Rope Bag Question

MasterBlaster

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I don't use them, I roll and hank. But I'm growing weary of having to fight with my rope as I descend from the ball. My method is to place the sling, then (from Beranek's "mind your ropes") coil my line and throw it along the path I plan to rappel down.

I think it would be sweet for my rope to deploy effortlessly from a bag hanging from my saddle. So my question is I guess I'll have to stuff this rope back in the bag after every descent? I mean, I'm gonna assume the answer is yes but I don't know it that is as much of a PITA as just sticking with the way I do it now. Some trees are many rides.

Any ball riders have any thoughts on this matter?
 
I have no problem flaking my rope back into the bag. I can put the rope in a bag about as fast as I can coil it up. Unfortunately most guys I work around aren't as coordinated and seem to have a very difficult time trying to figure out how to flake or stuff a rope in a bag. They invariably overcomplicate it by trying to overthink it.
 
Like anything the more you do it the better and faster you'll get. I can bag 120ft of rope into a bag in the same amount of time it'd take to coil it. The beauty is- no hang ups (fewer) when you toss it down your intended route. Then when you pull it out of your TIP just start flaking it right into the bag.

You could, as you mentioned, carry the bag on your saddle and let the rope deploy as you descend if you want to carry the weight of the rope with you.
 
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  • #5
You could, as you mentioned, carry the bag on your saddle and let the rope deploy as you descend if you want to carry the weight of the rope with you.

And that's the point of this thread. I don't plan to start using bags for anything other than riding the ball. I'm a hanker, not a flaker. ;)
 
Then you already know the answer.

Stuff the bag on the ground before you ride, or coil it and toss it out after the ride.


One of my climbing lines is stored into a backpack for the times I want to carry it with me, whether it be riding the ball or whatever. It takes a lil more patience to flake into a backpack vs. an open top rope bag.
 
I'll up the ante here and make you an offer. We all know that HC's rope bags are the best available, and that the Bag Lady's craftsmanship is better than any store bought bag on the market. Sure, Wesspur is going to be selling HC bags soon but I suspect they might not be exactly the same.

Therefore I'll offer you one of my two original HC bags. I may climb once per month and I haven't used the rope in my second HC bag in almost a year. I'd be happy to see it put to use. I'll be buying a couple HC bags from Wesspur when they come out anyway. And you may never have another opportunity to get an original HC bag in like-new condition.
8)
 
The trick with flaking is to pull the rope from over your shoulder and flak it hand-over-hand into the bag. ;)

The original bags just had handles but the new ones will have a loop for a biner to attach to just for this purpose! ...soon as Wes-Spur gets up & running.

HC
 
If'n ya can flake a trow line into a mug sized bag; flakin' a rope into a full size bag is a breeze.

In any case; if i hank or flake; i all ways roll the line between my fingers with every grab. This gives a really flat hank; rolling always in the same direction between my fingers as i place each turn on the coil. Or, in flaking, the right hand fingers roll the line counterclockwise as the left hand rolls it clockwise to counter the each other for a more balanced lay; probably best for braids/ not 3 strand though. The motion is pretty imperceptible; especially in hanking if you are also letting the weight of the line pendulum back and forth; back to pull the line, for ward to place that turn on the coil. But, i thin it is the best way to pro-ceed, and have never seen it de-scribed that i can remember.
 
How bout backpack type straps too? or at least an option for them?
 
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  • #14
If'n ya can flake a trow line into a mug sized bag; flakin' a rope into a full size bag is a breeze.

In any case; if i hank or flake; i all ways roll the line between my fingers with every grab. This gives a really flat hank; rolling always in the same direction between my fingers as i place each turn on the coil. Or, in flaking, the right hand fingers roll the line counterclockwise as the left hand rolls it clockwise to counter the each other for a more balanced lay; probably best for braids/ not 3 strand though. The motion is pretty imperceptible; especially in hanking if you are also letting the weight of the line pendulum back and forth; back to pull the line, for ward to place that turn on the coil. But, i thin it is the best way to pro-ceed, and have never seen it de-scribed that i can remember.


I do the same thing, I just never knew how to 'asplain it...:|:
 
I recommend not doing that when flaking rope into a bag. If you twist it going in, then it has to untwist coming out. Why introduce twist into the rope if you don't have to? Just like others who don't know better, you're overcomplicating it.
 
I recommend not doing that when flaking rope into a bag. If you twist it going in, then it has to untwist coming out. Why introduce twist into the rope if you don't have to? Just like others who don't know better, you're overcomplicating it.

Agreed!

Just stuff it in hand over hand, and it'll flake out tangle free. No need to twist or lay it on the bag.
 
I will say-

Proper hanking is an art (sorta), Ive always prided myself in nicely hanked lines. A pet peeve of mine is when someone thinks they're doing me a favor by hanking a line of mine, then one wrong move and you got a rats nest.

I'll flake / hank my own lines thank you very much.
 
In the flaking; it kinda is just holding your hand stiff; and it just naturally rolls as you draw it into you i think. Anyway, the one way then next gives a more solid, self canceling effect; ya might even do somewhat naturally without knowing it. Kinda slightly akin to fig8'ing a hank for the same reasons. In hanking; i think of it as the rope wants to twist, and you are combing that out and making it lay flatter and deploy cleaner.
 
I think my idea of flaking is different that the way The Tree Spider explains it.

Again, you simply pull it from over your shoulder and fill the bag via hand-over-hand. It will look like a bag full of spagetti but it will deploy similar to through line from "The Cube"!

K.I.S.S. eh!:)

HC
 
Another rope bag flaking tip: if you still have your saddle on just slip the rope into a carabiner on the front, bend over slightly and hand over hand the rope into the bag. I find this way is faster and easier than the over the shoulder technique.

I do a similar thing with my throwline but a bit different. I always keep a small keychain biner clipped to my F-cube. If I have a lot of throwline to flake back in I'll clip the keychain biner to the collar of my shirt and run the throwline through that. Stand over the F-cube and hand over hand the throwline straight in, EZ PZ.
 
I use bags to store my climbling lines, but through the course of the day I coil it between going from tree to tree.

A 120 ft. line I will start with about 30 inch coils and end with 20 to 24 inch. Then I lay it on the ground next to the trunk with the smaller coils on top and it always pulls off clean without tangles.

My groundies like to help by picking up and coiling my climbline for me, but they always make a mess of it that tangles no matter what they do. I always say, "Thank you." But really don't mean it. They mean well, but through all the years they have never gotten it right.

At the end of the day I will let them stuff the bag. That's kind of hard to screw up.
 
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