How to Make a Fast Rope for Climbing

[@mikewhitehouse6732]

This is a great video. I have used it to make three different climbing ropes for use at certain swimming holes at Red River gorge. One is 3/8 rope, the other is half inch rope. The smaller braided rope works great for the kids! More than sturdy enough for adults as well. One problem I have is that the rope begins to fray where it drapes over the top of the rock/boulder. The fraying is from the friction of climbers using the rope to ascend. Also to end my rope I used fishing line to stitch the eight strands together, then dipped the last 8 to 10 inches in plastidip. It needs to dip and dry a few times for a good coating. They turned out really great, look very nice, just need to figure something out for the fraying.

[@MrJhchrist]

First of all, THANKS! I got started on mine today. But I do have a tip that I think turns out a little more elegant, maybe worth it's own vid. Anyway, start with 4 long pieces of rope, not 8. Find the mid point, measure back 10 inches and tie some paracod around the bundle (I used a constrictor knot). Start true 4 strand braid tight up against the paracord, and braid a 12-14" long section. This ended up perfectly centered for me, using 3/8" rope. Then fold your bundle in half at the braided section and you'll have a 4 strand braided eye with 8 strands coming out. Braid those 8 strands as shown in this vid, finish with simple (or sailmaker's) whipping at the end. No splicing required, and just the one braid to learn... So yeah, I did it different from your vid, but you inspired me, so thanks

[@mariisconfused]

Hey, will it hold you up tho?

[@FusionDeveloper]

6:30 (begins the demonstration) Great video, thanks. I just braided a palm leaf blade I ripped into strips to test it, came out nice. :)

[@jgilgorri]

Great video! It helped that you used the different colors. It helps to see the patterns. You know you're doing it wrong if two different colors are next to each other in the outer two, or the same in the inner two, after each cycle (assuming we do it like yours-yours was always Tan Tan Green Green)

[@ITStactical]

@MCSS1699 A Memorial Bracelet. Thanks for the kind words, glad you liked the video! ~ Bryan

[@ITStactical]

@beast12101 Also, the eye splice is the strongest and safest method of terminating this line. It develops approximately 85% of the break strength of the line.

[@YapLapWombat]

Summary of key proportions. 02:00 >> so, going from 7/16 inch (one cord) to 02:20 >> 7/4 inch (8-cord braid). (That is - a 4-fold increase in diameter. ) 03:43 >> 8 lots of 35 feet cord 03:48 >> reduced to 25 feet of braided length. (That is - start off with 8 lots of cord 1.4 times longer than intended final braided length.)

[@muemue888]

thank you! i had no clue what he was rambling on about :D

[@ITStactical]

@painfull94 No worries about using a different kind of rope, just be sure of the weight rating. Nylon sucks period... Look to the article today and we'll make some suggestions.

[@Smokingfeatherwalks]

This is a great braid. I tried to learn from an illustration but it was too difficult. Now I've got it. Thanks

[@ITStactical]

@deathhasasthma Well thanks for sticking around and supporting our videos!

[@ITStactical]

@painfull94 Eye Splice. It's the strongest and safest method of terminating this line. It develops approximately 85% of the break strength of the line.

[@deathhasasthma]

thank you so much this for a some 3 or 4 vids now i've been juggling to end my subscription to your page or not and this vid has done and done it.

[@outer--heaven376]

really like the way this rope turned out and I've followed how to do the eye splice and whipping the end. my question is when you bought the 8 strands of 35 foot rope in the very end after the eye splice and whipping was done how long exactly was the rope from top to bottom?

[@kylanconrad1226]

InstaBlaster...

[@79outlaw]

WOW. now thats dedication. really looking forward to the upcoming vids. Good job bro.Mahalo

[@kcphotoman1]

Agreed. First rule of instructional videos. Instruct correctly.

[@SaeedRazaA]

Awesome. making my fast rope right now. Really helpful.

[@ITStactical]

@lassepdsn Not sure I understand the question? If both ends were taped it would be impossible to braid.

[@BRAIDERMAN]

Yes - You can make a very nice looking rope by using 12 strands, ie 4 sets of 3-ply. I used the 3-ply version for making horse leads in the equestrian industry. Remember, fasten one end then plait away from this end and looking down at it, plait each outside 3-ply 'over 2 and under 1' - that is the plaiting pattern.

[@ITStactical]

@beast12101 We thought of that originally, but decided against it, as we wanted to make an authentic Fast Rope with the eye splice.

[@ITStactical]

@painfull94 Well, the 35 ft. I was working with wound up being about 25 in the end, so I think you'd end up with the same.

