Whether you are camping, boating, rock climbing, or hunting and fishing, you’re probably using rope; that’s just the kind of tool rope is - highly versatile.
So whether you have a specific activity in mind or you just generally find yourself outdoors quite often, it’s worth familiarizing yourself with the best types of rope for the outdoors.
Polyester rope.
Like Nylon, it provides significant strength, but without the stretch. It also has tremendous abrasion resistance and is rot and mildew resistant, making it the best outdoor rope. Keep in mind, Polyester rope ties easily and will generally remain unaffected by water (which also makes it great for camping).
Specifically, polyester rope is great for:
Although polyester rope will work for general industrial applications, we recommend going with a more heavy duty material like steel fibers for certain industrial uses and environments.
Ultimately, if you could choose just one rope to bring with you, this would be it. Available online at QNR in multiple diameters, lengths, and colors.
Our team at Quality Nylon Rope has compiled a list of the 3 best types of rope for outdoor use:
Made up for three strands, using multiple fibers, twisted rope is a good option for outdoors activities. It works for most general boating purposes and towing.
You can typically find twisted rope in polyester, polypropylene and nylon. The material of the rope will also influence its functionality. If you’d like to learn more, our blog features articles about the advantages of nylon rope, the difference between polyester and nylon, and many other articles.
Pros: Very inexpensive, polyester is best for use when the rope is exposed to water or moisture, as it is resistant to mildew and rotting. This type of rope, also floats making it easily visible in the water. As polyester is plastic, to prevent unraveling, just heat the ends of the rope.
Cons: Some drawbacks to twisted rope are the fact that it’s difficult to knot, and its known for kinking easily. It’s also not the strongest rope design.
Manila Rope is an all-natural fiber rope, made from the Abaca plant. It’s sometimes referred to as hemp rope, and it’s a great general utility rope for someone looking to use rope for outdoor activities, decor, marine use, landscaping, exercise climbing rope, fishing nets, farm work, tug-of-war, or towing lines.
Avoid manila if there’s any chance the rope could become wet or inclement weather is likely.
Pros: Manila is great, because it has good multi-functionality and it is soft on the hands. This rope is also quite flexible, while still maintaining its durability. It’s best in situations where rope needs to be durable and resist salt water damage.
Cons: Manila unfortunately does shrink after becoming wet, making knots difficult to undo. In this case, we recommend avoiding manila if there’s any possibility of the rope becoming wet. We also advise wetting and drying the rope once before knotting, so any subsequent shrinking will be less drastic. Also, as a natural fiber, it’s important that manila ropes are stored dry to prevent mildew and rotting.
Like twisted rope, braided rope and double braided rope is made up of many fibers. However, double braided rope has a braided inner core that is then covered in another braid. It’s ideal for dock and anchor lines, dog leashes, and horse reins.
Pros: The good thing about double braided rope is that it is super strong and abrasion resistant because it holds its shape well. The nylon makes it impervious to UV rays, and it’s not going to kink like twisted rope. Because of the braid design, these ropes have a little bit of stretch to them, providing great shock absorption.
Cons: While double braid is great for marine use, it’s not generally good for manufacturing situations.
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Outdoor recreation is an important part of many peoples lives. While there are a myriad of different ropes available, these three types of rope for the outdoors should cover most situations.
Trying to figure out what the best type of rope is for a specific application? Check out this blog we wrote
detailing the best type of rope for 25+ common uses.