tarp ridgeline snapped

**nu2hike** · 09-05-2011, 08:56

I did an overnite hike on Sat. Set up my hammock and tarp on top of a ridge with a nice breeze! The "breeze" increased throughout the nite into a real blow! I got up once in the nite to retension the guylines which are equiped with shock cord! Around 0330 I was awakened by a loud noise and my tarp was literally flapping in the breeze!

I use 1.75 ZingIt to suspended my tarp. My first assumption was that it had snapped at the tarp flyz, but that wasn't the case at all! It snapped at a point in between the flyz and the prussick!
Have any of you experinced a similar failure with ZingIt? Should I consider going to a larger diameter ZingIt?

**Bubba** · 09-05-2011, 09:08

I'm surprised the Zing-it broke. I would have thought the tarp would have ripped before the Zing-it failed. I assume the line wasn't frayed or damaged.

**DemostiX** · 09-05-2011, 10:02

Even if there is the possibility that the line could have been nicked, you might send it in an envelope, quite inexpensively to Samson, and ask. Especially if explicitly make no claim against them, one of their techs or engineers would quickly know if it was a typical burst failure. CSI style, might find such a nick to explain it.

Further, they might have an interest in a quality issue, so if you have some Lot ID from the spool, you should send that along, too.

**nu2hike** · 09-05-2011, 10:03

Brand new! I replaced the previous 25ft 1.75 ZingIt with this one because I wanted more length!

**zukiguy** · 09-05-2011, 14:40

This was the reason I decided to stick with knots instead of figure 9s. I figure the amount a knot de-rates the zing-it is probably less than the damage the figure 9 teeth do to the fiber.

**HamMike** · 09-05-2011, 14:51

wow that Zing-it is strong stuff too! Had to be some nick or defect.

**MAD777** · 09-05-2011, 15:47

The tarp would fail long before the zing-it. There must have been hidden damage or the zing-it was defective (although I've never heard of that).

**Dutch** · 09-05-2011, 15:50

If you bought the zing it from Dutchware I will replace it for free.

**gunner76** · 09-05-2011, 16:10

Now thats service

**nothermark** · 09-05-2011, 17:31

The 1.75 ZingIt has a tensile strength of 560 lbs. I'm not sure how strong the breeze was or the size of the tarp but I'm not surprised something broke. One can generate a lot of force with large sail and moderate wind. Personally I would rather snap a line than rip a tarp. YMMV. ;-)