I also e-mailed Samson rope to see what they would suggest. If they reply I will post it here.
Thanks again.
Pat.

 

[clearance]

The least invasive and damaging would be the colored stitching. I would not climb and place my life at risk on any lifeline that had been modified by adding a heated shrink wrap to the center of the span. Beside possibly damaging the fiber during the initial process, as the rope is passed over limbs under tension during climbing the wrap will not bend normaly at that spot possibly causing further damage. Just my opinion based on using climbing rope for 20+ years and treating my lifeline as, well my life depends on it.

This kind of thing slays me, obsessing about a rope that is 5 or 6k b.s., and then using a t.i.p. that you can't even see up close, like 50' + above you that is rated at ????. Too funny, the test for the t.i.p. is to to yard on it from the ground, wow, a couple of hundred lbs. I climb with spurs all the time, when I tie in I am looking right at the t.i.p. So folks, treat your ropes well, get new ones once in a while, but really now.

 

[BC_Logger]

I'm curious as to why you would mark the center of the rope ?

 

[Dadatwins]

This kind of thing slays me, obsessing about a rope that is 5 or 6k b.s., and then using a t.i.p. that you can't even see up close, like 50' + above you that is rated at ????. Too funny, the test for the t.i.p. is to to yard on it from the ground, wow, a couple of hundred lbs. I climb with spurs all the time, when I tie in I am looking right at the t.i.p. So folks, treat your ropes well, get new ones once in a while, but really now.

The discussion was about whether to apply a heat wrap in the center span on a climbing line, and my response was based on the unknown possible damage this would cause to the rope. I would guess that any rope manufacturer would discourage the process also. Not sure what discusion you are having clearance, but if it is about obsessing about a climbing line then I am guilty. In the same way I am sure you check your spikes before each climb, and have not modified them, most tree climbers that rope climb check their ropes, and replace them as needed.

 

[BostonBull]

I'm curious as to why you would mark the center of the rope ?

Read the whole thread and you will know.

 

[ATH]

....Another reason is when hauling up the rope over a limb with a throw line, if the rope makes it up and over the limb before the center mark comes out of the bag I know the rope is long enough to make it back down and have some left to tie-in with.....

You could solve this one by marking your throw line at 60'. I'd porbably use a permanant marker for that. Mark 60' from end "A" with one color and 60' from end "B" with a different color (so you if you have a 150' throw line you know if you are at 60' or 90'...)

 

[SRT-Tech]

why not just mark the rope with any one of the MANY ph neutral, chemical free, solvent free ROPE MARKERS that are widely available form any industrial/sar/rope access store??

their like a buck or two.

 

[TreeBarber]

why not just mark the rope with any one of the MANY ph neutral, chemical free, solvent free ROPE MARKERS that are widely available form any industrial/sar/rope access store??

their like a buck or two.

I did'nt know of such a thing. I will see if I can find one.
Thanks...

 

[SRT-Tech]

sorry i came across as surly....lol

look online at the various rope rescue retailers, etc, there is a marker for marking laundry that is ph neutral, solvent free and does'nt damage ropes. Arborplex uses a green marker on the rope machine to mark that green line down their rope, its the same marker but black.

http://www.carletonrescue.com/cat/index.htm (go to ROPE CARE AND ACCESSORIES)

its item number "599912 Rope Marker"

qoute "Rope Marker

Specially formulated for marking ropes and Webbing. Does not harm Nylon, Polyester, Polypropylene and other natural or man made materials . " unqoute