speer winter tarp and number of stakes

**Twilliger** · 09-13-2009, 07:15

I am heading to the pemi loop in the whites next weekend and am debating which tarp to takes - diamond or swt. I expect lows of 35F so would like the extra coverage. If not for the warmth, I like the diamond much better - it is lighter, less stakes, less tie outs, quicker and I can see better.

I am wondering what other swt (or similar 8 tie-outs tarp) users might do with:

1) how stakes do you carry?

2) what tips/tricks you use to get by with less stakes (like using 4 and crossing the end lines to a stake on the opposite wall)?

3) any other relevant thoughts?

Thanks for the input!

**Just Jeff** · 09-13-2009, 07:47

You can tie off to trees/shrubs/logs/rocks instead of stakes. Or make a stake from a stick, about half-wrist sized in thickness, and pound it in with a bigger stick. Not exactly LNT but not bad.

**Mustardman** · 09-13-2009, 09:08

I have a SWT-style 12x10, and I never worry about using fewer stakes. I carry several MSR groundhogs, and a couple of titanium shepherd hook stakes that weigh so little I don't notice they are there. The groundhogs go on the main tensioned tieouts, and then the hook stakes are for things like the doors.

If I ever forgot stakes or ended up with not enough, then I would mess around with making my own, but I always plan to have more stakes than I need for the sake of convenience.

**Cannibal** · 09-13-2009, 11:28

I only carry 4 stakes for my WB Superflies; too easy to just anchor the doors to the opposing stake.

**Twilliger** · 09-15-2009, 14:47

thanks for the input - I am going with 4 stakes after Cannibal's lead and trying things out on the last weekend. I did find it easy to close the doors by crossing the end tie-outs to the peg on the opposing side wall. Also found it worked quite nicely to fold the doors in along the sidewall and tie together, thus opening up the view quite nicely. After playing around a bit, I now see all kinds of options for using this tarp, instead of "all those darn tie-outs" I now see option, options and options, with just a touch of added wt.. Going from 2 stakes to 4 is much better than going from 2 to 8.

thanks again

**Cannibal** · 09-15-2009, 14:51

Glad to help.

**Bulldawg** · 09-15-2009, 15:26

Dumb Question.....how do you get in once the doors are tied off (superfly)? Assuming you loop the last door after you are inside? Makes for an awkward far reach though.....

**Cannibal** · 09-15-2009, 15:35

Originally Posted by Bulldawg

Dumb Question.....how do you get in once the doors are tied off (superfly)? Assuming you loop the last door after you are inside? Makes for an awkward far reach though.....

The shockcords give them enough flex that it isn't much of an issue. I just step in with one leg and turn sideways; the doors flex enough to let you slide right in. Now, tripping over the lines on the way through is another issue. Not that I would know anything at all about it, just sayin.

**sclittlefield** · 09-15-2009, 17:59

I think (and may very well be wrong) he meant tying them off end to end, not side to side. On the left side of the tarp, pull each end in and tie together, do the same to the right. It looks like a MacCat when done this way.

Here's a really bad angle on the idea, the left side has the sides swung in and the right side is pitched up with sticks as an awning. Sorry the angle is wrong, but hopefully it helps a bit.