Sassafras 16 Strand Climbing Rope

Sassafras is a traditional 16 strand climbing rope built for arborists who still climb on a doubled line with a friction hitch. It has the firm, round feel 16-strand fans like and holds a hitch predictably once it is broken in.

How Sassafras climbs

Sixteen-strand rope has been the standard arborist climbing line for decades, and Sassafras keeps that feel. The cover is tight and the rope stays round under load, so a Blake's, Distel, or VT hitch grabs and releases the same way every time. Expect a stiffer hand for the first few climbs; it softens with use.

On a doubled-rope (MRS) system it works well with a friction saver or a ring-and-ring cambium saver, and it runs cleanly through a micro pulley on your hitch. It is not a low-stretch kernmantle, so it has a little more give on a long limb walk than a 24-strand line.

Sixteen-strand lines are also easy to splice and inspect. The braid pattern shows damage clearly, so cuts, pulled strands, and fuzzed sections are easy to spot when you run the rope through your hands before a climb.

Choosing and caring for it

Match your hitch cord to the rope diameter and test the hitch low before you commit to height. Keep the rope out of chips and sap, store it in a rope bag away from sunlight and fuel, and retire it after cuts, glazing, or crushed sections.

Life-support gear must meet the applicable standard (ANSI Z133 and the manufacturer's instructions), be inspected before every climb, and be used only by trained climbers.