> Bees and equipment are strapped on the trailer with a smaller version of
> the nylon ratchet straps that the big truckers use. It is a great tool,
> available at WalMart or Lowes lumber yards. I've never had one break,
> though I've run over the ratchet and ruined them.
 
We use the 2" straps that are available at Costco (better versions are
available elsewhere too).  We also use the 4" commercial truckers' straps
with weld-on winches on one of our trailers.  However I personally find
straps to be expensive, troublesome and a real time-waster in many bee
applications.
 
In their favour, heavy straps are particularly useful for tall front or
back rows and some items that ropes won't hold and large loads of full
supers,  however for most loads, we use 1/2" rope and the beekeepers' knot
that Nick posted pointers to some time back.  We've found that the time
taken to sort out straps is excessive compared to a properly coiled rope.
 
For those who do not know simple knots like the square knot and it's
variations, the bowline, and several basic hitches -- and the proper uses
of each knot -- ropes may pose a real challenge.  Nonetheless ropes are
very flexible,  durable, cheap and quick.  Knot tying is well worth
learning.
 
Moreover. ropes are relatively simple to store:  just hand coil most of
the rope, then whip the last several feet around the centre of the coil,
making a tight waist.  Then pull the last foot or so thru one opening and
pull.  If there is a loop permanently on one end, it can then be hung.
 
We use 1/2" poly rope because it does not cut into boxes as badly as
smaller rope and does not stretch much.  Moreover it does not tangle
easily.  We cut the ropes 26' long and either tie or splice a 3" eye on
one end to go on a hook under the deck.  The other end ties onto either a
hook or the rround rail we have running under the deck.  I can shake out
and tie a rope faster than talk about it, and I can tie four ropes while
another fella might get one strap on.
 
Straps do have their uses and we always carry 5 or so on each truck.  For
storing and transporting the straps, we've come to just making a ball of
each one without particular care about twists.  If we fuss and straighten
them when rolling them up for storage, we find that often as not we
re-introduce the twists when unrolling, so there is no point in fiddling.
BTW, in use, we always introduce a twist in the strap where it comes down
each side of a load and also where it crosses the top of the load, since
otherwise the strap will hum in the wind and wear through at a sharp edge
-- like the edge of the top super.
 
Allen
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