Old Climbing Rope - 24 Things to Do With Yours

Every climber dreads the moment when you just can’t ignore the truth anymore—your old climbing rope needs to be retired. But don’t worry! Your old trusty lifeline doesn’t have to end up discarded in some landfill. Keep the good times going by reusing your old climbing rope for any number of “upcycle” projects, or donate it to a good cause. Here’s out list of the 24 best things to do with your old climbing rope—and since you’ll be needing a new climbing rope, check out our Guide to the Best Climbing Ropes 2021.

Old climbing rope DIY projects

There are lots of fun ways to use your old climbing rope. These DIY projects are a great creative outlet that will give new life to your climbing rope while saving you money.

Rope rug

A classic use for old rope. You spent years avoiding stepping on your rope and yelling at your friends when they did. Finally you can step on it all you want! There are tons of articles and videos detailing how to create your very own rope rug. Here are our favorite easy to follow old climbing rope rug videos from Sierra Trading Post and Edelrid.

Dog leash

Why buy a dog leash when you can make your own? A climbing rope can be upcycled into leashes—think gifts for friends, or a lifetime supply for your pup!

Furniture

There’s no better way to demonstrate how hardcore of a climber you are than to have your entire house be made of rope furniture. Get started now with some of these cool rope furniture ideas like a stool or an ottoman. Or find inspiration from the masters of rope furniture at Second Ascent Designs, like the chair pictured.

Beer koozies

What do climbers love more than their rope? Beer. And what better way to keep your beer cold than a drink koozie made out of your old climbing rope? Check out this video from Sierra Trading Post showing how to make your own koozie. And this doesn’t take much rope so make a few dozen and hand ’em out as Christmas and Birthday presents!

Drink coasters

Super easy and quick. No reason not to have a few old climbing rope coasters laying around at all times! Check out this easy to follow video to make your own.

Rope ladder

You might need a ladder as a handy fire-escape from a 2nd story, to access a treehouse, or just for a fun addition to a play structure. Regardless, here’s our favorite rope ladder design.

Chalk bag

I mean, why not make old climbing gear into new climbing gear? Takes a bit of sewing ability, but you can follow this easy guide. It shows how to create a chalk bag with fabric but you can easily substitute strips of climbing rope, like these ones from ChalkUps. However, before building the chalk bag, we recommend pulling out the inner woven core and just using the exterior sheath. The sheath is super pliable and will work almost like fabric, subsequently allowing for easier handling.

Scratch post for cats

Your climbing rope is beaten up and worn down, but your cat won’t mind! In fact they’ll help finish the job. Most DIY scratch posts call for hemp twine, but you can easily substitute old climbing rope.

Check this out: How to Repair Your Outdoor Gear: An Extensive Guide

Dog chew toy

More of a dog person? Dogs love to chew on anything, including old rope. There are lots of options for creating dog chew toys. Do something easy like tying a monkey fist or incorporate a tennis ball. It’s as simple as cutting two holes in a tennis ball, pushing the rope through it and tying some sort of knot that creates a loop, like a figure-eight on a bight.

Rope net

Want to have the coolest backyard on the block? Think rope net! Add it to an existing play structure, or build an awesome hammock. Here’s an easy how-to guide on building a rope climbing net.

Rope or tire swing

Have a tree or play structure? Why buy rope to build a swing when you have old climbing rope laying around? Check out this great tutorial on building a rope tree swing.

Climbing Rope Jewelry

There’s so many cool ways to wear old climbing rope, like this necklace, bracelet, or these earrings. Many of these don’t require a lot of knowledge or skill to make, and you can be creative with whatever supplies you have around the house. For instance, many old climbing rope necklaces are just rope with a fancy or creative knot. Even a simple bracelet made from melting two ends of the rope together is a cool piece of jewelry!

Rope bag

How cool is this bag? If it were made out of climbing rope it would be even cooler. You’ll need some sewing skills, but nothing too advanced. It could easily be used to carry your new rope (why does that feel a little bit wrong?), or, similarly, for trips to school or the farmers market.

Check out: The Best Yoga Mats for Every Type of Yogi

Rope shelf

With some old climbing rope and scrap wood you can make some pretty awesome shelves. And for even better climbing look, hang them from some bolts with carabiners.

old climbing rope - use it as long as you can! — Use your climbing rope for it’s intended purpose, but don’t forget about it once it get’s old!! Photo Credit: Ryan Tuttle Photography

Donate or recycle

Don’t want to build something? Doesn’t mean you have to throw your rope away. Donate it to a good cause or simply recycle it! Check with your local climbing gym for ways to donate or recycle locally—or check out our favorite options below!

Ropes for Rescues

Ropes for Rescues is run by Dogpatch in San Francisco. They turn old ropes into leashes and donate them to shelters and nonprofits around the globe. You can drop off your rope at a number of spots in the Bay Area, or mail them in and Dogpatch will reimburse you for shipping costs.

Recycle it with Green Guru Gear

Green Guru Gear upcycles old gear, including bike tires, wetsuits, tents, and old climbing rope! You can send it to them directly or find a drop off site near you.

Give it to Second Ascent Designs

If you want to see your old climbing rope turned into something beautiful but don’t have the time or skill, send your rope to Second Ascent Designs. The work they do is incredible, from furniture to art. Whatever they make out of it, your old rope will never have looked better than after Second Ascent is done with it.

old climbing rope, before it's old — ROPE!! Climbing at Castle Rock State Park. Photo Credit: Ryan Tuttle Photography

Other uses for old climbing rope

Hammock hanging material

Why purchase fancy sewn webbing for hanging your hammock? Just cut your rope into 25-50 foot sections and you can hang your hammock anywhere! Check out this epic hammock setup that was made possible by really long sections of rope.

old climbing rope, useful for hanging hammocks — Only huge lengths of rope will allow for epic hammock hangs like this one!

Tie downs for your truck

Cut your rope into shorter lengths and toss ’em into the back of your truck. No need to ever buy tie down rope again. After that, if you have too much rope, I’m sure your friends with trucks would be overjoyed to get more rope.

Knot tying practice

Want to become a knot master? Cut a short length of rope and practice your knots on the go. While you’re watching Netflix, on the bus, or when you’re bored at work, there’s never a bad time to practice knot tying.

Sell it on Cragslist

I mean, duh. Why throw away something that’s valuable?! While you’re not gonna get rich selling old rope, it’ll at least offset the cost of a new rope a bit.

Check out: Climbing Finger Injury Prevention: 3 Simple Techniques

Bear hangs while backpacking

Backpacking somewhere with bears? Make sure to hang your food! Climbing rope comes in handy for many uses on backpacking trips.

Clothesline

Want to double your eco-points? Use your old climbing rope as a clothesline to dry your clothes. You’ll be reusing your rope while saving energy by not using a dryer.

Jump rope

Ok, who doesn’t love to jump rope? Haven’t tried it since you were a kid? Trust us, it’s fun and a great workout. And climbing rope works great for it.

Flaking out the rope in Red Rocks, NV. Photo Credit: Ryan Tuttle Photography

In conclusion, there are numerous ways to re-use your old climbing rope. Hope you enjoyed these ideas on what to do with your old climbing rope. Have any ideas we missed? Did you do something epic with your old climbing rope? Regardless, we want to hear about it! Comment below and let us know.

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24 things to do with your old climbing rope