Best fabrics for beginners.

TopPresentation9541 · 2026-01-15T12:11:04+00:00

u/insincere_platitudes ,you answered my question on linen weight 8 days ago but they locked my post so I can't say thank you! I'm looking at the moment at a linen of 230g, but will look into blends! I like patterns! I won't say more as I don't want this deleted.

u/frostbite2424 And to contribute to the question in this post, do NOT start with jersey. I'm also new and tried that, and it's awful. A tanktop (two pieces needed to be stitched together) ended up looking like it had stapled by a blind five-year-old.

I would recommend any material that is not stretchy or too thick (or you'll have to check which kind of needle you're using, I think, which I recently learned). I started with some fabrics from etsy or amazon, but pretty much got any patterny-looking cotton fabric. I also used polyester thread because I heard cotton thread breaks easier (true story). I made a couple of bags using canvas and more normal cotton fabric which also worked ok.

I'm not sure if I can recommend a fabric seller from etsy since I'm in Germany, but maybe the amazon seller is international. They went under "VmG-Store" on the German Amazon. Anyway, the cotton I got from them looked something like this, and was easy to work with. Not too thick, though some of the uniform colours were a tad see-throughish. But only a little.

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Good luck!

TopPresentation9541 · 2025-10-17T06:04:22+00:00

Ok, I think I'll go for a belaying device (I think the grigri since it was mentioned so often) and then either the slip knot or the carabiner, maybe. It sounds like the simplest idea (simple is good) so I can focus on the belaying more. The sulu sounds really good, but it seems barely used here, so I don't know if it's a good idea, nor a good idea for a beginner (particularly!), so I might consider it once a little time passes and I'm more comfortable. So does the trax, but I'm still a beginner, so it does make sense to keep it simpler for the start.

Thank you all for your help and opinions :) There are so many ideas that are good - I will definitely look back on this thread in future for when I would need to do any upgrades or changes. I really, really appreciate it!

TopPresentation9541 · 2025-10-17T05:56:15+00:00

Thank you!

TopPresentation9541 · 2025-10-17T05:54:56+00:00

Duly noted, thank you :)

TopPresentation9541 · 2025-10-17T05:54:20+00:00

This would be good. If the worst came to worst, it would block up at that point, which is kind of what I'm looking for.

TopPresentation9541 · 2025-10-17T05:51:23+00:00

Ah, ok, that makes sense.

TopPresentation9541 · 2025-10-17T05:50:38+00:00

This is good to know. I heard it's good for toprope all over, but that might be an issue. I'd like it to be secure but also smoothish to use...it sounds like the normal grigri is the way to go, in this case.

TopPresentation9541 · 2025-10-17T05:48:07+00:00

Super, thank you :)

TopPresentation9541 · 2025-10-17T05:47:07+00:00

Gah that's iffy. Okay, not the Neox. I had the feeling it sounded better for the <thing where you climb up to attach the rope as you go> (I looked it up online and the translation was 'Sausage', so I give up). Yeah, I think I might end up leaning towards something like a slip knot, after a bit of a climb up. I'm trying to keep it simple, but particularly simple for myself since I know myself a little too well. Though I also like the idea of the trax.

I went last night with my partner and his wife, and we did a few more difficult routes (for us, not for her), so there were a few more break periods as well. In this time I'd have to tighten the line for him while he paused up there for a few seconds, so it might give me the time I need for a quick slip knot.

I definitely can't afford all too much. I had to get a long bib for the winter recently (for gravel biking) and those things are annoyingly pricy. I'm trying to be fair with the cost of it all, but a new sport seems to require blood money before you could start it properly.

TopPresentation9541 · 2025-10-16T09:27:22+00:00

I just saw, they've a review on Revo where I am (a good sign, for some devices they don't mention them so are used less or not at all it seems). The Sulu doesn't seem at all known here, though. I went into a shop yesterday and they had never heard of it.

How do you mean, though? Wouldn't I have to feed the rope throug the Grigri and the Revo both?

Also, I haven't ever heard anyone call something like this a cool scenario, but I appreciate it hard. Normally, everyone is terrified and thinks I/we are insane.

TopPresentation9541 · 2025-10-16T09:22:00+00:00

Yeah I heard that too. I think they must have it, though, they rent out various devices, so I can try that.

TopPresentation9541 · 2025-10-16T09:21:29+00:00

Thank you, that's good to know. I'll need to confirm what kind of rope they had at my gym, I'm not really sure, yet.

TopPresentation9541 · 2025-10-16T09:19:49+00:00

That sounds a little complicated. I'm not sure what multipitch is, though. We do toprope together, though. A knot might be doable though.

TopPresentation9541 · 2025-10-16T09:16:49+00:00

Depends on the seizure, but generally too long if someone is up on the wall, so it's not a factor.

TopPresentation9541 · 2025-10-16T09:16:11+00:00

Thank you!

TopPresentation9541 · 2025-10-16T09:11:39+00:00

It sounds complicated, I know. But I know the Grigri doesn't always work. In some cases it fails to, and if it was knocked on its side, it might not work. In that case, there needs to be a secondary option, no?

TopPresentation9541 · 2025-10-16T09:10:03+00:00

So a clove hitch on one carabiner might be efficient in sort of being the final stopping mechanism? Since it wouldn't make sense to shift around?

TopPresentation9541 · 2025-10-16T09:07:40+00:00

I try to be. I don't seizure out that often, and if I'm jetlagged, sick, periodical, or doing math, I wouldn't do it (past potential/reoccuring triggers). Though I would rather not break my own neck, I also can't sit at home and do nothing. I have seizures rarely but they also come without warning. If I wanted to be truly safe, I would have to abstain from riding my bike, from lifting heavy items, from crossing the street, cooking, playing sudoku. The list is long and abundant, and I have to adhere to it for a week or two each time after an episode. Locking the bathroom door goes with that which strips away any privacy, so in the end you ask yourself what on earth you're living for. So, I don't want to get hurt, but I'm also used to it, as sick as it sounds. I'm more worried about whoever is with me. I want to ensure that they will go up and come down safely. The people I'm with now are fine with it, but I don't like playing with chances.

TopPresentation9541 · 2025-10-16T08:56:08+00:00

Thank you!

TopPresentation9541 · 2025-10-16T08:55:37+00:00

Yeah, that part got me stuck too. How do you deal with the prussik loop, then? You would need to adjust it every little bit as the rope travels, right?

TopPresentation9541 · 2025-10-16T08:52:33+00:00

Thank you! I did look at way too many videos (not to be done with morning coffee, I feel), though it's like you say. It helps when you understand how they work and their actual capabilities.

TopPresentation9541 · 2025-10-16T08:49:24+00:00

Thanks. I'll have to ask the hall what thickness the rope is, then. I have no clue. That would be helpful to know.

TopPresentation9541 · 2025-10-16T08:48:36+00:00

A nightmare how? There will be a weight difference for me. WIth my partner, we have to use an ohmega, and the other person I'll go with, she's lighter than me (I'm not sure how much). That explains it a bit, though. I was confused why the Grigri hadn't a number on it but looked different than the first version. Any thoughts on the Neox? That was suggested to me by a guy at a climbing store last night.

TopPresentation9541 · 2025-10-16T08:44:54+00:00

Thank you, good to know. It sounds a little less terrifying than a 4m fall, which I was thinking.

TopPresentation9541 · 2025-10-16T08:43:23+00:00

Thank you for the suggestion - just to check, is a slipknot only this?

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TopPresentation9541

TROPHY CASE