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Suspension Gear Guide
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Class schedule

Rope Bondage For Beginners

Going Further With Rope Bondage

Suspension From The Ground Up

Resources
Basic gear guide

Suspension gear guide

Resources

Unlike floor bondage, suspension bondage is a highly technical activity, and one that places much greater demands on your gear. Plan on spending several hundred dollars to get started.

Rope

Rope is obviously the most important part of your kit. With time, you'll probably develop strong preferences about exactly what kind of rope you prefer. For now, we strongly recommend that you start with hemp rope.

Hemp rope

Hemp rope is our favorite choice for suspension. It's comfortable against the skin, does a great job of holding knots, and is strong enough for the demands of suspension. In addition, it has a unique feel and smell that many people find attractive.

Hemp comes in 6mm and 8mm thicknesses. 8mm is the most popular choice for suspension because it's strong enough for all applications, and because its greater thickness can make it more comfortable when supporting weight. 6mm is easier to work with however, and some people find that it's more comfortable against their skin. We consider 6mm hemp to be suitable for all applications except for the primary vertical line, which should be 8mm hemp or a synthetic material.

Because it's a natural fiber, hemp requires some care in handling and storage. In particular, hemp rope is prone to rotting from the inside if stored while wet. In addition, hemp rope loses strength over time. There are no firm guidelines for when to replace rope, but you should be mindful of the state of your rope and inspect it periodically for wear and damage.

Our favorite source of hemp rope is Twisted Monk, although there are a number of other sources. If you're feeling ambitious, you can buy raw hemp stock and condition it yourself.

Regatta Braid

New England Ropes' Regatta Braid is a synthetic marine line whose strength and durability make it a great choice for more technical applications. We like it for pulleys and in some cases for vertical lines. Regatta Braid is available in many sizes, but 6mm is our favorite. Regatta Braid contains spun polyester that makes it hold knots better than most synthetic lines, but it's less grippy than hemp rope. Consequently you need to be particularly careful when tying it.

Carabiners

Carabiners are used for building the top rig and for reducing friction when building ad hoc pulley systems. Use only climbing carabiners with locking gates.

Pear-shaped carabiners work best for our purposes because their shape allows them to reduce the stacking of lines when multiple passes are used in a pulley system. Popular choices include the Petzel Attache and the Petzl William.

D-shaped carabiners are useful for making connections that don't judder, and you will likely want to have one or two in your toy bag. The Omega Pacific ISO Locking Standard D is a popular choice.

Top rig components

You'll need a suspension ring and a webbing sling to support the top rig. A 24" sling is about right for use at the CSPC and can be readily folded in half for lower ceilings. REI carries a number of options; the Mammut Dyneema Contact Sling is a good choice. Use only load-rated slings designed for climbing.

Cutting tools

We consider an emergency cutting tool to be mandatory gear for any rope bondage scene. If you need to get someone out of bondage in a hurry, you need a cutting tool that can reliably cut rope without cutting your partner. Cutting rope can be harder than it looks -- make sure that you practice before you find yourself in an emergency situation.

EMT shears

EMT shears are inexpensive (about $5) and very effective for cutting through rope, leather, and clothes. They are specially designed for cutting next to skin without injury. You can get them at drugstores, army surplus stores, and marine hardware stores. We particularly like the titanium coated EMT shears made by Clauss.

Rescue hooks

Rescue hooks are more expensive than shears, but they cut amazingly well and some people find them easier to use than shears. The Benchmade Model 5 is a popular choice.

Knives

We love knives, but they are not suitable for cutting someone out of bondage in an emergency. It is almost impossible to get a sharp knife between skin and rope without cutting your partner.

Suspension class shopping list

Here's the shopping list for our suspension class. Feel free to substitute equivalent products, but please check with us before buying anything significantly different. Our list includes the Suspended Animation kit from Twisted Monk (4 x 15' 6mm hemp, 2 x 30' 6mm hemp, 2 x 30' 8mm hemp). Note that the kit is significantly discounted from Monk's usual prices.

Total: $368