Poll - What Cordage do you prefer

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What cordage do you use

  • Dyneema Only

    Votes: 3 6.8%
  • Paracord Only

    Votes: 10 22.7%
  • Thicker rope

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Bungees

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • A mix including Paracord and Dyneema

    Votes: 19 43.2%
  • Something else

    Votes: 12 27.3%

  • Total voters
    44
  • Poll closed .

Uilleachan

Full Member
Aug 14, 2013
585
5
Northwest Scotland
Generally speaking: "EN 1891: 1998, Personal protective equipment for the prevention of falls from a height ␣ Low stretch kernmantel ropes"; is semi static, less than 5% stretch with a fatty hanging on it and able to absorb a fall factor of 0.333 , "EN 892, Mountaineering equipment ␣ Dynamic mountaineering ropes ␣ Safety requirements and test methods" is dynamic with 12%+, and generally less than 20%, stretch and is rated in the number of falls it can take (it should be remembered that a fall on a wet rope voids the number of falls and the rope should be scrapped. If anyone is interested in the behavior of wet polymide polymers when subject to dynamic loading look it up on line ;) )

Very little rope cord tape-sling sold in the EU is completely static. Climbing accessory cord is dynamic, or should be but once one goes below 5 or 6mm it's not necessarily so as it isn't used for threading nuts etc and doesn't comply with EN 892.

There is semi static cord sold for use with activities such as caving and SRT. It should be noted that semi static and dynamic ropes are essentially the same, ok manufacture has moved on a pace but generally, a semi static rope is pre stretched, a dynamic rope not. Stretch any dynamic rope/cord enough, repeated loading, and it'll take on the properties of semi static. Thinner the material quicker one can pull the stretch out of it.

Tape sling is semi static, the old white with a black line tape was/is static and should only be used for SRT or other static loading situations, abseiling hauling anchorage, rather than climbing.

Enough of that, I voted other. Get a ball of string or a roll of polyester twine, costs a fraction of the price of the fancy eye candy, does the same job and one can cut it as required without fear or favor. Laid 5 or 6mm polyprop rope is great. It can be cut and divided into three thinner cords, it can be spliced, traditional knots work well; sheet bend bowline reef knot etc, and it's very light; a 50 meter hank weighs next to nothing in the greater scheme of things, it's very strong and can be split to yield 150m of cordage.

Then there's bailer twine ;)

If one is after reliability and strength buy stronger string, if it's for supporting body weight where it matters, personal security from falls from height, buy a proper rated rope(s) use it accordingly and look after it. :cool:
 
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Big Stu 12

Bushcrafter through and through
Jan 7, 2012
6,028
4
Ipswich
Its polyethylene mate and has a melting point of 136c. Its far more durable to wear than paracord

LOL... I ve seen many a kite go sailing away due to dyneema being cut through with friction, I used to fly a lot of twin and quad kites, not just power kites but stunt kites and do full blown Kite displays including inflatable 30m teddy bears and 100m Octopuses.......

to help stop friction cuts, we used to spray the lines with silicon spray.... still happened tho.. I've seen a 81 square foot lifter kite end up in the sea with a couple of inflatable because of friction cut lines...... due to two rigs getting a bit close during a windy day in the gusts...

Once your've also tied a knot in it or its got a tight bend/kink it its it loses a lot of it strength......

I do use kite line for a ridge line on my tarp.. dont get me wrong I am not saying its rubbish ... but it does have its limitations..... and is not a cure all
 
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Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,937
4,570
S. Lanarkshire
I just wanted a thickish string that didn't become a pain to use or untie when it was wet. I didn't want heavy rope, and the climbers accessory cord just fitted the bill :D

M
 
Feb 18, 2012
534
10
Bedfordshire
I have always used paracord, it works fine for my needs and is not very expensive. I must admit I have looked at Dyneema with interest but I don't think I would get on with it for undoing knots. Maybe I should buy a small length to see how I get on with it.
 

ex-member BareThrills

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Dec 5, 2011
4,461
3
United Kingdom
I have always used paracord, it works fine for my needs and is not very expensive. I must admit I have looked at Dyneema with interest but I don't think I would get on with it for undoing knots. Maybe I should buy a small length to see how I get on with it.

