what I learned at Uwarrie about suspension

[cooldays]

I tried some new things out at Uwarrie.

My new Tarp Ridgeline:

I made a 25 foot UCR out of dynaglide, from opies group buy, which I hooked to the trees with figure nine biners using the biner on one end and the figure nine on the other.

1. Dynaglide hurts the bark. Be careful. It is so narrow and strong. Something needs to go underneath i think....sugestions welcome!

2. The ucr is not as easy as the figure 9. You just cant tighten as easily when there is a bunch of tension on it. Tension free it easy to slide but when the tarp is up the figure 9 is much easier. Going to get rid of the adjustable part.

3. I used the tarp ridgeline over the tarp and used prussiks to hold the tarp to it. 3 loops prussiks of zing it on dynaglide is not enough. I had to add more. but 4 or 5 worked fine.

4. Having a ridgline over the tarp might help the risk of rain coming in if you don't have drip rings or drip cords but you cant hang anything on it. Next time I want to try underneath.



guy lines:

I made ucr guy lines out of the dynaglide that i larksheaded to the tie outs and scured to the stake with cheap bungee cords i got at home depot.

1. Simple solution kept my tarp tight even in pretty strong winds (I was at the windward low edge of the clearing and the rain came hard as well.

2. When the winds and rain started coming very strong I was easlily able to use the UCR on the guy lines and drop the guy lines to " storm mode" on just the rain/wind side...even in the dark! Yay for UCRs on the guy lines!

3. Length of guy lines. I made most about 6 feet long and a few about 10 feet long. I liked the longer ones in front. For non "storm mode" or "porch mode" I am going to make half the guy lines 12 or 14 feet so i get more horizontal play when i want it on my tarp.

4. I love the bright green dynaglide so easy to see even at night!

thanks for listening to me. And thanks to you all who gave me these ideas!

Cooldays

[Kukri]

3. I used the tarp ridgeline over the tarp and used prussiks to hold the tarp to it. 3 loops prussiks of zing it on dynaglide is not enough. I had to add more. but 4 or 5 worked fine.

4. Having a ridgline over the tarp might help the risk of rain coming in if you don't have drip rings or drip cords but you cant hang anything on it. Next time I want to try underneath.

Is there any advantage to having one single piece of cordage going over the tarp over having 2 pieces (one on either side of the tarp) that don't go past the prussic?

If the cordage doesn't support the tarp anyway, only acts as some line to support the prussics, which support the tarp, why use all the extra cordage to span the whole length of the tarp in addition to the length you'll need from the tree to the tarp?

I am just asking because I recently split my paracord tarp ridgeline in half, then cut each end down some, because the extra stuff in the middle seemed useless as it was just kind of hanging there. I have yet to actually USE the tarp like this so I am just wondering if I have to make up another ridgeline since I cut mine up. I hope I am making sense, please let me know if I need to clarify or post pics or something.

[GrizzlyAdams]

Is there any advantage to having one single piece of cordage going over the tarp over having 2 pieces (one on either side of the tarp) that don't go past the prussic?

If the cordage doesn't support the tarp anyway, only acts as some line to support the prussics, which support the tarp, why use all the extra cordage to span the whole length of the tarp in addition to the length you'll need from the tree to the tarp?

I am just asking because I recently split my paracord tarp ridgeline in half, then cut each end down some, because the extra stuff in the middle seemed useless as it was just kind of hanging there. I have yet to actually USE the tarp like this so I am just wondering if I have to make up another ridgeline since I cut mine up. I hope I am making sense, please let me know if I need to clarify or post pics or something.

you're making sense.

the purpose of using one line and hanging your tarp from it is to make centering the tarp "easier" by sliding the prusiks that attach to the tarp ends.

the additional purpose of using one line and putting your tarp over it is that you get a line under the tarp to hang things from. Plus you get the advantage above, plus you take the tension off the center tabs of the tarp (not an issue on some, but has proven to be an issue on others) but you do need to include drip lines this way.

Lots of ways to hang tarps…go with whatever is comfortable.

[Kukri]

Ok, I guess I am missing out on something to hang things from inside the hammock. I hadn't thought of that, but I always hang things from that line when I'm camping. I still have the prussiks on each end, and the excess line makes its own drip line, which I thought was a pretty good advantage.

The big reason I cut the line was that the figure 9 was really upsetting me. It may just dislike paracord because it was not holding like it was supposed to. I couldn't get anywhere near enough tautness in the line to support the middle of the tarp because it just wouldn't grip enough. Rigged the way I have it now, I have no frustration of dealing with the figure 9s, but I don't get the advantage of having something to hang my wet socks from... I will just have to try out both ways next time I go camping and see what is right for me.

[TiredFeet]

Is there any advantage to having one single piece of cordage going over the tarp over having 2 pieces (one on either side of the tarp) that don't go past the prussic?

If the cordage doesn't support the tarp anyway, only acts as some line to support the prussics, which support the tarp, why use all the extra cordage to span the whole length of the tarp in addition to the length you'll need from the tree to the tarp?

