The best 1mm Line

(please? :p)

Hey Bryce,

The camera is away and my cell phone doesn't do macro mode.

I can try to describe,

It is heavily braided, almost to the point that it doesn't need to have the ends welded when cut, almost anyway:-)

If you've ever used braided mason's line, it has a loose braid and very flexible.

The Oware line on the other hand has tight braid that makes it stiff enough to be handled like a much thicker line.
I think it is made of dacron and has a very grippy finish. So taut-line hitches hold and don't slip once set. No need for line adjusters gizmos when using this line.

The stiffness also makes it as easy to untangle as 2mm line.

Maybe Dave will post pics if he has any?

Thanks for the good word, Steve.

This is a Dacron polyester cord, so it absorbs little water, has low stretch, isn't
bothered by acids. Being just 1mm it is lighter than the 2+ mm cords (triptease, etc). This makes it easy to take extra when you need to
reach that 25' more to a tree for your tarp. It is probably too small to work with the
lineloc 3. I am getting a batch of the lineloc 3 to add to future tarps and to sell so
will check out if it works tho. Makes good bear retrieval cord if you use the counter-
balance bear hang system. (IMO, a better system than the PCT for problem bears).

http://shop.bivysack.com/product.sc?productId=44&categoryId=13

Here is a large O-mega-mega mid held up by a single strand of this cord. The cord may not hold body weight, but I would rather have any failure due to extreme conditions in a shelter set up be the cord rather than the tarp fabric. Cord can be doubled up etc. but if you rip out a tie out –.

Here is a closeup shot. It appears the Oware line is a tiny bit thinner than the mason's line, but be aware it is a tighter braid so I doubt it is lighter:

Hey Dave,

Re:
"Makes good bear retrieval cord if you use the counter-balance bear hang system."

After some thinking, I think I now agree. There have been bears that have figured out how to knock the food bag down by messing with the dangling line of other methods.

The counter-balance method has no dangling line for the bears to mess with.
And so a more the grippy line does make sense be helping hold the bags in place.

I am sold, the Oware 1mm line can do everything:-)

For bear bagging, it is helpful to have a dark-colored cord. It makes it harder for the critter to find it by sight. They might still find it by smell, but it is harder to pinpoint.

The 2-bag counter balance method has no dangling line, and that is the only way to go.

A grippy line is good, but if it is slick, just wind it around a stick and grip the stick. Also, don't try to pull the line _down_. You will be putting the maximum stress on the branch and the line and everything. Instead, pull the line by walking away from the food hang.

Then when everything is hung and is correct, I hang up some decoys like an empty brown paper bag tied with white cord and situated about six feet off the ground.

–B.G.–

> The cord may not hold body weight, but I would rather have any failure due to extreme conditions in a shelter set up be the cord rather than the tarp fabric.

It's not even close to holding body weight (or at least my 155). I just was testing this to see how it would work for my food bag. Was concerned it may be too thin for that. I had some slightly thicker braided catfish line (100 lb I think) that I think I will use. It also held more of my weight. This wasn't scientific by any means but I tried both twice, tying bowlines on one end and hanging them on a hook and then seeing how much force I could pull before they broke.

Note, I am not suggesting that this cord be used for hanging food out of reach of bears.
It may break and drop the food on your head. Or at least crumble your bickies. I use it for retrieval cord to pull down a counter balanced bag. Here is a sketch I made.

http://www.owareusa.com/images/Hang.jpg

David's drawing is very good, and it looks like one that I did thirty years ago.

There is one small tweak that you might add. The wrist size limb should be downsloping slightly. That makes it harder for the bear to climb out on it.

–B.G.–

The wrist size limb has thwarted even SEKI Bub's Creek bears. Too thick to chew at the trunk, too skinny to shinny at the hang.

Oware no longer selling this 1mm cord – can anybody point me to an alternative supplier for this type of line?

have you looked into braided spectra?

Zpacks has some really nice line but their smallest is 1.4mm for the Dacron and 1.25mm for Spectra.

http://www.zpacks.com/accessories/spectra_cord.shtml

Plain old braided spectra/dyneema fishing line or kite line is very slippery, whereas polyester kite line, like the Oware stuff described in this thread, is much less slippery and holds knots better. Most online kite shops will have Dacron (polyester) kite line in a wide variety of weights. The white, unwaxed stuff will be very similar to the Oware line. I don't know what test weight (strength) will be close to 1mm in diameter, but that information would be easy to find.

I gave up on anything that swells when it gets wet because I'm tired of wrestling with impossible knots when my fingers are cold.

I either use Zing-it or 250lb test spectra fishing line. The Zing-it (2.2mm) is thick enough to use prusiks and other funky knots. The fishing line is obviously strong, light-weight and compact but don't get carried away with fancy knots.

Maybe something like this? It’s rated 150 lb, which seems to be about right for shelter lines.
150 lb Dacron Kite Line

They do carry heavier lines that may be preferred for bear bagging or ridge lines on large shelters.

Thanks for the suggestions guys.
I've ordered some 1mm polyester window blind cord and will report back.
If it doesn't work out, the kite line seems like it may be close too.

Litetrail gline is the best right now. Hands down.

The Gline looks like a good option. I'll guess it doesn't hold a knot as well as the kite and window-shade line, but stronger and more abrasive resistant.

Gline as other similar lines, may require some of the more grippy versions of the taut-line/prusik style knots to hold tight.

I am currently using G Line for my tarp guylines. This stuff works great, holds knots very well, and has a nice stiff hand so it does not tangle easy. Taut lines and prussiks hold great, and I don't have to do multiple wraps to make them work.