New Climber's First Rigging Gear

[Sgriff]

Man when i was green i was tying hi vee safety blue with bowlines and a carab to make slings for negative rigging,crazy thinking bout it now but never had a failure,didn't even use blocks just right through the biner.

I recently started using loopies,then i tried an amsteel version and will not be looking back,light as can be,strong as an ox. I made up a few different lengths and diameters for what seems dirt cheap when compared to store prices. So dead eye slings and loopies are my choice now.

 

[KevinS]

You must of course consider the strength loss from your knots.
Your block/sling/ring is gonna get 2x the weight of the load,that's without a dynamic factor,you want your rigging rope to be the weakest link. I get more critical with my larger setup,the block and sling are much much stronger than my line,by well over 1,000 lbs when im using 5/8 stable braid.

Fisherman loss is about 10-15%

 

[RajElectric]

Mini ISC block, some rigging line, loopies spliced up, welded up porty, does a lot of work for me. Put some heavy limbs on it, avoided drops by notching and a shallow back cut with chain saw and allowing to limb to break slowly cutting with handsaw.

 

[craneguy1]

I think it's funny no one mentioned that 9/16 sb is hardly even noticeable in terms of weight per 100 feet, yet significantly stronger than 1/2"...we don't even stock/order 1/2"rigging rope...that gives us a safety facter built in.

 

[Sgriff]

For me,the weight,size and strength rating was the selling point for a 1/2" setup with the mini isc block. I'm also fond of the spring action that a block has v.s. The rigging rings,which i also have a few of.

 

[Sgriff]

Safe to say it depends on the rope used,and with that little 1/2" isc mini and amsteel,you Don't even realize its on your saddle.
Stable braid

polydyne/dynasorb

all gear/husky bull rope

 

[Crimsonking]

As far as purchasing a block, the 5/8 weighs the same as the 1/2 and is barely more expensive. Since a block is one of the longest lasting pieces of gear you will buy, investing in a more versatile piece now and using a smaller rope may be more economical in the long run, rather than buying a small block and rope now, then a large block and rope later.

These are my thoughts as I've been planning to build my own rigging stash.

 

[KevinS]

As far as purchasing a block, the 5/8 weighs the same as the 1/2 and is barely more expensive. Since a block is one of the longest lasting pieces of gear you will buy, investing in a more versatile piece now and using a smaller rope may be more economical in the long run, rather than buying a small block and rope now, then a large block and rope later.

These are my thoughts as I've been planning to build my own rigging stash.

5/8" block and dead eye sling is the first step many of us took

 

[Sgriff]

As far as purchasing a block, the 5/8 weighs the same as the 1/2 and is barely more expensive.

This is the 1/2" block we're talking about,definitely lighter than a 5/8 block,about 2.5lbs lighter

 

[JeffGu]

...rather than buying a small block and rope now, then a large block and rope later.

Initially, that was the logic I used. After putting together the 5/8" system, I went back and started assembling the 1/2" system. I now feel that building the 1/2" system first would have been a better route to go, because I use it much more than the larger system and I could have put it together for less money. Not sharing components between them allows me to use them both at the same time. In my experience with this, I feel it would have been a smarter path if I'd built the lighter system right at the beginning, and used money from the first jobs to piece together the more expensive, heavier system while gaining confidence with the lighter setup. However, you can use a larger block with the smaller rope. Later, if you want to use both systems simultaneously, you'll still need to buy a block for the 1/2" system. Another advantage of the lighter system is lots less weight all around, so the ISC mini block and the Omni-Blocks can keep the system weight down.

Plenty of ways to skin this cat... but, in hindsight, I think building the lighter system first would have been my best, most economical choice.

 

[RajElectric]

I think it's funny no one mentioned that 9/16 sb is hardly even noticeable in terms of weight per 100 feet, yet significantly stronger than 1/2"...we don't even stock/order 1/2"rigging rope...that gives us a safety facter built in.

I just recently picked up some 200ft off another member here, an old style ISC 5/8 block, welded up a larger porty and spliced a few matching slings. I had only 100ft of 5/8 double braid from an old friend and tree climber who passed away (not from climbing), it worked, wasn't long enough. Spliced the ends so another line could be clipped in, seemed to always confuse the groundies.......So I opted to upgrade, price was right.

 

[Crimsonking]

This is the 1/2" block we're talking about,definitely lighter than a 5/8 block,about 2.5lbs lighter

I was responding to the original question, not subsequent conversation. The mini is absolutely lighter, but with the swl trade-off. I personally like to take the biggest pieces possible and don't want to be restricted by small blocks. For me, rings are the answer for light duty rigging (heavy, too, when more friction is called for).

 

[Sgriff]

My Bad...

 

[Sgriff]

I don't see any lines other than static that have ratings above and beyond the isc mini blocks capacity.
Crimson,what 1/2" rope are you using that you need more strength in the block than the mini is capable of?

 

[Crimsonking]

Plenty of ways to skin this cat... but, in hindsight, I think building the lighter system first would have been my best, most economical choice.

Thanks for the perspective. As I building my own stash you guys are making my shopping list longer. An omni is definitely on my list, as well as a couple x ring slings.

Treerookie, how is your list coming?

My Bad...

No problem; I jumped into the thread after it had already taken off without quoting the original post.

 

[Crimsonking]

We use 9/16 atlas and 5/8 stable braid. My personal line is arborplex, but that is because I've not had personal jobs that have required anything more. My perspective is based on company gear I've used and plans for building my own systems. The other perspectives I've read have surely been good for me to consider, and I'm sure are helpful for Treerookie in decision making.

 

[Sgriff]

We use 9/16 atlas and 5/8 stable braid.

The reason I recommend the mini is because it meets the needs for a 1/2" rigging line,and i prefer how much slack i can get out of the system while negative rigging,when using block vs rings.
When comparing blocks for 1/2" line there isn't much of a comparison imo,i see no reason for the extra strength rating and the extra weight for 1/2" setup.

There is no right or wrong,just preference.

I have a 1/2" friction ring i use too,but the fact that the bend radius is not to par and they say you need 2 to achieve the proper radius for neg. rigging ,that kinda takes the advantage away for me,and I'm not a fan of having to weave the thimble each time.
To use anything bigger than 1/2" you need a 5/8 block or the appropriate ring setup, just with the rope weight it's s adding lbs to your saddle ,then if you opt for a block vs rings;you are adding even more lbs to yourself,will be a drag if you don't necessarily need that type of strength rating and are lugging it aloft all the damn day.

Sorry to rant on,I obviously don't have anything better to do.[emoji16]

 

[Crimsonking]

Sorry to rant on,I obviously don't have anything better to do.[emoji16]

Dang thumbs on the phone, I hit post by accident. I admit I cheat with the rings when negative rigging smaller chunks, but otherwise, I try to take heavy picks, so I use the big gear.

 

[Crimsonking]

im in the same boat today, just surfing, typing, and watching the kids play in the rain.

 

[TreeRookie]

Great discussion going on here guys. There are so many options and it doesn't seem like a "right or wrong" one, just preference.
Cost isn't that big of an issue, so I may buy a bigger block and a 1/2" rope. then there are the slings too.. So many choices!!