[@darkonc2]

If you do it as done in the video, it's probably about 10-1. If you want a permanent handle at one end, you can make it by folding it in half 3 times On the third fold, you want to fold it around whatever you want to make your handle out of (or wrap it around something big enough that the last loop IS your handle. You can also leave a spare rope at the other end to use on the the leash.

[@alohaworld]

Very helpful video. It works!!

[@satansmusic2009]

AWESOME FIRST VIEW!!!! kool vids guys

[@SethTreazel]

to save some time- take the long unbraided and shorten 3 of them by rolling them up in a roll but make sure you can take from roll. by hanging the 3 ends, you let gravity do the work for you. so tying as you move from the top of a ladder down and braiding between your nose and waist keeps the knots tight. good luck all.

[@dandymcgee]

Assuming the weight is evenly distributed among all 8 strands it would be 550x8. You should always account for the possibility of uneven distribution when loading the rope. A safety factor of two gives you a maximum load of 550x4 or 2,200 lbs.

[@burpinator]

great vid iam soo going to make one!!! thanks!!!!

[@Chebby303]

Nice and clear!

[@Ghostginthree]

Great video. I would love a fast rope to climb and train.

[@AlQasim2011]

Hey @ITStactical, love your vids, learned alot. Just a quick question for you off topic, what kinda watch/model are you wearing?

[@WildernessMedic]

Ok so you say it's more for climbing, but CAN you use it for fast roping? If so how does it differ from a quality military one? Huge difference, same thing?

[@PhoenixCustomPrimiti]

Round braid can be a pill if you're not used to working rope. When you finish, I hope you take the time to backsplice. It's not the easiest thing to do with larger rope, but it results in a professional finish that most people envy. (Especially when you tell them you made it yourself.)

[@dustdevil317]

Ironically, I can buy 1-1/4" Manilla for about $3 a foot, or about $100 for the same 35-ft length. This, incidentally, would be the same rope that 24-years ago, I pegged climbing a 35-ft obstacle course tower in 6.7 seconds at Camp LeJeune on. (I have also 'fast-roped', but not since the Marines). The point being, why spend 2x the money for a rope you don't need that much shock strength for, when you aren't going belly-slung on a CH-53 with? If you want to climb a tree, a wall, or your neighbor's fence (because his filly is prettier than your filly), then the manilla rope will suffice. On a side note, I've climbed several hundred yards of manilla rope, and no splinters - only 2 bad rope burns, and both of those were on repel. Then again, that was pre-Pepsi generation, when we had GLOVES as PPE, because everyone knew that the manilla wasn't 'soft-and-squishy'!

[@sideswipe147]

Actu lly manilla rope is incredibly soft and squishy once it's properly broken in. That's why it's widely used in kinbaku. Aka shibari.

[@sideswipe147]

Actu lly manilla rope is incredibly soft and squishy once it's properly broken in. That's why it's widely used in kinbaku. Aka shibari.

[@zyriab5797]

Ropes and knot dedicated videos ? I sub !

[@mattn9886]

Great video! I want to use this weave with para cord. Making a dog leash, I want it to be about 6' long before the eye / handle. How much cord will I need? Thanks!

[@ITStactical]

@79outlaw Thanks brother!

[@xstunter8]

awesome vid dude im gonna do this wiv my rope tomz :P

[@blessedrican]

quick hint if u do put it down and pick it back up he takes the higher one of the two sides

[@lassepdsn]

@ITStactical I did mean both ends of the set of 2 strings. But when thinking about it might mess up the braid as well.

[@painfull94]

@ITStactical sorry about all the questions but i was also thinking about doing it with rope but i cant think of spending 200 on a rope that i will prob never use so i was thinking of making it out of some cheap 7/16 rope like the stuff you find at the home improvement stores and stuff. or is that a really bad idea to do that. do you know of any other rope options to do besides the static pricy stuff like maybe some stuff thats about half the price? thanks so much this seems like a fun project

[@nine4t4]

Minor correction. 550 lbs. IS NOT the max load!!! It's the tensile strength. Saying that rope has a maximum load is so incorrect it's not even wrong. You didn't actually say that but some people read it that way. No ball busting Safe working load varies depending on whom you talk to but 8-10:1 is usual. So the final result would have a working load of 10x50=500 lbs (very safe to climb). Mountaineering ropes would rate in 1000's of pounds breaking strength

[@GarbageBuffalo]

I have a spool with 1000 ft of black 1/4 inch paracord. Can I possibly double or quadruple that up so that I can make a rope that is more or less an inch wide or wider? Any suggestions?

