As for the twine, I use about 10 feet of twine to connect to my sisal rope. By the time the weight and wind are factors, the hops are firmly gripping the sisal and I could probably remove the twine. The sisal is necessary in my case because the pulleys sent to eat up anything thinner over a season. I use a loop in the end and a nylon rope with a snap hook to lower them one at a time. Saves me lots on sisal and seems to be working great the last two years.