Folks,
  How much rope do you need to cover most trips (in the uk at least), and what sort of lengths are most useful.
Ta very much.
SS.

I reckon buy a 200meter roll (since that is the standard size of a roll that shops sell).

Cut it to various lengths eg - we did ours to 80, 20, 60, 30, 10. - covers all sorts of bases.

Where you're likely to be caving will be significant. As Sam says, 200m will see you down most stuff. If you're on a budget and caving in Derbyshire, Yorkshire etc. I'd buy 100m and cut to 20m, 30m, and 50m. Will cover lots of easier SRT trips and by teaming up with someone else who's got a similar amount you can rig some deeper SRT caves.

Then you've just got to decide which diameter and brand to go for. Personally I think it's worth going for decent rope rather than the cheapest available. Have  http://ukcaving.com/board/index.php/topic,537.0.html

Jules.

I agree with the above posts; but 2 x 50's  or  1 x 40 and 1 x 50 is a nice start for a team to own for many pitches, PLUS some short line say 20m.

BUT assuming you will not be caving alone nor needing to supply "all" the rope for your group, it depends on what you or colleagues already own between you, or plan to buy themselves. If nothing, then you may feel 300m total is needed to get the differing lengths that could be useful.

Seems to me it depends so much on what you plan... who you SRT with.
 
can I suggest looking at some rigging topos, such as the CNCC excellent booklets

If it is for personal use I would look at the posts above. For a club or between a few of you, a quote from the ?SRT rigging guide? indicates this: ?A pool of ropes should include two 15, 20, 25 and 30 metre lengths and one each of 40, 50, 60 and 100 metres.?

and while considering how to cut a 100 or 200m reel to meet your needs, Im guessing its worth pointing out that its still common practice to add 10% to the intended length of the new rope, before you cut it, to allow for inevitable shrinkage  :-\ 

I generally add 5-10% on to rope lengths to allow for shrinkage. The most I have found a rope shrink by was 3%ish (which could have been down to measuring) but it is very annoying when you pack the rope as it says on the rigging guide and end up tying your rope to a boulder so it doesn't ping halfway up the pitch when you let go.
Another option is to re-measure them after 2 months or so.

caverholic said:

I generally add 5-10% on to rope lengths to allow for shrinkage. The most I have found a rope shrink by was 3%ish (which could have been down to measuring) but it is very annoying when you pack the rope as it says on the rigging guide and end up tying your rope to a boulder so it doesn't ping halfway up the pitch when you let go.

Click to expand...

My club had quite a lot of Lanex rope a few years ago. It shrunk by a great deal - I don't have actual figures but would guess at of the order of 10%.

Bear in mind that a rigging guide is a 'guide' - actual rope lengths used in rigging a particular pitch will vary from individual to individual depending on types of knots, slack vs. tightness, etc. etc. I always use ropes a bit longer than indicated in the guide after having been "caught short" in the past.

Thank you all,
  There seems to be a general consensus to this...
I have 10mm Mammut 'performance static' that says 3% shrinkage on the tin.

I'll start chopping...
Ta muchly.

SecretSquirrell said:

Thank you all,
  There seems to be a general consensus to this...
I have 10mm Mammut 'performance static' that says 3% shrinkage on the tin.

I'll start chopping...
Ta muchly.

Click to expand...

Ive just bought a further 240m of this very rope last week, as a private order for myself and a few people I SRT with, and while any rope may say 3% shrinkage or whatever on the tin, you may like to assume 5-10%, and as Paul mentions ...

paul said:

Bear in mind that a rigging guide is a 'guide' - actual rope lengths used in rigging a particular pitch will vary from individual to individual depending on types of knots, slack vs. tightness, etc. etc. I always use ropes a bit longer than indicated in the guide after having been "caught short" in the past.

Click to expand...

Rope is relatively cheap so each of us decided to opt for a 10% allowance (and all buy more of the same type of rope for consistancy).

IMHO better to be a few feet longer on a drop, than find you are short ....
Have fun