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Rope, Cord, and Webbing

The best rope, cord, and webbing, reviewed and curated by the Trailspace community. Stores' prices and availability are updated daily.

In order to show you the most useful information, we have omitted some unreviewed products.

Recent Rope/Cord/Webbing Reviews

rated 3.5 of 5 stars
BlueWater Ropes 9.7mm Lightning Pro

Climbs well, lightweight at 61g / m, nice looking color (especially the bi-pattern), but sheath wears quickly. Almost everything about this rope is great for backcountry climbing. Lightweight, easy to handle, good color. However, the sheath has worn faster than expected in a couple places, to the point where it is ready to be retired after only having been climbed on <50 times over two years. Fortunately the sheath wear is close to one end of the rope so I can trim ~10m off and still have a 60m… Full review

rated 5 of 5 stars
DIY: Paracord

I write this due to the abundance of so called paracord on the Web and in stores. Okay, I'll assume we all have heard of paracord. Now real paracord has 7 internal strands which can be so so useful from gear repair to fishing to the limits of your imagination. 550 paracord should hold 550lbs also! We had emergency egress units where it was just a hook or carabiner a figure 8 and 550 cord we all had tactical belts that have the emergency loop where you can hook up too. It is some mighty handy stuff… Full review

rated 5 of 5 stars
Edelweiss Discover 8 mm

My new favorite rope for glacier travel. ME: So, you carry the tent and stove and I'll carry the rope?" Partner who hasn't seen the rope yet: "That sounds fair." ME: *Smiles.  My rope is under 3 pounds I bought this rope for one reason; low-angle glacier travel on Mt. Rainier, Baker, etc. At 8mm this 30m rope won't work with many belay devices so TRY IT OUT WITH YOUR PRUSIKS AND BELAY DEVICES BEFORE YOU GO CLIMB! Caveat:  I am using this rope as a single rope even though it is ONLY rated as a… Full review

rated 4.5 of 5 stars
Beal Joker 9.1 mm

Light is right. A very versatile rope. Recently I lost 30 or so pounds, so you may ask, “Why do you care what your rope weighs? Now you can carry more stuff easier.” The answer is, “Because I can.” Would Mallory have worn hobnailed boots and wool if he had been able to wear fleece and nylon? Of course not, light is right. My main workhorse climbing rope is a 10.2mm monster that is fantastic till I need to carry it. I saw that Beal was making a thin rope that works in single, half or twin… Full review

rated 5 of 5 stars
BlueWater Ropes 9.7mm Lightning Pro

Feeds great. This rope is a great size for a thinner workhorse option. I use this rope as my go-to option if I can only take one rope with me to the crag. The Lightning Pro feeds great on belay, clips smoothly, and the color definitely pops in pics too, which is a bonus. I have taken some whippers on this rope, and it is elastic enough to give me a soft catch, but durable enough to withstand all the route projecting I use it on.   I climb primarily sport routes in dry climates, and I haven't tested… Full review

rated 5 of 5 stars
Mammut Genesis Dry 8.5

Fantastic, lightweight and sturdy double ropes. Unlike others I have seen, these don't tangle or get "ringlets" and after 6 years they're not fuzzy. Very smooth through the belay device, these ropes are great for rappelling and easy retrieval as well as good handling while belaying. Fantastic, lightweight and sturdy double ropes. Unlike others I have seen, these don't tangle or get "ringlets". Very smooth through the belay device, these ropes are great for rappelling and easy retrieval as well as… Full review

rated 4 of 5 stars
Maxim Equinox 10.2mm

After a year of weekend climbing I still like this rope. I didn't expect a lot from a rope in this price range, yet I was pleasantly surprised.  The rope, after a year of weekend sport climbing during nice weather, shows very few signs of wear; one broken strand in the whole rope. I saw a lot of other climbers using this rope right after I bought it so evidently I was not the only one who jumped on the clearance deal at REI. It started out stiff and it has softened up in this time, but it will… Full review

rated 0.5 of 5 stars
Sterling Evolution Velocity 9.8mm

I have been climbing for about a decade, and and I can say that without any doubt, the Sterling Evolution Velocity 9.8mm is the worst rope that I have ever used. Every time I used it, the fuzz would become worse and worse. After only one week of use the fuzz had revealed the core, necessitating the rope to be cut. I contacted Sterling, and even sent them the damaged section of rope (from Australia), and their response was extremely disappointing. They were extremely slow to respond to my emails,… Full review

rated 4.5 of 5 stars
Sterling Evolution Velocity 9.8mm

We have been running these ropes at Sylvan Rocks Climbing School for the past two seasons. Dragging them around the Needles of Custer State Park in South Dakota, and up Devils Tower, they take quite a beating. When you are teaching people to climb, they fall, ropes get worked! We are always looking at other ropes for durability, but balanced with ease of pulling through our belay devices and such. For now, this is the best we have found for the money. There are probably better ropes out there, but… Full review

Other Types of Climbing Gear

Find more climbing gear reviewed in these related categories:

Climbing Protection

Carabiners and Quickdraws

Belay/Rappel Devices

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