The rope itself is 3/8" nylon rope, cut-to-length from Home Depot. I used an old bungie cord I had laying around the garage to pull the rope out of the way when the pole is down. I don't think it's going to work very well though. It doesn't seem to have enough stretch to it, so that may change to a different one. Rope: 6' at $0.15 per foot = $0.96 after tax... Stainless hardware: $17.46 after tax... Bungie: Not sure... Total cost: $18.42 + a bungie cord