PSA: I finally figured out why my climbing line was always twisting up

For years I'd just coil my rope any old way after a job, and it would be a tangled mess the next morning. About six months ago, an old guy at a job in Spokane saw me fighting with it and said, 'Kid, you're putting twists in with every loop.' He showed me the butterfly coil, and now my line is ready to go every single time. It sounds small, but it saves me at least ten minutes of frustration on every climb. Anyone have other simple rope tricks that changed their day?

3 comments

3 Comments

haydenp952mo ago

Wait, you went years without the butterfly coil?

the_kim2mo ago

Oh man, this reminds me of when I used a basic spring for like two summers straight. Haydenp95, it was a total game changer when I finally switched, the difference in stability was insane. I felt like I'd been doing everything the hard way for no reason.

holly_williams1mo ago

Oh "game changer" is right. That reminds me of the time I tried to rig up a coat hanger as a spring once because I was too cheap to buy a real one. Worked for about three hours before it snapped and almost took my eye out. Good times. I swear half of my setups back then were held together with duct tape and good intentions. It's funny how you don't realize how rough you've got it until you actually try the real deal.