[@kenbillings7312]

I did this back in the 70s with a full reel of parachute cord. A real is 1200 feet. Before it was over we did 5 reels worth of parachute cord.

[@MrNetworkerror]

Quick observation: After a little experimentation, I found that I lost about 20% of the length to the braid. When measuring out your lengths of rope, make sure to add 20%. (Eg. 12 feet of rope = 10 feet of braided rope.)

[@zinjmeister]

Long lead in to the video, but at no point do you define the term "fast rope". That would have been at least as helpful as hearing about how much you spent on the strands of rope.

[@tntboom3245]

Oregano Thyme ikr

[@CurmudgeonExtraordinaire]

A way of descending from a helicopter without rappelling.

[@GavTatu]

you could finish off by whipping really tight, and putting some electricians cable heat shrink sleeving on.

[@akmediascope]

excellent!

[@painfull94]

@ITStactical ok cool so would you say i should splice at the end like you guys are doing or should i do like beast12101 was saying and just double it over. i am not short on time but i want it to be good looking and strong

[@BushImports]

What's wrong with just using 3/8" or 7/16" paracord instead of that high dollar stuff?

[@apollo3627]

What will the strength be if I were to make a climbing rope out of 550 paracord? Will it still be just 550lbs, will it increase X 8, etc....

[@chocymachado]

hi i lve th video and if you could help wat im after is to make heavy rope for mma traininig im not sure wat is 7/16th of an inch. few questions if you can help i can get 12mm sisal rope if i follow your instructions will it still work with sisal rope also with 12mm will it e bigger or smaller then yours demonstrated??

[@satna555]

hi, so i was thinking of making one myself, but i am unsure if this type of material will do the job. 550LB TYPE III COMMERCIAL PARACORD 5/32" 7 strand 100% nylon, or should i choose the other one which is made out of 100% polyester? Thanks

[@WanderingBeast]

just curious why you wouldnt just have 4 70ft ropes doubled over for an eye at the top?

[@rannvamacdonaldarnskov4794]

Instructions: Two behind, one in front My brain: do-si-do then swing your partner round and round...

[@HDhack3r]

New to paracord, and have a quick question. If 550 paracord is able to withstand a mininum of 550 pounds, then why would you need to braid it to make a rope? If you are an average weight of 150-200 pounds, then why would you ever have to worry about it breaking on you?

[@ErebuBat]

ebaymaster Because that is a static load. if you fall or otherwise put a large amount of sudden tension then a normal adult will exert WAY more than 550

[@HDhack3r]

Andrew Burns I weigh 110 pounds so it seems that a single paracord would hold me no problem. One of the problems I could think of is sharp rocks cutting the paracord which could be the reason for braiding it. But in a pinch, it would be much more convenient to use a single strand if it really could hold that much weight. I doubt a sudden tension from a 110lb person could snap a cord suitable up to 550 pounds of weight

[@ErebuBat]

ebaymaster I am not sure I would trust my life to "i doubt"

[@HDhack3r]

Andrew Burns I am pretty sure if your life is endangered you would be willing to take small chances.

[@74KU]

+ebaymaster Everyone is overlooking the most simple answer, braid for thickness, I am sure there are plenty of smart arses out there who can tie prusik knots, but for those who can't climbing a single strand of 550 is going to be very hard and very painful. Plus as everyone has said, when in doubt, braid.

[@painfull94]

so how much length do you lose with the 550 i want to make my self like 15 foot long in the end of 550 one just for fun because i am too poor to do it with rope. so would 30 foot long strands get me about 15-20 feet of fast rope? thanks idk if that made any sense

[@TheproSyndicate]

where do u buy the fast rope from

[@BeetleJewse]

It's not meant to be carried, they are used in helicopters, training, etc.

[@Everything4405]

how can you use that for climbing?

[@trip7shark]

You didnt have to use 8 strands. Just use 4 and double back on them that way you have loops to secure the rope with d-ring(s).

[@SimplyThoughtless]

Used on helicopters. Look on youtube for "Fast roping" or "Air Assault"

[@Jelle94able]

can i use just 4 ropes for this?

[@harveybloxam8880]

would utility rope work?

[@clemensexenberger2455]

can i do this with 5 straps? instead of 4?

[@matthewgerontes5003]

how much weight will the 8 strand paracord hold?

[@sallymaggiespotty]

800 pounds, give or take 25%

[@lassepdsn]

why don't you tape off both ends of the paracord? wouldn't that make it a lot easier to work with?

