Chewed Rope

Discuss vertical caving, equipment, & techniques. Also visit the NSS Vertical Section.

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Postby Doug McCarty » Feb 21, 2006 10:51 am

It occurs to me that, since our rat can apparently be depended on to chew on the rope, this is a great opportunity for experimentation. I will try the various things people have suggested (except for the cat) and see what works. I have two chewed up ropes that I can use for bait. The rope tender is a nice idea, but I can’t think of anyone who would be willing to sit for 10 to 12 hours to guard our little handline. If you have any more suggestions post them and I’ll try them.
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Postby ian mckenzie » Feb 21, 2006 10:58 am

Animals are attracted to things like this for three reasons - food (taste), potential nesting material (e.g. soft 'new' rope), and curiosity. You would have to deal with all three. Note though that most rodenticides are made to be attractive to rodents, in order to kill them - which does you no good if you put it on or near the rope. Personally I dislike the slaughter of cute innocents, so I prefer posting a guard.

How about placing a rebelay near the top, so upon exiting you can inspect the exposed portion of rope above you before getting onto it? You could hang a steel-cable caving ladder on the top bit as a backup, should you need it.

If it's just a handline, you could use a knotted cable rather than rope.
Last edited by ian mckenzie on Feb 21, 2006 11:05 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Postby Doug McCarty » Feb 21, 2006 11:02 am

Sorry about the three nearly duplicate posts. I got an error message that said I couldn't post so soon after my previous post, so I rewrote the message and posted it again, then got the error message again and tried again. Then I realized all three had been posted in spite of the error message.
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Postby Tim White » Feb 21, 2006 12:32 pm

Doug McCarty wrote:Sorry about the three nearly duplicate posts...


Doug- I took care of that for you, deleted them. :big grin:
Be safe,
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Postby George Dasher » Feb 21, 2006 1:56 pm

I had a rat chew through my survey tape once. We had shortened the shot to find an easier-to-use station, and he chewed through the tape behind the lead person.

Fortunately, he chewed through at the 47-foot mark, so we could keep surveying.

Guess he just wanted a souvenir for his nest!
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rat cable

Postby Anonymous_Coward » Feb 22, 2006 1:24 pm

Anyone ever used a rat cable?

It cannot be chewed through and provides a second attachment between the rig and a point on the rope below the lip. Even then, if the rope was chewed through, I'm not sure how you would get out of the pit. But at least if you loaded a half-chewed rope you wouldn't crater when the rope broke.

I have never even seen a rat cable. I just heard of one that they use at the Canadian Hole entrance of Friar's Hole System in WV. It might be a good safety backup when you can reasonably expect rat activity. Any Canadians or other Friar's Hole cavers out there that care to elaborate?
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Postby Tlaloc » Feb 22, 2006 3:00 pm

D-Con is forever.
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Postby worldnaut » Feb 23, 2006 12:00 am

Hi Everybody. Our grotto is looking to start learning vertical. If anybody knows of any classes, seminars or events we could plan to attend this spring towards that end, Please post or PM me. Our Grotto is in Western Kentucky, with most of the members from Paducah. Thanks.
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Postby Adam Byrd » Feb 23, 2006 11:42 am

Doug-

I don't know how much of your rope exposed to the rat, but maybe you could place a pad the rat would have trouble with. I've seen those Spiroll pads that are made out of a tightly coiled plastic sheet that look pretty neat. Of course a cheaper alternative would be a section of an old garden hose.

A pad might not stop the rat from chewing through your rope, but it could at least slow down its progess.
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Postby Doug McCarty » Mar 8, 2006 11:33 am

Hey Adam,
Thanks for the suggestion. I'll try it.

If you ever get back up in this neck of the woods, get ahold of me or Brian Masney and you can help us survey the Tucker County cave where the rat holes up.
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Postby Adam Byrd » Mar 8, 2006 1:37 pm

Will do Doug. I don't make it home as often as I'd like to, but I'm always ready to cave. I'll bring the rat traps. :boxing:
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Postby Lava » Mar 8, 2006 4:25 pm

cavercrew wrote:Not too long ago, we had a young black lab follow us on a typical hike in the land of TAG to do some wet vertical stuff, Alabama, to be somewhat
specific.


Sounds like Wils Welsh Well/ Water Well area?
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Postby hank moon » Mar 8, 2006 7:16 pm

Lava wrote:Sounds like Wils Welsh Well/ Water Well area?


Ahhh. Wils Welsh...now that's a good little trip. Just the kinda cave I miss out here in (sometimes too dry) Utar...

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Postby cavercrew » Mar 8, 2006 8:03 pm

Lava wrote:
cavercrew wrote:Not too long ago, we had a young black lab follow us on a typical hike in the land of TAG to do some wet vertical stuff, Alabama, to be somewhat
specific.


Sounds like Wils Welsh Well/ Water Well area?


Well, I'd say you have inside info or have had that dog follow you too!
Really is a sweet dog.
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Postby Lava » Mar 9, 2006 6:47 pm

No inside info, just a good guess. He is a sweet dog!

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