10mm Polyester Core Bee Line Hitch Cord

This 10mm Bee Line hitch cord has a polyester core and is sold by the foot, so you can cut exactly what you need for a friction hitch or have eyes sewn or spliced. It suits climbers running thicker climbing lines who want a hitch that grips without locking up.

Choosing a 10mm hitch cord

Hitch cord diameter is about the pairing with your climbing line. A 10mm cord on a 11 to 13mm rope gives a hitch that grabs firmly but still slides when you tend it. On thinner climbing lines, a 10mm hitch can feel slow and you may prefer 8mm. Test any new pairing low to the ground before you trust it aloft.

Buying by the foot lets you cut a length for your preferred hitch and knot your own ends, or plan for sewn or spliced eyes. Compare other tech cordage and hitch cord if you are dialing in a combination.

Inspection and retirement

Friction hitches build heat and wear quickly, and the hitch cord is usually the first part of a climbing system to wear out. Check it every day for glazing, fuzzing, stiffness, and cover wear, and replace it early rather than late. Burn-sealed cut ends should be finished cleanly so they do not catch.

The polyester core gives the cord a firm, round body that holds the shape of a hitch, and a 10mm cord has a little more material to spread heat on long descents. Climbers who move a lot of rope through a hitch on big trees often like that extra mass. It is also a forgiving size for learning to tie and dress a new hitch.

Hitch cord is life-support gear: use it only in a system that meets ANSI Z133 and the manufacturer's instructions, inspect it before every climb, and get trained before you tie into anything new.