What’s ‘the best’ tree climbing rope?

We get this question all the time! There is no answer that fits everyone. It seems like new arborist ropes are coming out all the time. Keep these principles in mind and you'll be able to find the tree ropes that work for you.

Choosing an Arborist Climbing Rope

We only sell climbing ropes built by manufacturers we trust. Our ropes meet the requirements of the ANSI Z133 standard for Arboriculture Operations. We might recommend one rope over another for a certain purpose, but no rope is ‘the best’ arborist climbing rope. At WesSpur, when someone asks for a rope recommendation, we will first ask, how are you using the rope? With this question answered, we can help you find good rope options. Fom there you can select on personal preference a rope that will work for your climbing style.

Some questions to consider:

• MRS: Will you be climbing in a Moving Rope System (MRS)?
• Will you be using a friction saver, or pulley saver?
• Will you be running your rope directly over the tree bark?
• SRS: Will you be climbing in a Stationary Rope System (SRS)?
• Will you be using your rope for both SRS and MRS climbing?
• Do you require NFPA G rated rope?
• Compatibility: Do you plan on climbing on a specific mechanical friction device like the Zigzag, Akimbo, or Rope Wrench? Are there other tools you want your rope to be compatible with?

Rope Diameter and Hardware

Climbing hardware, such as ascenders, descenders, and hybrid devices, are built to accept a range of rope diameters. Some devices, (such as the Akimbo, Rig, I’d, etc.) function very differently when used with different rope diameters and constructions. Always check the manufacturer specifications on any devices you plan on using with your new climbing rope.

How to evaluate a tree climbing rope

Once we know what type of climbing you're planning, we can look at ropes that have good marks for the most relevant factors. Rope Construction, specifications (diameter, strength, elongation), and more subjective factors like feel, hand, and color.

• 24-strand (double braid): These ropes tend to work well for MRS climbing through a set of rings or pulley. Some work great for SRS and MRS, such as Blue Moon.
• Kernmantle: Usually our recommended ropes for SRS climbing.
• 16-strand: Recommended if you’re going to be running the rope over the bark in an MRS setup. Friendly to knot and handle.
• 12-strand: An older construction, very durable and tough. Some employers require these ropes for specific applications.

Other factors to consider are more a matter of personal taste, like color options. Additionally, some tree climbing ropes have special features like reduced water uptake or special core fibers to make inspection easier. Check out individual listings, and if you have any questions, reach out or stop on by.

Buying rope in bulk

WesSpur sells all of our rope by the foot. When measuring rope, our warehouse staff use calibrated rope counters to measure each length as it comes off the reel. This ensure our lengths are accurate to within industry standards. (Rope manufacturers accept rope measurements at + or - 5% to account for the rope stretch, tension when measuring, etc.)

Rope Splicing

The expert splicers at Iron Street Rope Splicing will hand-splice your climbing rope or use our industrial bartacking machine to make a bartacked (sewn) termination in your line. Bartacked eyes are strong and reliable, and are often available in lines that aren’t hand-spliceable. Iron Street has sent thousands of hand-splices and bartacked eyes into service. You can trust the expert splicers for the highest-quality work.

Clearance Rope

We end up with random lengths at the end of bulk reels. We put these up weekly on our clearance rope page. Sign up for email alerts to get first pick of new clearance ropes.