[@WAFFLES081]

ive thought about this idea and making like climbing rope thickness sizdd rope to use for aid in descents od harder climbing things.. not rock climbinv or rappelling. but as like something that is between two people.

[@TheQuinian]

I used this weave long before your vid on 4 stand 550 to make a cat'o'nine tails.. tieing the 9 into the handle was interesting but it works great... why did I make it? Cause I can.. why would YOU make it? I'd rather not know

[@gregchambers6100]

Yep. Nice.

[@gilbertonino5703]

Hey, I did it really easily, but I did it over front two behind one.

[@sebi01234]

WHAT IS THAT ON YOUR WRIST

[@unclejohnthezef]

some people loop the strands around a pole to braid it, nd wind up with a loop on top: they say you can use the loop to hang your rope: do you think this is ok? (I guess the loop is weaker than the rope, but it should be strong enough for 200 lb humans, right?)

[@ntlhui]

+unclejohnthezef BlueWater Assaultline is a climbing rated static rope. One strand will hold a human without any issues. 8 strands won't even start to complain. These ropes generally meet climbing standards, so a MBS of around 17-22 kN (4000-5000 lbs). Paracord on the other hand is NOT rated to hold a human. If you splice a loop into the end of the line, it should hold with similar strength characteristics as the rope itself. If you tie a loop into the end of the line, you are looking at strength reductions of around 20%, depending on the knot. In climbing, a figure-eight follow-through or a figure-eight on a bight is regarded as the best knot for putting in a loop; I would be wary of tying such a knot on a line about 2 inches thick though, and would back it up with a big stopper of some sort.

[@HrafnNordhri]

You could start and end this with an 8 strand Matthew Walker knot.

[@knifeloverdude]

it wors also with 4 strains

[@MegaDUBSTEP4ever]

It's easier to use 9 ropes, use the ninth rope as a core

[@sherifftactical7830]

The diameter of one of the eight strands of rope is the diameter of the rope I climb at home.

[@Tex6073]

Damn, may their soul rest in peace rather than pieces.

[@skyelerjackson7401]

i have the same watch as you

[@gladtidings4all]

Rope too bulky and big where can you carry that to?

[@thereverendmikejones]

I bet taping both ends of each bundle of 2 to begin with would keep things from getting so tangled

[@thomasfrenette5010]

I hope you didn't do that

[@toggibson]

The 3 people that disliked this didn't have a buddy :(

[@jgilgorri]

Also, I think I may try doing it all with para-cord. It'll take longer, but my wallet will thank me, I think.

[@TheTabellarius]

Wouldn't it be faster to buy a length of ships hawser looks the same probably cheaper to

[@maxiegrobner9018]

I’m short one copter.

[@ColourEyeStudios]

skip to 3:52

[@osodae7171]

Guys I’m proud of myself my video that I made a year ago I uploaded it and it got triple digits

[@big--man]

nah, i'm not gonna climb it. *_IT'S SLIDIN' TIIIIIIME_*

[@leeeeni]

a watch

[@coltscott4121]

This didn’t have to be 15 minutes long

[@srfrr]

THis loves having his "buddy" BEHIND him... Weird

[@firstnamelastname7143]

great show how to tie a rope backwards, and oops wrong, don't want to show the wrong way. well how about showing the right way, with camera angle proper as you see it, and anyone trying to do this would see it. showing from bad angle and perspective, behind hands blocking camera or out of frame is not exactly helpful.

[@spydergs6982]

firstname lastname Actually found it really easy to follow.

[@d2i0k0i4]

sory, ali nekim ljudima je obrnuta percepcija problem tako da im ovaj klip i nije od pomoći

[@kcphotoman1]

Why post your mistake? Do you not value your viewers time? Dump the middle 6 minutes of your video and remember 3 words. Edit, Edit, Edit.

[@Fadsmashers]

Seems excessive for climbing its not like a person is 10000Lbs or something!

[@Mikeynuts21]

It's like a women will tell you: It's all about the girth. More to grip.

[@AndreiOBK]

This ain't fast, it takes 15 minutes. LOL

[@katherine7444]

That hardly seems fast.

[@JuanGarcia-ej8hc]

7 damn minutes to get to the point, you talk way too much

[@adventureswithfrodo2721]

it is really useless. I know I've jumped out of my share of helicopters.

[@drownproof]

YOU FORGET CLIFFS , LEDHES MOUTAINS ETC

[@MrUnder30seconds]

looks uncomfortable to grab. expensive, not fast lol.

[@raider7840]

Coool I’m gonna do 100 ft

[@harveybloxam8880]

would utility rope work?