Slings, what do you dig?

Viking

Viking

Location
Columbus Ohio
Dead eyes? What lengths? Loopies? Stable Braid? Tenex? What do you riggers like?

I used some loopies last week in the air for the first time and was caught in the learning curve bigtime! Hackberry so I was really struggling to adjust the blocks. Kept going back and forth to get the throat the right size, either too tight or too large. Whatdaya like?
 
I like mostly Tenex eye slings. I have three lengths but I can't remember what they measure. 9/16" Dtable braid makes a nice sling too. I use a loopie for hanging a block sometimes but usually just an eye sling.
 
I had a nice time with a pink 1/2 inch double braid loopie today with an old snatch block I bought at ArborAge convention in 1980 I hadn't used in years taking a 4' dia 100' pin oak down over wires today. I like that I can snug it up and the snatch block is nice that it opens (to install or remove line) and it doesn't need a biner. Leads were 25' over my 75' bucket so just dropped em into the block. Have used a half inch or three quarter inch double braid eyed lanyard, timber hitched in the past forever to carry the block and drop into it. Think I am hooked on this set up now.
 
I also use 1/2" and 3/4" tenex slings of various lengths 12' 14 ' 18' the larger ones being used on the port-a-wrap. For blocks CMI stainless and DMM small impact. Have tried loopie and whoopie but really prefer plain eye slings. Paul.
 
Loopie's are real nice from the bucket truck. Quick.

A different story while climbing, I can understand...

Why no like the loopie? Whoopie's are just for the portawrap in our world...
 
For hangin blocks, double braid spliced eye slings. For re-directs, I like using loopies. For anchoring a porty I have hollow and DB eye slings.
Since I splice, I have various diameters (1/2, 9/16's, 5/8's, 3/4's, 7/8's and 1") and lengths (6', 8', 12', 16', 20' and 30') of mostly DB and some of hollow.
Haven't had a whoopie for rigging for approx. 12 years. Can't get the 'throat' short enough on a whoopie. I don't like em.
 
I'll third that about learning to splice. You'll wind up with sling for every occasion... especially if an inattentive groundie cuts your nearly new 9/16" double braid rigging rope near the middle.

One of the first things I spliced was a 5/8" Tenex whoopie for mounting a portawrap. I used it a couple of times and took it apart because it's so hard to adjust properly.

I use a loopie for mounting a 5:1 on smaller trees, it's quick.
 
I have a couple whoopie and loopie slings I also loath them maybe they work for others, however I like tying knots and find both the timber hitch and cow hitch quite easy when working in the tree. Paul.
 
I thought I used 3/4" slings but my largest is 5/8" and that is good enough for me the lengths are 10' to 18'. I am going to try some double braid in the new year just for a change. Paul.
 
I prefer dead eye slings over whoopies. I love having everything snugged up real tight and could never get it perfect with the whoopies/loopies slings. Use both double braid, single braid and tenex.

jp
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I use loopies 99.9% of the time, the other .1% I use dead eye slings. I hate woopies. I have zero issues with snugging the loopies close when hanging blocks.
 
I like loopies for setting blocks. Having a dead eye for blocking down a spar is nice, seems easier to snug the block up close to the hinge. I agree that the whoopie sling is kind of useless, a long dead eye sling is better for setting a porta-wrap.
 
I learned to start short with a loopie. Throw it around the trunk. Throat in one hand and block in the other. Wiggle and pull on the throat and you can adjust it out to just the right length to get the block snug. Once it's wrapped they are hard to shorten, unless maybe it's smooth bark. I believe a loopie is stronger than a dead eye of the same diameter because of the double thick throat splice. Although now that I can better tie the stilson/cow hitch; I wonder if a dead eye is easier to set while standing in hooks? Then again nothing is easy after standing on a spar for a while.
 
[ QUOTE ]
...I learned to start short with a loopie. Throw it around the trunk. Throat in one hand and block in the other. Wiggle and pull on the throat and you can adjust it out to just the right length to get the block snug...

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep. Good tip.
 
I used to do a lot of splicing. As the business has grown time is rarely avialable for such endeavors. However i spliced about two dozen slings to be split up between my two crews. Each rigging kit has 2 five foot ling loopies that are in near new condition - no one really likes to use them. the remaining 10 slings in each kit are dead eyes.
2- 5 foot 1/2" amsteel loopies
1- 24 foot 3/8" amsteel blue
2- 16 foot 3/8" amsteel blue
3- 12 foot 1/2" amsteel blue
2- 8 foot 1/2" amsteel
2- 4 foot 1/2" amsteel

There is one 5/8" amsteel blue 6 footer eye & eye floating around here somewhere as well......53,000lbs breaking strength for loading wood.

My choice in fibre has been well debated - however training, education and common sense are used in their application. Myself and my guys understand and realise the rigging line needs to be chosen and applied as the weak link or "fuse" in the rigging system.

It is likely that these slings will be replaced with "status quo" fibres as it is unlikley i will garner the amsteel for the great prices previously enjoyed, and i dont have the time for splicing any more and will have to pay for this service.
 
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