Dyneema cord

Shewie

Mod
Mod
Dec 15, 2005
24,259
25
48
Yorkshire
I use 2mm, I found the 1mm stuff just a bit too skinny for cold hands. I still have some on my micro tarp for summer trips though.
 

Shewie

Mod
Mod
Dec 15, 2005
24,259
25
48
Yorkshire
crikey 450 kgs breaking strain- isn't that a bit over kill for a tent guy line??? :confused: not being picky or anything!!

Yeah definitely but it's so light and easy to use that I'm happy to use it. With it being throwline it holds its' shape really well and doesn't tangle.

I also use it for my ridgeline on my tarps
 

ol smokey

Full Member
Oct 16, 2006
433
3
Scotland
I've camped all my life and recently decided to bypass paracord for something lighter in weight for Tarp guy line. I ssaw somewhere recently , where someone recommended (Builders Line) as an alternative for guy lines. I bought a thick roll
of it in B and Q for s something like £6.00 , and there is Two hundred and fifty feet on the roll. That is a heck of a lot of
guy line, and even if you have to double it up , for windy conditions, it still seems a good Buy. I have no connection with
B andQ, but am just a satisfied customer, Hope that this is of help.
 

ozzy1977

Full Member
Jan 10, 2006
8,558
3
47
Henley
I havew just bought a roll of 2mm marllow throw line off amazon for £15 for this reason but have to say that knots slip a little
 

Shewie

Mod
Mod
Dec 15, 2005
24,259
25
48
Yorkshire
I havew just bought a roll of 2mm marllow throw line off amazon for £15 for this reason but have to say that knots slip a little

Was it this stuff? Once you've used it a couple of times it'll get less slippy. Just use backup your knots with a slippery hitch in the meantime
 

Uilleachan

Full Member
Aug 14, 2013
585
5
Northwest Scotland
The trouble with all synthetic kernmantel rope/cord (sheath and core construction) is that traditional knots don't work as well as they do on the material they were developed on; manila & hemp.

If a knot slips, try another. The basic overhand on the bight works well on kernmantel as does the extra bend "figure of 8 or extra again figure of 9" variations as an end knot. The alpine butterfly works very well as an inline 3 way knot, and all the variations of the barrel knot work well too; single & double fisherman's barrel knot on the bight etc.

All those knots were developed using this type of kernmantel cord and work by having relatively large turns and lots of surface to surface contact with the standing end thus generating an adequate amount of friction. The up shot is these knots generally preserve more of the cord strength than traditional knots when performing the same function.

The rule of thumb is that a knot reduces a rope's strength by 50%, interestingly on kernmantel ropes the knots mentioned above all preserve more, from around 60% for the overhand to the upper 80's on the figure of 8 & 9, so are all good choices. The bowline comes in in the 40's, so below 50% integrity. Of course the bowline is an easy knot to undo and it still works well enough to be a practical choice for many jobs.

The strength of any cord is always given as a "minimum breaking load" and one should be wary of these figures. If using it to secure items one should consider a 10:1 safety margin of the minimum breaking load as a working maximum if the item to be secured is valuable or important, 5:1 if you can afford to lose it.

So an MBL of 450kg, for example, gives us a safe working load limit of 45kg (10:1), thats more than enough for a guy line in any situation but well short of what I'd feel comfortable with, say restraining a branch when cutting from wind-blown timber or lowering myself with.

Knots and strength are also subject to a mass of variables, knot dressing affects strength and contact with abrasive or sharp objects (rocks and stones) can drastically reduce tensile strength, dynamic loading can generate multiples of load that can cause failure, especially when wet. I guess what I'm trying to say is that one should be careful with minimum breaking strength, always work with a margin of safety.

I can understand the fascination with kernmantel cords and it's quite practical for stuff like guys etc, but there's lower cost simple twine available that'll do the same job well but are also more practical for jobs where the cord won't survive, or are more suited to the job; whippings for construction etc. Not as sexy looking but more consumable at an affordable price. Kernmantel is also stretchy, more so before it's been loaded up a few times, so good for guys but unreliable where static security is required, in that regard polyester cord is much better.

I can't see past tarred polyester twine myself :D
 

bert333

Settler
Jan 15, 2008
705
8
Earth- for awhile longer...
Shewie, a quick note after speaking to Marlows :)
The 2mm Orange Throwline is not Dyneema
The 1.5mm YELLOW throwline IS
 

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