There are some things you buy for one very specific job. Then there are things that somehow end up being useful for just about everything.

A good roll of rope tends to fall into the second category.

Whether you’re pulling cable, securing equipment, sorting out a job around the shed or simply dealing with one of those situations where somebody says, “Have we got some rope?”, polypropylene rope is a practical general-purpose option worth having around.

So, What Is Polypropylene Rope?

Polypropylene rope is made from synthetic polypropylene fibres. One of its biggest advantages is that it combines useful strength with relatively low weight, which makes it easy to carry, handle and work with.

Unlike ropes that readily absorb water, polypropylene does not absorb water and will float. That makes it particularly handy for outdoor jobs and situations where the rope may get wet. It also offers good abrasion and shock resistance for general-purpose applications.

In other words, it doesn’t need to be treated like the good lounge-room furniture every time the weather turns bad.

Lightweight Can Be a Big Advantage

When you’re handling a long length of rope, weight matters.

Polypropylene is lightweight compared with many other rope materials, which makes longer runs easier to move around a worksite, shed, property or job. That can be especially useful when the rope is being used for pulling or hauling rather than simply tied off in one spot.

It also makes storing a roll in the workshop, ute or equipment area considerably less of a chore.

It Doesn’t Mind Getting Wet

One of polypropylene rope’s most useful characteristics is that it does not absorb water and floats.

For outdoor work, that’s a useful combination. Rain, wet ground or working around water won’t suddenly leave you dealing with a rope that has soaked up moisture.

That doesn’t mean every polypropylene rope should be used for every marine or safety application — the rope still needs to be suitable for the particular job — but for everyday outdoor use, its resistance to water is a definite advantage.

Good for Pulling and Hauling

Three-strand polypropylene rope is commonly used for general pulling and hauling applications.

Discount Tarps’ 6mm blue and yellow polypropylene rope, for example, is commonly known as Telstra Rope or Parramatta Rope and is widely used for cable pulling and hauling. It comes in a 400-metre roll, making it particularly useful when a long continuous rope is needed.

If you’ve ever tried pulling something through a long run and discovered your rope finishes three metres short, you’ll appreciate why having plenty on the roll is not exactly a disadvantage.

Around the Shed, Farm or Worksite

The beauty of a good general-purpose rope is that it doesn’t have to spend its life waiting for one particular job.

Polypropylene rope can be useful for pulling, hauling, bundling, temporarily securing items and countless everyday jobs around properties, workshops and worksites.

Discount Tarps also stocks larger 8mm and 10mm green 3-strand polypropylene rope options for heavier general-purpose applications, alongside the 6mm blue/yellow version.

The important part is choosing a rope that suits what you’re actually asking it to do.

General-Purpose Doesn’t Mean Every Purpose

This is worth mentioning whenever we’re talking about rope.

A general-purpose rope can be incredibly useful, but that doesn’t automatically make it suitable for lifting people, overhead lifting, critical safety applications or regulated load restraint.

For jobs where equipment needs to carry a particular load or meet a specific safety requirement, always use a product with the appropriate rating and specifications.

Sometimes “she’ll be right” is a perfectly acceptable approach to choosing where to put the wheelie bin.

Rope selection probably deserves a little more thought.

A Useful Roll to Have Around

Polypropylene rope has stuck around as a popular general-purpose rope for good reason. It’s lightweight, easy to handle, resistant to water and useful for a wide variety of pulling, hauling and outdoor jobs.

You might buy it with one particular job in mind.

The chances are it won’t be the last job it gets used for.

Discount Tarps stocks 3-Strand Polypropylene Rope in 6mm, 8mm and 10mm options, including the blue/yellow cable-pulling rope and larger green general-purpose rope rolls.