Rope Myths

Could we please discuss something other than slingshots for a while, Huck?

This is kinda interesting. Check out what you thought you knew about rope.

http://www.onrope1.com/mythbusters.htm

I don't agree with all of it but don't let your dog vomit on your rope!

I was just at a conference where they talked about some fire and rescue guys doing a test on there ropes. They started out by using a new rope as a welcome mat to the fire house for about a week, then they drove their fire truck over it 20 times or so, then they broke a bunch of bricks and drove over the bricks and rope about 20 times, finally they broke glass and drove over the rope and glass 20 times. They then sent the rope back to the manufacturer to be tested. The results showed no noticeable differences in the breaking strength. I don't have any written proof of this \"study\", but we were told about it from a very reputable source with in the tree care industry.

I too am a rope rescue technician. The story of the rope mat being driven over by the fire engine was printed in \"Fire-Rescue\" magazine a few years ago.

Dirt embedded in a rope IS a serious issue. It's not so much the strength of the rope that is compromised, as the tests showed. The real issue is the wear and abrasion of the inner core that embedded grit causes over time. The rope in the test was not used regularly over an extended period of time prior to the test. As we all know, arborists and rec. climbers use their rope a lot more than the fire-rescue folks.

Grit, sand, flakes of rock, splinters of wood, and yes, even glass, embedded in a rope as it slides through a bare human hand can be a huge issue. Walking on a rope drives these materials into the sheath where they are hidden, just waiting for your unsuspecting flesh.

Be careful out there, treat your rope with care.

I hope people realize that stories like the fire truck and what is printed on OnRope1 doesn't mean that you can mistreat your rope. All I take those things to mean is that rope is actually tougher than one might think. It is a foolish person who will trust their life to something and then not treat it like their life depends on it.

I side on the cautious side when it comes to walking on ropes too. I have my internal tape system in my head that plays \"DON'T WALK ON THE ROPES!\" when my feet tread too closely. I learned the words back in the 70's when I went to rock climbing school in Estes Park, Colorado. The \"cringe factor\" still has me dance away form the pretty coiled snake (rope) on the ground.

I have noticed that dirty ropes tend to have an extended erection problem, making the friction knot a bit more unpredictable. I have looked at a possible cross-over to this stiffening phenomenon but have yet to have achieved any good results.