Q) Do I need to bring my own rope?
You’re certainly welcome to, but we have a loaner rope box if you don’t have any yet.
Q) How do I condition my rope?
Here’s a video that details all of the steps. They are all optional but have a benefit
- Breaking over a carabiner helps the rope settle.
- Singing it right after helps the broken rope settle further when tied and also makes it less abrasive on skin/fingers
- Oiling helps protect the rope from water / sweat / humidity and makes it feel nice on skin (it will leave you less dry)
You can do all or none of them upfront and/or as maintenance tasks whenever you feel your rope is too stiff / tangled (#1), fuzzy (#2), or leaves your hand / body feeling dry (#3)
The biggest risk is dry-rot. This sets in at 75% relative humidity and is near impossible to purge. It will make the rope “feel” dry but what it means is a fungus came in when it was too wet and ate the fibers / produced water which then dried and repeated the cycle. Google “Dry Rot” for examples on ships. To mediate take it home and leave it in an open air humidity controlled environment. DO NOT under any circumstance leave your rope in the car over the weekend or in an airtight bag after you tie/sweat on it.
Here’s a video of the 3x steps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0COXmclKkNg