Attaching the climbing line, Pile Hitch method.
After positioning the throw line in the tree, you can remove the throw bag and then attach the climbing line to the throw line.
If you don't know how to attach the throw ball to the throw line, make sure to check our article on that topic in the tree work or arborist section of our website.
Getting the throw line into the tree is the first step, but of course we can't climb on this little throw line, so it's pretty useless unless we get the climbing line into the tree as well.
We use the throw line to hoist the climbing line into position.
To attach the throw line to the climbing line, we can use several techniques. A simple method is using a Pile Hitch combined with a few Half hitches and then tied of at the end with a mid line Clove Hitch. Make sure the final mid line Clove Hitch sits as far to the end of the climbing line as possible, else it creates fork with the throw line and the stiff climbing line, and that will of course get stuck wherever it sees an opportunity to do so.
Throw line
Throw line is not just a random piece of line. Good throw line needs to be light and flexible, but it also needs to be very strong as it will be exposed to a lot of force during its daily use.
On top of that it you also don't want it to be too elastic, and it shouldn't stretch too much.
Most throw lines are made of woven Dyneema and can take loads up to 400lb or 180kg. Throw line is usually coated with for example Samthane to protect it from excessive wear, and also to increase its knot holding capacity.
One of the popular brands to look for when buying throw line is the Samson Zing-It.
Throw line is part of the throw kit of the tree climber or arborist, which contains of course the throw line, one or more throw bags, and a throw line cube to store the throw line.