Hot take: I was using the wrong kind of rope for rigging for almost two years

I was taught to use a static line for everything, thinking it gave more control. Then, on a big maple removal in Tacoma, a branch I was lowering kicked back hard and nearly hit the ground crew. A veteran climber on site pulled me aside and said, 'That rope has no give, you're fighting physics.' He showed me how a dynamic line absorbs the shock. I switched to a dynamic rigging line for controlled lowers and it changed the whole feel of the job. Has anyone else had a 'eureka' moment with their gear that fixed a problem they didn't even know they had?

3 comments

3 Comments

logan52510d ago

My old man used to swear by a specific brand of socket wrench for every car repair. Turns out, the cheap one he had was rounding off bolts on newer models. He just thought they made things worse now. It's that same idea, using the right tool for the job without even knowing there's a better option. I see it all the time with people using the wrong drill bit for concrete or a dull knife in the kitchen. You struggle against the work instead of letting the gear do its thing.

harper91410d ago

Exactly. It's like watching someone try to cut a 2x4 with a hacksaw. Sure, you'll get there eventually, but you're fighting the tool the whole time. I see it with pruning shears all the time, people using bypass blades on deadwood and wondering why it's crushing the branch instead of cutting. The right tool doesn't just make the job easier, it makes the outcome better.

dylan_brown3010d ago

Sometimes the right tool is just the one you have on hand. A lot of jobs get finished with less-than-perfect gear through a bit of extra effort. The best outcome is a finished project, not necessarily a perfect process.