Rope

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Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,979
4,626
S. Lanarkshire
Get out of my handbag !! :D (well, my foraging bag)

I carry a toggle rope. It's a handy thing. Bundles of stuff I've gathered, good for pulling down branches, useful stray dog leash, occasional belt, that kind of thing :D

M
 

tombear

On a new journey
Jul 9, 2004
4,494
556
54
Rossendale, Lancashire
Cheers M but I've the material, for the outer anyway, I'm in two minds as to if to line it or not. A while back I picked up three super, lightweight, Marino single blankets, unused but all three had a tiny amount of moth damage in one corner so they are begging to be turned into something using the sound bits.

I suppose the only reason I haven't done it is they are a mid blue and i'll look a bit Virgin Mary rather than Strider. If they had been grey or green It woud be gathering sawdust next to the capote in the Shed by now.

ATB

Tom
 

OurAmericanCousin

Tenderfoot
Feb 7, 2015
99
0
SoCalUSA
I've carried a length of 3/8 manila/sisal (hemp if available) on my pack for years. It gets used a lot. An improvised ridge line if several of us combine our cloths into a super shelter, tying an otherwise unwieldy bunch of firewood together to get back to camp, hauling gear into trees, cutting hanks off for tinder, extra guy lines when trees are few and a shelter is improvised, I've tied/wrapped a buddy's pack completely up and even incorporated a carrying strap when the pack flew apart, hanks can be cut for field expedient belts for matchcoats, several hands can pull on a rope to pull a threatening dead fall leaning log down while staying safely out of the way, (anybody ever tried dragging a boar back to hunting camp alone? A rope makes it easy for two pals to do so.), on the occasion that a member of a party is unable to continue on carrying their load a rope is useful for securing that divided load between other members (twisted ankles etc are a reality), still-attached limbs are sometimes the driest and quickest wood around-if it's too high up the tree a rope can pull it down to where you can grab it, ....

I've used rope plenty afield. Plenty.

I won't even get into horseback travel and packing. Ropes are essential and extra is always welcome.

And anybody who's canoed for any appreciable distance knows the value of a ready extra line.

If I get to where the weight is the deciding factor for carrying a useful tool like a light length of rope, then I'm ready to hang it up....but, at least I'll have the rope to do so. ;) ;)
 

Harvestman

Bushcrafter through and through
May 11, 2007
8,656
26
55
Pontypool, Wales, Uk
I've carried a length of 3/8 manila/sisal (hemp if available) on my pack for years. It gets used a lot. An improvised ridge line if several of us combine our cloths into a super shelter, tying an otherwise unwieldy bunch of firewood together to get back to camp, hauling gear into trees, cutting hanks off for tinder, extra guy lines when trees are few and a shelter is improvised, I've tied/wrapped a buddy's pack completely up and even incorporated a carrying strap when the pack flew apart, hanks can be cut for field expedient belts for matchcoats, several hands can pull on a rope to pull a threatening dead fall leaning log down while staying safely out of the way, (anybody ever tried dragging a boar back to hunting camp alone? A rope makes it easy for two pals to do so.), on the occasion that a member of a party is unable to continue on carrying their load a rope is useful for securing that divided load between other members (twisted ankles etc are a reality), still-attached limbs are sometimes the driest and quickest wood around-if it's too high up the tree a rope can pull it down to where you can grab it, ....

I've used rope plenty afield. Plenty.

I won't even get into horseback travel and packing. Ropes are essential and extra is always welcome.

And anybody who's canoed for any appreciable distance knows the value of a ready extra line.

If I get to where the weight is the deciding factor for carrying a useful tool like a light length of rope, then I'm ready to hang it up....but, at least I'll have the rope to do so. ;) ;)

Good post. I don't carry rope, and have never needed it, but terrains, habits and conditions differ. Excellent explanation.
 

tombear

On a new journey
Jul 9, 2004
4,494
556
54
Rossendale, Lancashire
Looking at that list, impressive as it is, all apart from using it for tinder, could be done with proper paracord with a breaking strain of 550lb which is string in my book. Weight for weight and bulk for bulk you can carry much more and it isn't adversely effected by water weight wise. Saying that it ain't biodegradable and it is aesthetically unpleasant to me compared to natural materials.

Each to their own of course and I do have linen, hemp and sisal rope as well as hemp and linen string/ cord in my period travel kit stash. The 1/8th inch cord is immensely strong and so it's what I'll be taking with me. Ok you could strip laid rope down to make string but equally you could quickly plait string into something beefier if needed.

One thing I acquired which has been a great buy is a huge cone of 1mm linen thread /cord, if I remember right 1000 metres for , I think it was £10 at the time although looking on eBay now the one I found was 15 quid. Any road I have used it extensively for sewing, run through a block of beeswax for on leather, darned holes in sacks, twisted 3 or more strands together to make excellent pre 1820s ( self consuming cotton became the usual after about this date ) candle and oil lamp wicks, plaited it into heavier cord and herself had turned umpteen strands into a couple of really nice slings. It is a superb material at penny a yard!

ATB

Tom
 
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nic a char

Settler
Dec 23, 2014
591
1
scotland
"still-attached limbs are sometimes the driest and quickest wood around" - yes indeed, tie a 2' x 2" length to 1 end of rope, throw over dead branch, pull on both ends of rope - if it's too tough retrieve rope & try again :)
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
........Ok you could strip laid rope down to make string but equally you could quickly plait string into something beefier if needed.......

I thought of that too. But then, if you carry enough string to plait into rope, have you really saved any bulk or weight?
 

Andy BB

Full Member
Apr 19, 2010
3,290
1
Hampshire
I normally carry some 550 paracord, but I've also started to carry a roll of jute twine as well, for those times when paracord is just overkill. It's cheap, lightweight, can be plaited if additional strength needed and can be picked up in any place selling gardening stuff. An additional benefit is that it is green (won't last forever if some left in the field) and if you separate out the strands it makes excellent tinder, thereby fulfilling a "dual use" role.
 

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