Catenary VS. Rectangular Cut

**Tacky Hiker** · 10-20-2009, 09:59

Yes, I am a noob.

I was wondering what were the advantages of a CatCut tarp over a Rectangular cut tarp? or Vice Versa?

I am looking to upgrade my HH Expedition tarp and wanted to know the details on cuts.

Thanks in advance!

**Frawg** · 10-20-2009, 10:31

In a nutshell, cat cuts sacrifice a little bit of coverage but tend to give a tighter pitch so that the tarp edges don't flap in the wind.

**Hawk-eye** · 10-20-2009, 10:38

And me being a tightwad ... I went with the 10x12 Equinox from Campmor.com. It's great and can be closed up on the ends. It's rectangular.

**Tacky Hiker** · 10-20-2009, 10:42

Thanks for clearing that up for me Frawg !

I saw your tarp Hawk-eye. Very nice. I am considering it.

Too many tarps !

**Ramblinrev** · 10-20-2009, 11:15

Do not confuse a cat cut with a Hex cut. Just to muddy the waters a little more. Hex cut sacrifices coverage for a loss of weight but has straight sides as opposed to curved. The hex cut hangs tighter than a rectangular, in my experience but not as tight as a cat. The hex can have doors put on it to close up in the winter but without the doors it does not close as tight as a rectangular, if you can get it closed at all.

**SmokeHouse** · 10-20-2009, 11:25

If you have a cat cut ridgeline and keep the doors with a straight cut, it keeps the tarp tight and still able to close off the doors.

**sclittlefield** · 10-20-2009, 12:11

I think everyone's pretty much covered it, but ...

Catcut:
- Advantage: Tighter pitch.
- Disadvantage: Much harder to make, slightly less coverage.

Rectangle:
- Advantage: Slightly more coverage, better suited for different pitching options.
- Disadvantage: Can be more flappy in the wind.