I am just asking because I recently split my paracord tarp ridgeline in half, then cut each end down some, because the extra stuff in the middle seemed useless as it was just kind of hanging there. I have yet to actually USE the tarp like this so I am just wondering if I have to make up another ridgeline since I cut mine up. I hope I am making sense, please let me know if I need to clarify or post pics or something.

In my experience I find it much, much easier to run a cord for the ridge line from tree to tree and then hang the tarp on the prussics on the ridge line.

If I use two cords, one on each end, that means I have to secure one end to a tree and then at the other tree I have to hold onto an armful of very slippery silnyl tarp (or rather try to hold onto it as I watch most of it slip away) and try to wrap the second cord around the tree and secure it. Seems like my third arm and hand would be very useful about this time.

Securing the two ends of the tarp to the ridge line is much easier since I can get the prussics roughly positioned before I even pick up the tarp and securing to the prussics is a LOT easier than wrapping the tree. If using micro-carabiners to secure the tarp to the ridge line, simply clip in place. Toggles are a little harder to slip into place, but not a much.

Note: I do not like dropping the tarp in the mud or leaf litter or bushes or whatever is at the base of the tree or dragging it across the ground in the span between the trees. I've seen others do it many times with no problem, so I guess it is just a personal quirk I have. If doing so doesn't bother a person, then the two cords will work just fine.

[opie]

I tried some new things out at Uwarrie.

My new Tarp Ridgeline:

I made a 25 foot UCR out of dynaglide, from opies group buy, which I hooked to the trees with figure nine biners using the biner on one end and the figure nine on the other.

1. Dynaglide hurts the bark. Be careful. It is so narrow and strong. Something needs to go underneath i think....sugestions welcome!

How much tension are you putting on the RL? The Dynaglide is an arborist throw line, made to be run across tree bark.

2. The ucr is not as easy as the figure 9. You just cant tighten as easily when there is a bunch of tension on it. Tension free it easy to slide but when the tarp is up the figure 9 is much easier. Going to get rid of the adjustable part.

Yup. Thats why when I was using this method for the guy lines, the tensioner had to remain part of the system.

3. I used the tarp ridgeline over the tarp and used prussiks to hold the tarp to it. 3 loops prussiks of zing it on dynaglide is not enough. I had to add more. but 4 or 5 worked fine.

Id be interested to see your prusiks. Ive had no problems with a 3 wrap prusik holding on the Dynaglide. Yes it will slip if you get upwards of 30 pounds of force. A 4 wrap would solve that, but if your 3 wraps are slipping, I think you may be putting to much tension on things.

4. Having a ridgline over the tarp might help the risk of rain coming in if you don't have drip rings or drip cords but you cant hang anything on it. Next time I want to try underneath.

Each method has it upside and downside.

guy lines:

I made ucr guy lines out of the dynaglide that i larksheaded to the tie outs and scured to the stake with cheap bungee cords i got at home depot.

1. Simple solution kept my tarp tight even in pretty strong winds (I was at the windward low edge of the clearing and the rain came hard as well.

2. When the winds and rain started coming very strong I was easlily able to use the UCR on the guy lines and drop the guy lines to " storm mode" on just the rain/wind side...even in the dark! Yay for UCRs on the guy lines!

They do work well.

3. Length of guy lines. I made most about 6 feet long and a few about 10 feet long. I liked the longer ones in front. For non "storm mode" or "porch mode" I am going to make half the guy lines 12 or 14 feet so i get more horizontal play when i want it on my tarp.

4. I love the bright green dynaglide so easy to see even at night!

thanks for listening to me. And thanks to you all who gave me these ideas!

Cooldays

Thanks for the feedback.

[MacEntyre]

Here are my pics of Cooldays tarp suspension.

[opie]

Mac... are you running Windows?

[Scottybdiving]

In my experience I find it much, much easier to run a cord for the ridge line from tree to tree and then hang the tarp on the prussics on the ridge line.

If I use two cords, one on each end, that means I have to secure one end to a tree and then at the other tree I have to hold onto an armful of very slippery silnyl tarp (or rather try to hold onto it as I watch most of it slip away) and try to wrap the second cord around the tree and secure it. Seems like my third arm and hand would be very useful about this time.

Securing the two ends of the tarp to the ridge line is much easier since I can get the prussics roughly positioned before I even pick up the tarp and securing to the prussics is a LOT easier than wrapping the tree. If using micro-carabiners to secure the tarp to the ridge line, simply clip in place. Toggles are a little harder to slip into place, but not a much.

Note: I do not like dropping the tarp in the mud or leaf litter or bushes or whatever is at the base of the tree or dragging it across the ground in the span between the trees. I've seen others do it many times with no problem, so I guess it is just a personal quirk I have. If doing so doesn't bother a person, then the two cords will work just fine.

That's why I love the reefing method. The end that I attach to the first tree is always at the top of the stuff bag and it unspools as I walk to the second tree, where I use a figure 9 to tension it. Unfurl the tarp and tighten the prussiks. No chance of hitting the mud. Tear down is the reverse, always leaving the leading edge on top of the stuff sack.

[TOB9595]

nice info. Thanks all.
Makes sense to me

Tom