tag lines

I just bought some sisal twine and am going to try it as a tag line. Does anyone have any experience with this fiber? I have no idea how it will perform after it has been wet and in the sun for a month. Maybe it will perform better than I thought.
I'll be putting some in a Coast Redwood in Big Basin State Park (near Santa Cruz) next week. If you want directions, please message me.
Please share any suggestions on leaving line in trees.

camoflauge it well, and anchor a 3oz fishing wiehgt at the bottom, sometimes the big winds can make your tag line vanish higher up into the tree.

I know what sisal twine is. . .
And I know what a tag line is. . .
But, what purpose does the tag line serve to the climber?
Is it the practice of leaving your trowline in the tree for easy access in the future?

Just wondering,
Thanks,
–Ej-

EJ, can I tell you a story? I have a tree that I climb frequently. It is next to my house. It has kicked my butt repeatedly and it has provided great climbs. It has the attitude of a wild tree in a domestic setting. I have reported my learning mishaps and accomplishments in this tree many times on the TCI board. I finally have reached agreement with the tree. It will still kick my butt once in a while but it now allows me to climb into the upper reaches without punishing me every time.

I worked hard over several climbs to reach a high tie-in. I left a tagline in the tree so I could climb without having to start from zero every time. A week ago I was doing a night climb and accidentally pulled the tagline out of the tree, hissssss-ssssss... the sound of 3mm line dropping out of the tree in the dark. It had to do with thin line catching under bark and then releasing when I grabbed the wrong end. Two days ago I started from zero late in the afternoon. Fired up with the Big Shot, first shot over target at 65 ft. bag comes down to 20 feet above ground and hangs. Hand throw to 45-50 ft. climb up to hung bag, pull it down and descend. Set static line SRT up to 65 ft. TIP. Ascend to TIP in the dark. Start throwing to higher branch, hang bag again. It's stuck. After some creative climbing combined with grunting and squirming around I get a little closer and throw from the other end of the throwline with the other throwbag on my harness and get the TIP. Switch over to DRT, climb up and retrieve stuck throwbag. Hang out in the tree to enjoy the city lights. Alternately put my hands tucked in down behind my neck to thaw out the numbness (Thanks to Mark F. on the TCC board for the cold weather hand-warming trick). temperature in the low 20's f. not to bad, there's no wind. Feet are slightly numb, about the same as a couple hours ice skating on a pond. Redirect the static line over the high TIP, rappel down. Put in new tagline. Time elapsed from first throw with Big Shot - 3.5 hours. The new tagline is much thicker and both ends are secured away from the tree so the line won't get trapped under bark by the wind. That's a very long "yes" anwer to your question.

I've decided not leave taglines in wild trees. I had a couple in and have pulled them out. It is understandable though, if you work very hard to get a good TIP, it's not easy to abandon it at the end of a climb.
-moss

Robert, let's go climb it! I have mondays off!!!!

love
nick

Nick,

I'd love to climb with you. Tengu is also interested in climbing Coast Redwood trees near Santa Cruz.

I also found some cool trees closer to home, that are fun.

It seems so hard to get everyone together at the same time. Maybe it's not so hard.

Anyway, if I set a line, others can climb it at their convenience. So, I will try that and post the directions to the tree.

Thanks Moss for the suggestions about taglines. I want to learn the best material to use in a wild tree. If the sisal "holds-up", then I would use it. I think that being a natural fiber it will be eco-friendly.

Thanks,
Robert

Sisal sounds good for a wild tagline. Are you using the 3-ply stuff? Will be interesting to see how it holds up after you've hauled a few ropes with it. Santa Cruz area is nice country, too bad I'm on the wrong coast.
-moss

The sisal I am using is single ply "twine". Maybe I should be using 3-ply rope. I plan to use this inexpensive twine for a tag-line.
We'll see. I'm going there this Thursday/Friday with a fishing bow to set a line and climb. I've been at this tree before and had the experience you described of pulling your tag-line out of the tree.

Moss and other tag-liners,
Yes, I get the picture. On a big wild tree getting the pull-line set for a good tie in point is usually a lengthy process. A temporary tag line can be a real time-saver on subsequent climbs.

I can understand the use of sisal twine too.
I myself have been leaving behind a lot of rather costly camo-colored parachute cord. I can appreciate that a cheaper, (bio-degradable?) substitute would be a much better choice for a tag line.

As for the comments about climbing in temperatures in the low 20’s. . .
If it’s much below 45F, no thanks, I’ll just wait in the car.
A hardy bunch, you NE-REC climbers!
Electrojake

That's right. Sisal tears when you pull it over a branch. It doesn't handle the rubbing that a tag line must endure.

for tag lines i have great success with Berkely Fireline (fishing). This stuff is absolutely bulletproof and tough, works great for hauling up a thicker line (throwline) then your rope. Comes in a smoke grey color, which is absolutley invisible to anyone walking by, even when close up. i recomend the 50 - 100lb test sizes, they aare a little thicker (about 1mm) and more durable.

Originally posted by 3CLIMBR
That's right. Sisal tears when you pull it over a branch. It doesn't handle the rubbing that a tag line must endure.

Not surprised, single ply sisal pulls apart pretty easily. If you can get your hands on the 3-ply version it might be worth testing.

I worry about a fishing line tagline being a wildlife hazard. Imagine a raptor or a small bird hitting it with a wing at full speed. The same is true with any tagline though. Probably a thicker and more visible tagline is going to be less of a hazard for birds. It's more of a problem with hardwoods where the spreading crown keeps the line out in space away from the trunk. I guess with conifers you have a better chance of laying the tagline closer to the trunk.
-moss

good point Moss about the birds ....

i do climb mostly big conifers and leave my tag lines agianst the trunk. I weight each end with a 1oz fishing wieight at the bottom of the tree.