Well made my first 3 strand braided ridgeline for my tarp the other day. Started out with 33' of paracord and ended up with a 22' 6" ridgelineHere are pics of it.
Well made my first 3 strand braided ridgeline for my tarp the other day. Started out with 33' of paracord and ended up with a 22' 6" ridgelineHere are pics of it.
Now that's nice! Something that"s sure to start a conversation.
Very compact way to store your cordage. A lot of folks would point out the weight savings of zing-it or lash-it. You could store quite a length of either given the same end weight.
Tarp ridgeline??? Sounds stretchy and problematic.
Give it a try in the rain and let us know how it does.
Just out of curiosity (no judgement being passed here) for what reason do you want a tarp ridgeline that is so heavy, thick, and stretchy?
I did my first tarp ridgeline out of 550 paracord and then recently converted it to Zing It. I really like the weight savings and size savings of the Zing It over paracord, but if you need to have a certain length of paracord on your trip anyway, then this is a great way to give it a dual purpose! Looks good. How long did it take you to braid it?
Two heads are good, three are great, but all heads at hammockforums is the best case scenario!
I used a 3 strand paracord braid on a DIY tarp project in my backyard. It hung, continuously, from October until February when I took it down to use the space for another project. I didn't notice any abnormal stretch at all. Except for the sun bleaching it in a few places it still looks to be in fairly good shape.
Is it as light or compact as Zing it, Lash it, or even Amsteel ... not a chance. Does it work fine to hold up a 10X10 tarp for 4 full months ... YES.
I did it after seeing it on bushcraft site nothing was said about stretching. Took about an hour I think. Figured what the heck didn't know all about all these zing lines and other things and it was my first bushcraft DIY
You did fine, and I'm glad you shared your work. Paracord used alone does have a tendency to stretch, especially when wet and under heavy load. I think braiding it mitigates that tendency quite a bit though.
Unless your tarp weighs a ton I wouldn't worry about it much if you use it as a tarp ridgeline. You can investigate the joys of those other types of ropes and cords in the future ( and you should because they have some very neat attributes ).
There's a nice feeling of accomplishment in using something you worked on with your own hands. I hope you enjoy using your new braided ridgeline
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