Target Line Throw Line

Target Line is a lightweight, slick throw line designed to carry a throw weight high into the canopy and come back without hanging up. It is a straightforward choice for climbers setting lines every day.

What makes a good throw line

A throw line has to be light enough that your weight can carry it a long way, slick enough to slide over bark, and stiff enough not to tangle the moment it hits the ground. Target Line is built around that balance. It runs cleanly out of a cube and does not grab when you pull the weight back to isolate a crotch.

Target lines also come in bright colors, which helps when you are tracking a line through dense leaves or trying to tell your throw line from a rigging line.

Line that is too soft tends to grab bark and bunch up when you pull it back. Line that is too stiff springs into loops on the ground. A good throw line sits between the two, which is what most climbers look for when they choose one for daily use.

Using Target Line on the job

Flake the line into a bag or cube, tie your throw weight on with a secure knot, and throw underhand in a smooth arc. Once the weight is over the union, lower it, tie on your climbing line and pull it into place. If you need to go higher than you can throw, a launcher will send the same line much farther.

Browse other throw line options if you want to compare diameter and feel.

Practice matters as much as the line. Spend time throwing at easy targets so your arc and release become consistent. Most missed throws come from rushing, not from the gear.

Care and limits

Keep the line clean, dry and out of mud. Cut out damaged sections and retie your weight when the end wears. Replace the line once the coating is worn through.

Throw line is not rated for climbing or rigging. It only sets the line that holds you, so always inspect your climbing system and anchor, follow ANSI Z133 and the manufacturer's instructions, and keep people out of the throw zone.

If your line gets stuck high in a tree, do not yank on it from directly below. Change your angle, try to flip it free, and if it will not come down, cut it as high as you can reach and retie a weight on the remaining line.

Choosing a throw line

Thinner lines carry farther and add less drag, especially with a launcher. Slightly thicker lines are easier to grip with gloves and tend to tangle less. Slick coatings help retrieval and isolation, while softer lines can grab bark.

Think about where you work. In big conifers and tall hardwoods, a light slick line paired with a launcher is hard to beat. On smaller residential trees, a line that handles well by hand matters more. Many climbers carry two lines so they always have a backup when one gets stuck or cut. Keep each in its own bag so target lines never get mixed with rigging gear.