question about tarp tie downs and I also received my "the ultimate hang" in the mail today

[Frank1960]

First the question: what are those bunji type tie downs for tarps that allow it to flex some?

And received my ultimate hang book in the mail today can't wait to read it from cover to cover

[SilvrSurfr]

Some folks use shock cord, but it only helps with silnylon tarps that stretch when wet (and I don't think it helps much, if at all). Not necessary or desirable for a poly of cuben fiber tarp.

[Frank1960]

Thanks ya just saved me some money

[jamaulwall]

I use then on my silnylon tarp but having done it both ways I tend to agree with SilvrSurfr, they don't help that much in tentioning for stretch. I like the idea of it but in practice I think it's only marginally useful. Regardless, it's fun to tinker with your gear to find what works for you.

[NWAlabamaHiker]

Some folks use shock cord, but it only helps with silnylon tarps that stretch when wet (and I don't think it helps much, if at all). Not necessary or desirable for a poly of cuben fiber tarp.

I use then on my silnylon tarp but having done it both ways I tend to agree with SilvrSurfr, they don't help that much in tentioning for stretch. I like the idea of it but in practice I think it's only marginally useful. Regardless, it's fun to tinker with your gear to find what works for you.

I'll second both of these (or third them? :shrugs). I have shock cord on my tieouts on my silnylon tarp, but I really can't tell they help that much. I just don't think the shock cord has enough elastic strength to really tighten the tarp back up that much if it gets a little slack in it. It may ever so slightly tension it, but very nominally. In my opinion to have a solution that really would keep tension on it, you'd have to use some real bungy cords (the big bulky heavy type used for strapping things down when moving or the like), not just shock cord.

[Bubba]

I tried self tensioning lines in the past but I never really liked them. I like a really taut pitch in my tarps so I always tighten my lines a couple times after initial set up. I use prusiks so tightening them is easy enough. YMMV.

[GreatBigDave]

My self tensioning lines keep the hem of my sil-nyl tarp taught when it gets wet but the sides sag. I have panel-pull pole mod and that keeps the wet tarp up and away.

[m0244]

I haven't noticed the problems mentioned above, my SF has shock cord on every tie out and it makes tensioning super easy, haven't tried it with CF though.

[pgibson]

Fabrics that stretch like SilNylon only stretch to a point. Set your tarp up and tension it to the full tension you want. Come back in an hour and it will have stretched about as much as it really can. Crank everything tight again and your done. Rain or not the fabric only has so much give.