Originally posted by joesoup
How about some old garden hose for a friction saver. Can that damage my rope.


I'll address the garden hose. I tried it, it more or less works (mostly less) but it doesn't like to stay in the crotch, runs down the rope and it has the potential to melt from friction and gunge up your rope. When you're practicing and going slow you can get away without using a bark saver for now, especially if you're on a thicker bark tree like an oak etc.

Someone mentioned in another thread having a local shoemaker or shoe repair person sew up a leather rope saver (basically a leather tube made from thick leather).
-moss

joesoup- Yes, you can use Fly as if it were a normal arborist line....because it is.

love
nick

I rebuilt my braided false crotch using a single piece of rope. It tested well for strength. I'm rejecting it as impractical because it's too much weight compared to a typical bark saver. Anyway if you're interested in playing with it here's how it's made from a single piece of rope.

Start braiding on one end and continue until it's done. The ends are bound with electrical tape but it could be done w/whipping twine. Before finishing off the binding at the loops I cut the two free ends at an angle to make a smoother transition from the loop to the braid.



-moss

Moss,
Outstanding graphics as a clarification of your device.
Thanks for doing that!

Moss, when you say, "it tested well for strength" can you tell us more about that? How'd you test it?

It just looks a little sketchy to me. Your survival in the tree relies entirely on the electrical tape not ripping off. Don't mean to be a party pooper, but I don't like the looks of the braided friction saver.

love
nick

Stitch the ends loops (rather than tape) and perhaps sew a thimble in at each end.

(2 cents applied)