Hi Charlie,
I have been using plain ol' 1/2" twisted polypropylene rope, made by LeHigh.
It's available in 300' spools for around $48 I think it was. I bought a
spool of this plus a big, red plastic tub to store it in all at Home Depot.
I think the safe working load (SWL) of this is greater than 250 lb.
Polypropylene is inexpensive, stretches much less than nylon, and this size
is easy to grip (important factor. anything smaller is just too hard to
grip). It will not rot, so there's no worry if it gets wet. It will twist a
little though, due to its layed construction, and has poor UV resistance,
but that's not a problem unless you leave it laying in the sun for weeks.
This rope seems quite suitable for occasional use to me.
Double braided Dacron (polyester) is arguably better, but it is much more
expensive. If I were using my gin pole on a regular basis, I would invest in
a nice braided polyester rope.
Remember: for gin pole use you want a length that it at least twice the
tower height plus 50-75 feet so the ground crew can keep away from the
bottom of the tower (the "drop zone").
good luck,
--...MARK_N1LO...--
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