Rope historically has been made by humans from fibre for millennia.
Preserved fragments have been found dating back to around 15,000 BC. 
Check out this link for more historic and general information about rope http://tinyurl.com/l7sas
From natural beginnings, more recently industry has innovated and created rope from man-made materials to suit the many uses it is put to.
Natural fibres including hemp, sisal and manila or abaca (a member of the banana family genus) are still in use today for mainly decorative or non-load bearing activities as man-made ropes and braids have more consistent and higher load-bearing properties. This said there is still a place in the world of cordage, a term referring to ropes, for natural fibre. Sisal, for example, goes well in the garden, it holds knots well and is great for staking and tying, even bundling. Manila, the fibre that eventually overtook hemp, is still widely popular today for recreational (tug of war anybody?) and decorative uses, especially good when you want large quantities but don’t want to spend the earth. See Action Outdoors manila rope page here Manila Ropes
Man-made rope materials include nylon, polyester, and polypropylene. These ropes feature fewer irregularities in strength and therefore are more favoured in marine and outdoor activities where safety and consistency are important for applications.
Nylon rope’s ability to absorb shock well (nylon’s stretch of up to 30% make it ideal in shock load scenarios), high tensile strength (load/force the material can withstand before becoming materially deformed) abrasion resistance and withstanding of mildew make it a desirable product. It is important to note nylon sinks in water and loses up to 15% per cent of its strength when wet. Link to Action Outdoors nylon rope page here Nylon Ropes
The polyester rope also referred to as Terylene, Dacron and Trevira, are all polyester by another name. Rope made of polyester is favoured when no stretch is desirable. This product handles well and resists rotting, mildew, UV and is two and half times stronger than manila. This heavy fibre will not float and is popular in boating and marine applications, as well as outdoor recreation, uses like climbing and safety ropes. Check Action Outdoors polyester rope page Polyester Ropes
Polypropylene rope is a cost-effective product that won’t absorb water, floats and will not shrink when wet. A lightweight rope polyester has a little stretch, is very flexible, has good load resistance and resists abrasion, and chemicals well. Action Outdoors supply polypropylene products treated to resist sun and UV damage from Australasian conditions, see our page for polypropylene rope here Polprop
Rope - handling
It’s important to treat rope well especially from a storage perspective, well cared for rope should last about five years barring other sudden events which render it unusable. Ensure you store your rope in cool dry conditions away from the sun as much as possible.
Preventing kinking is as simple as coiling your rope after use.
To prevent the ends of rope unravelling or fraying bind with twine (called whipping), tape or heat shrink tubing. Avoid melting and fusing hard plastic fibre rope ends as this may end in injury by cutting hands as the rope ends may be pulled through your palms and hard sharp ends slice flesh.
Any load bearing rope which is suddenly or sharply stressed or looks to be deteriorated should be discarded or only used in non-load bearing applications. If in doubt throw it out is the rule of thumb.
Needing a splice or any other knotty rope issues give us a yell. We can help.
If you have questions for us we’re happy to answer, write to admin@actionoutdoors.kiwi
