Anyone still use rope to tie things down?

[BrokeFarmerJohn]

I have a love hate relationship with ratchet straps. Sure they work well but storing them is a nightmare compared to the simplicity of properly coiling and securing a line for storage. I'm often spending more time untangling ratchet straps than actually securing the load. A line can be coiled and secured so it doesn't tangle in seconds.

I have always had the opposite relationship with rope and ratchet straps, I can keep my ratchet straps neat and organized and if I'm cussing at something, it's usually a rope or extension cord.

I use rope often for various things but I never use it for securing a load for transport, I carry 4 bright orange 15ft light duty ratchet straps, 4 of the big yellow 25-30ft straps and a mixture of buggies, mainly use those to keep light things tight like tarps ext.

All of those are kept in a plastic tote that rarely leaves my truck.

After use of the straps, I separate the strap from the ratchet, separately store the ratchets and coil the straps placing those next to the ratchets in the tote, everything always stays neat and organized.

When I need them all I have to do is grab a ratchet, grab a coiled strap, let the strap uncoil, toss it over the load, hook it up and tighten it down, simple and efficient.

 

[k0ua]

Multiple iPhone apps also available to teach knots.

Dozens for Android too of course.

 

[IslandTractor]

Dozens for Android too of course.

We iPhone users aren't so specific and think of "iPhone" generically as with "kleenex" to include all smartphones. I assume anything available for the iPhone is also in the Android app world. There probably are a few exceptions but both systems seem to be pretty similarly populated by apps.

 

[Norm W]

Most all of the ropes I have, have an eye splice on one end and a back spice on the other. In Scouts (a long time ago) we had to carry a ten foot piece of 3/8" rope with an eye splice on one end and a very tight eye splice around a 2" long piece of wood on the other. That way each person could fasten their rope to the next person's by putting the wood through and across the eye splice. Four scouts could have a 40' rope if necessary. When I worked in a boat yard we would go sailing on our day off. Set up a long tack and splice dock lines while we watched the world go by. Knots and splices are some of the handiest things to know.

 

[Wagtail]

After use of the straps, I separate the strap from the ratchet, separately store the ratchets and coil the straps placing those next to the ratchets in the tote, everything always stays neat and organized.

When I need them all I have to do is grab a ratchet, grab a coiled strap, let the strap uncoil, toss it over the load, hook it up and tighten it down, simple and efficient.

BINGO! That's the way to organise them... and using a large rubber band (or baggie) to keep the coiled strap 'together', if you want.

As you've said, you need to get into the habit of doing it right after you've used them or you will end up with a tangled mess. It's habitual with me (not pedantic), again, due to my Navy training = you leave nothing 'sculling around', put it away in it's place so it'll be ready to use again.

The same applies to a coil/length of rope... a new coil of rope has a 'memory' of when it was first coiled (think of a new garden hose and its constant kinking). It takes a while, usually after a few uses, for it to lose that 'memory' and be more pliable.

 

[IslandTractor]

Yes, with extra steps and extra equipment you can stow ratchet straps so they don't tangle but with a rope you just coil and hang it or coil and throw it in the back of the truck where it will be readily available in an instant the next time. I'm not saying that rope replaces all uses of ratchets. Ratchets can put much more tension on the strap than even a trucker's hitch can put on line but for most uses the line does a perfectly adequate job. Securing a ladder or lumber to a roof rack can be done with either but the time to secure and release the item and stow away the line/ratchet properly is usually much in favor of the line.

One problem with ratchets is that their hooks are not always going to fit the attachment point. Aerodynamic roof bars on cars are notorious as there is no easy way to attach the hooks. A simple bowline will be faster and simpler using a line. I do use ratchets as well as lines but to use the ratchet requires that I carry around yet another adapter (short length of strap with loops on either end) so the hooks can be adapted to various attachment points without damaging the finish. Not needed with a line as dacron line is rarely going to damage any finish.

As noted, I do use both but the simplicity and effectiveness of line along with just a few easily learned knots is the winner of the KISS contest by far.

 

[brown40]

There's not a day that goes by I'm not tying something from rope to laces. I wish I'd learned knots when I was younger.
Chains and ratchet straps have their place for fixed, heavy loads, but there's no creating an on the spot web of chain or ratchet strap over a light uneven load at the store unless you've got bags of them. If you can really master a few knots the applications for securing, repair, and just a spare hand are endless... Bowline, clove hitch, and alpine butterfly are simple, easy starters.
Bungees and ratchets are really easy and convenient, and chains don't stretch, but get any of them mixed together and its a mess--those hooks! 100' of 1/2" rope can fit in a tackle box and come out perfectly if its stored right.

 

[RobertN]

So does the Boy Scout handbook. And NFPA Firefighter-1 book.

Dozens for Android too of course.

 

[RobertN]

I prefer rope for the most part.

Frustrating thing for me, is most pickups do not have hooks, or good places to bolt them on the newer curvy thinner sheet metal.

And, the best hook are plain J-hooks, but they are also the least decent looking...

 

[TomSeller]

I use rope, ratchet straps and high quality bungee cords, it depends on what I am tying down. I use one type or a combination.