So it seems like a good idea to use shock cord for the ground tie-outs because it’s possible that they will be tripped over by people. And it seems like everyone agrees to use shock cords for tarp doors for smoother transitions between being tucked away and being deployed. But when it comes to ridgelines and panel pull-outs, should shock cord be used or is it better to use zing-it and why?
Thanks guys!
When more tarps were made of SilNylon shock cords were necessary to keep the tarp tight but with the newer materials like SilPoly this is no longer the case. It really boils down to what you like. I do not use any shock cord on my tarps other than for the door tie outs and only because that make it easier to do from inside the tarp when it is raining. I just use reflectix cord so I can see the lines at night.
I also use reflectix and no shock cord. I tried it and took it off. I don’t need it with my silpoly tarp.Originally Posted by TrailSlug
I sew things on youtube.
I don’t sew on commission, so please don’t ask. Thanks.
I use a silnylon Superfly. My ridgeline attachments on each end are done with a loop of 1/8" shock cord twisted into a figure eight and run thru the split ring. A Dutchware Stinger is then attached to the loop. This keeps it very tight, but allows a little give in a gust of high wind, and keeps the silnylon taut when it gets wet.
How about the panel pull-outs tho?
I used to use 6" bungees, back when I got started, but then i realized that the extra action that they allowed actually was causing the stakes to work themselves out of the ground (loose, sandy, and loamy soil). Since I'm still using silnylon tarps, this still happens anyway from time to time in strong gusty winds even without the extra stretch that the shockcord provides, but for the most part it doesn't happen anymore, especially if i use all the available tieouts, including doors and sidepulls.
Back when I was using paracord, the cord itself still had a lot of stretch and kind of masked the fact that the stretch was a hindrance and not a help, so for me at the time, there was a debate as to which way we better, but once I switched to amsteel, there's an obvious difference, so now there's no debate in my mind: less stretch is better.
As to trip hazards: if you've got kids running around while car camping that's one thing, but if it's just you in the woods, make it a habit not to go where the tieouts are. Designate an entrance and make sure your cords aren't in that path way. Then always use that pathway until you pack up. This is what I do, and I haven't tripped on one in years, daytime or night, even half asleep while going out to pee, with no lights. Typically I setup to use one of the door ends as my entrance, but sometimes the layout of the site just isn't conducive to that, and I have to angle the middle-side tieout to make sure I won't trip on it.
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I've been wondering if this was the case. Last time I used my hammock, it was set up for three days, and on the last night, one of the (previously very secure) stakes worked loose. Yes, the ground was increasingly soft due to rain, but it sure looked like the 'bouncing' action of the shock cord contributed to loosening. It also helped whip the stake upwards when it finally came loose, so that the end of the tarp flew up and tucked into my hammock, funneling lots of cold water under me.
This Silpoly XL tarp goes right down to the ground already.
I put Tarpworms on every D-ring.
If the Dutch Tarpworms had a larger diameter hole I would consider using the attached shock chord and run a stake right through the eye. I may initially try just the shepherds hook anyway. Maybe just the D-ring?
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I trip over the right edge tie down every night.
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I just don't seem to learn my lesson.
"...in Florida, she felt air conditioning for the first time, and it was cold and unnatural upon her skin."
What about four teenage girls and you’re backpacking the AT?!That’s where I’ll be for Thanksgiving, lol!
And what if it's just me in the backyard after dark, and after nearly tripping over the tie-outs twice, managed to successfully trip over it on the third try, the only thing saving my face from hitting the soft grass-covered ground being the hard plastic water bottle that cushioned the blow by splitting my lip?
Some of us just won't remember not to go where the tie-outs are. Not that I have a short attention span or anything, it's just that...... Hey look! A chicken!
Last edited by Muddy Creek; 11-05-2017 at 14:25.
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