Rope materials and care

Natural fibres such as cotton, hemp, sisal and manila are grippy and knot well. Their weaknesses: they rot when stored damp and are usually weaker than synthetics of the same thickness. For simple lashings in the garden or camp they are still pleasant to work with.

Polyamide (nylon) is strong, elastic and abrasion resistant. It stretches noticeably under load and loses some strength when wet; paracord is typically nylon. Polyester stretches less and resists UV light better – which makes it well suited to lines that should stay taut, such as a tarp ridgeline.

Polypropylene is light and floats, but it is slick, sensitive to sunlight and melts at a comparatively low temperature. Knots slip in it more readily. HMPE fibres (known for example as Dyneema) are very strong and light but extremely slick and heat-sensitive; many simple knots do not hold reliably in them, so the manufacturer's guidance applies.

Besides the fibre, it matters how the rope is built. Laid rope consists of several strands twisted together – the classic 'rope' look. It is grippy, but it can untwist and kink if coiled wrongly. Braided rope consists of interwoven strands, is round and soft and twists less.

In kernmantle rope an inner core carries the load and a braided sheath protects it. Paracord and many accessory cords are built this way. The drawback: damage to the core is often invisible from outside. If a section feels thinner, softer or kinky as you run it through your hands, treat that as a warning sign.

Stiffness plays a part too: stiff rope doesn't bend well into tight curves, knots in it sit less firmly and can loosen with movement. Very soft rope, on the other hand, grips well but is often hard to untie after loading.

The rating on the packaging applies to new, undamaged rope without knots under test conditions. In everyday use the strength actually available is almost always lower. Every knot reduces it because fibres in tight curves are loaded unevenly. On top of that come abrasion, cuts, ageing, wetness and UV light. How much each of these matters depends so much on the individual case that the atlas deliberately gives no figures.

Sharp edges (rock, metal or the corners of crates) that a loaded rope runs over are particularly treacherous – rope can chafe through quickly there. Heat is the second great enemy of synthetic fibres: if rope runs quickly over another rope or a branch, friction heat can melt it. Glazed, hard spots are a sign of this.

Chemicals such as battery acid, solvents or fuel can also attack fibres without it being obvious at once. So never use rope of unknown history for load-bearing tasks where something important depends on it.

Run a rope through your hands before using it. Look for cuts, glazed or hard spots, lumps, exposed core and heavy discolouration. Don't use damaged sections for load-bearing tasks any more; they can still serve for bundling or practice.

Unsecured ends unravel. Wrap tape or thin twine around them (this is called a whipping). Synthetic rope can additionally be melted carefully – but only keeping skin and flammable material away: molten plastic sticks to skin and causes severe burns. Children should only do this together with an adult.

Store rope dry, clean and loosely coiled, protected from sun, heat and chemicals. Let wet rope dry in the air, not right next to the fire or on a heater.

For the knots in this atlas, accessory cord, paracord or a general-purpose rope is usually enough. What matters is that rope and knot suit each other. A tension hitch that grips reliably in grippy cord may slip in slick, stiff cord. So always try a knot with exactly the rope you intend to use before relying on it.

If a knot slips in a particular rope, an extra turn, a doubled variant or a different knot often helps. This overview does not replace manufacturer data. None of the knots in this atlas is meant for life-safety use – not for climbing, abseiling, rescue or holding and lifting people. Life-safety use only after proper training with certified equipment.