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  1. #1
    Senior Member
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    Tarp ridgeline under/over/no ridgeline

    I pondered on whether this should go in the tarp section or not but decied to put it here. A mod can move it of course.

    I live in the UK where it can be pretty windy in the wilds, and I use a ridgeline under my tarp every time. I can get a very tight pitch, it sheds rain well and protects against wind, but takes a little time to rig exactly right re height over the hammock etc.

    I've seen a number of posts and videos (warbonnet guy on his site setting up a tarp) where you just attach one end to one tree with a short length of line, and the same on the other end ie no ridgeline at all. How does this hold up in bad weather? Does the tarp not press onto the hammock in strong wind? What happens if it snows in the night? Does the snow not collect and press down on the tarp?

    Just wondering if this is a general difference in weather between our respective countries, or if I can save time and not bother with a ridgeline at all...

  2. #2
    Senior Member TinaLouise's Avatar
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    Some of my tarps have an under ridgeline and some just have the short length of line at the ends to attach to the tree. I added an under ridgeline to my hennessy tarp for just the reasons you stated. I've got two large (winter type) tarps that just have the short line to the trees. I've not had any problems with them saging but then again, I don't live in an area that see's much, if any, snow. I just had them both up this past weekend and was thinking about adding an under ridgeline to them, not for holding up the tarp though. I was thinking of using it as a protected clothesline for when I'm camping. My Clark tarp just attaches to the tree with short lines too. Any ridgelines l add will be made with amsteel-blue so that it doesn't add much more weight to my pack.

    TinaLouise

  3. #3
    Senior Member Jsaults's Avatar
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    I am a "tarp-over-ridgeline" kind of hanger.

    I find it easier to set up a continuous ridgeline, and then adjust the tarp to center it between trees than to use separate end-lines. I also like the option of having the ridgeline available for hanging clothes, pee bottle, and other sundry gear under the tarp.

    Just my 2 cents. Or twopence.
    Jim

  4. #4
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    Jim, that's pretty much what I do. I use prussics on the ridgeline to get the ridge really tight after it's over the correct place to protect the hammock, then stake out the lines from there. I use the ridge to hang up all kinds of things from lights to headtorch to shoes even if it's really windy and raining. But...When you camp in say, a really dense forest, and it's not that simple to get a line round a tree because of branches (think pine), you can end up taking a while over it, then in doing the fixing.

    Tina, I deliberately don't use anything like Amsteel because I want to be able to stretch it tight. I also want stretch in it so that when the wind blows hard, the whole thing can bounce a little and not rip anything. I'd be worried that a low/no stretch line might not have enough give in very windy conditions.

    I love the videos on this site of various set ups, but they tend to be shot in nice open ground with reall good easy trees, flat ground, soft enough for pegs but not so soft they wont hold. Given that territory, I can have my clark set up in about 3 minutes flat, but usually in places like scotland the ground is very uneven, very soft, the trees are various diameters and hard to get around, and there is undergrowth all over

    One trip In April we paddled to an Island and the ground was terrible. We wandered about for over half an hour trying to find good spots and then when we found "ok" places, the ground was so soft we had to improvise. It took me about an hour to put mine up in the end

  5. #5
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    Hi NickJ,

    I'd stick with the continuous ridgeline and the ability to adjust the position of the tarp using prussics. For the sake of just a few grams extra weight, it's a far more flexible set up. Also, I'd hang the tarp below the ridgeline, not over the top of it, as you do. This prevents rainwater from tracking down the ridgeline and dripping on top of you under the tarp. It also prevents chaffing of the tarp on the ridgeline.

    I'm guessing that you're a little concerned about losing the strength of the ridgeline supporting the tarp from underneath, but in practice, this isn't an issue. Indeed a lot of the time you will find that the wind will be trying to lift the tarp, not push it downwards, (think aeroplane wing), that's why the roofs of houses are 'tied down,' because otherwise pressure differentials would literally lift them vertically off, rather than just blow them off sideways.

    Finally, I agree with you about preferring a bit of stretch in the ridge/guylines. You may have to adjust the tension occasionally, but I'd far rather have to do that than be trying to fix a busted tarp.

  6. #6
    New Member matto's Avatar
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    I use a continuous ridgeline over the tarp. I attach it using prussics and trail sticks for toggles.

    When I pack up, I pull my ground stakes and toggles and slide the tarp down towards one end of the RL. Then I grab the tarp by the corners and stuff the whole thing into the stuff sack and cinch it closed (so it's hanging from the RL like a cocoon). The RL stays threaded through the tie outs but gets wrapped neatly around the outside of the stuff sack. (I tuck my stakes under the line at this point as well.)

    When I deploy, the tarp doesn't come out until the RL is tied off. I find this works really well for setting up in high wind.

    Back to the original question, I agree with the others that a continuous RL doesn't do much if anything in terms of limiting sag -- just a convenience thing.

  7. #7
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    Interesting. I've camped with guys who use the line over the tarp rather than under, and it always looks a little fragile to me. I take the point about chafing, but it doesnt seem to move too much. Still, I'll give it a try with the ridgeline over and see what happens.

    If its raining heavily, I generally put a short length of para cord just inside the tarp on the ridgeline, hanging down to act as a rain gutter to deal with any running water and have never had a problem with that.

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