The secret is to only use quick release knots. Doesnt really matter what your cordage is then. Interestingly dyneema is very easy to unpick knots in. That is also one of its weaknesses in its unsheathed varieties. Poly sheathed varieties behave just like paracord in terms of ease of knotting and undoing.
 
Feb 18, 2012
534
10
Bedfordshire
The secret is to only use quick release knots. Doesnt really matter what your cordage is then. Interestingly dyneema is very easy to unpick knots in. That is also one of its weaknesses in its unsheathed varieties. Poly sheathed varieties behave just like paracord in terms of ease of knotting and undoing.

Thanks for the info. I will give it a go, I always use simple quick release knots on my tarp.
 

The Ratcatcher

Full Member
Apr 3, 2011
268
0
Manchester, UK
I've used paracord for years, but only because I couldn't find any good quality Hemp at reasonable prices. Now I've found a source, I'm going back to natural fibre cordage.

Alan
 

John Fenna

Lifetime Member & Maker
Oct 7, 2006
23,106
2,833
66
Pembrokeshire
I've used paracord for years, but only because I couldn't find any good quality Hemp at reasonable prices. Now I've found a source, I'm going back to natural fibre cordage.

Alan

Where?
My more my style than Dyneema!
Please share a reasonably priced source!
I have been making my own cordage recently - from twine using a hand drill to ply it ... but I can only make shortish lengths from cheap balls of sisal or green garden twine.
A source of hemp cord at a price comparable, say, to "El Cheapo" cheap paracord would be just what I want!

550 paracord and Dyneema just seem too much overkill and I much prefer natural fibre everything on an eco and an aesthetic level (not knocking plastic string on its performance in any way at all...) for just about anything!
 
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Chiseller

Bushcrafter through and through
Oct 5, 2011
6,176
3
West Riding
Where?
My more my style than Dyneema!
Please share a reasonably priced source!
I have been making my own cordage recently - from twine using a hand drill to ply it ... but I can only make shortish lengths from cheap balls of sisal or green garden twine.
A source of hemp cord at a price comparable, say, to "El Cheapo" cheap paracord would be just what I want!

550 paracord and Dyneema just seem too much overkill and I much prefer natural fibre everything on an eco and an aesthetic level (not knocking plastic string on its performance in any way at all...) for just about anything!

+1 looking forad to a reply......hemp makes the best purse nets......just takes a bit o lookin afta.
As I'm sure a ratcatcher knos 😉

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk
 

jacko1066

Native
May 22, 2011
1,689
0
march, cambs
I use 2.2mm stein throw line dyneema, works very well for me!! Also is excellent with my dutchware and mini line locks.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

rik_uk3

Banned
Jun 10, 2006
13,320
24
69
south wales
I've an Iceland 'bag for life' full of mixed cord so use what comes to hand. Paracord, garden twine, lots of guyline cord now. Also got a lot of glow in the dark cord from a Tesco sale two years ago, 4x4m with runners and use them on the parayurt. I've got three or four 50m rolls of paracord....somewhere ... but I cant find it; looks like its gone on holiday with all the odd socks that go missing :(
 

MarkinLondon

Nomad
May 17, 2013
325
1
Bedfordshire
I've used climbers cord exclusively for 20 years until very recently, and am now playing with more paracord. paracord grips and hold knots very well. But new climbers cord (2mm or 3mm) is very stiff and difficult to work with when it's new, so I'm interested in this "sheathed Dyneema" stuff. Where can it be purchased?
 

Goatboy

Full Member
Jan 31, 2005
14,956
17
Scotland
Depends what I'm using it for, dynema for shock loading and UV resistance, paracord is relatively cheap, other cords (when they're to hand).
 

Joonsy

Native
Jul 24, 2008
1,483
3
UK
anyone that uses dyneema just remember that there is no stretch whatsoever in dyneema, which may or may not be beneficial depending on task, guess everyone knows that already anyway so no doubt a useless addition to this thread.
 

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