Tarp ridge line adjustability?

**Armor Like Fire** · 07-15-2013, 14:17

Hey guys! Viper here, well I have my hammock rig almost complete but to hang my tarp I use a ridge line and then prussic knots from both ends of the tarp tied to the ridge line. Which is alright holds well and is adjustable but kind of annoying having to tie-untie these every time I set up. Anyone have any better ideas that will make both sides of my tarp ridge line adjustable? Thanks guys!

**Teegs** · 07-15-2013, 14:29

Pretty sure most of us just leave the whole contraption together when we pack it up. I have a snake skin for my tarp so I just roll up each side, and slide the snake skin over.

So to clarify, I have the ridge line, a figure 9/prussik combo for tensioning it, two prussiks with clips to set my tarp, and a small S-biner for hooking around the other tree. The tarp goes into the snake skin in with the prussiks and clips, and the rest gets wound up. I don't even use a stuff sack for it because if its wet its going on the outside of my pack anyway.

**pgibson** · 07-15-2013, 14:45

Why are you tying and un-tying each set up? As Teegs said it should be able to just stay all together as one package be it in skins or a stuff sack.

**weaver2469** · 07-15-2013, 15:02

the only reason I can see needing to untie prussics each time is if you are looping them through the d rings of your tarp. I think most people just leave the prussics where they are and attach with small s biners. You can just leave the line attached to the tarp when you pack up if you like, or you can easily disconnect with the biners but leave the prussics alone.

**Mort** · 07-15-2013, 15:03

Here's what I have done to avoid the problem you're running into: I take a short (5" say) piece of cord and tie the ends together to form a closed loop. Next I take the loop of cord and tie a "French" prussic knot onto the ridge line. I then use a simple brass "S" hook to attach the loop to the tie out loop along the center of the tarp. Do the same thing for the other end of the tarp ridge line, and tah-dah! You have it!
This way I can adjust the location of the tarp along the tarp ridge line without having to undo the prussics each time I set up.

**Shewie** · 07-15-2013, 16:19

Mine stay on the tarp, to pack away I slide the prusiks together at my short end of my ridgeline (the one with the Dutch hook on), I drop the tarp and hanked up guy lines into my stuff sack and cinch it up. This leaves just the ridgeline strung up between the trees, I take off the slack around my Flyz and unwrap that end from the tree. I then hank up the line until I get to the stuff sack and then poke it inside, undo the Hook end and hank that up and drop it in the stuff sack.
It only takes a few minutes and I'm not untying any knots, the next time it goes up it's a doddle too.

**Armor Like Fire** · 07-15-2013, 23:56

So you guys keep the same ridge line each time you set up your tarp? For some reason I had never put much though into that(because all trees are a butt different spacing apart) hmm I guess if I had kept the same ridge line the whole time wouldn't be a very big deal?

**weaver2469** · 07-16-2013, 06:32

Originally Posted by Viper

So you guys keep the same ridge line each time you set up your tarp? For some reason I had never put much though into that(because all trees are a butt different spacing apart) hmm I guess if I had kept the same ridge line the whole time wouldn't be a very big deal?

Here you go. Check out this video from whoopieslings showing their continuous ridge line.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-Bp1...layer_embedded

I borrowed their idea and made my own. In the video, he uses soft shackle prussics to attach his tarp. Many people just use regular loops for prussics, then attach them to the tarp d rings with small biners. I used this set up for a while, but I have recently switched to separate ridgelines with Dutch tarp flyz, just for variety.

**gargoyle** · 07-16-2013, 06:52

Originally Posted by Viper

So you guys keep the same ridge line each time you set up your tarp? For some reason I had never put much though into that(because all trees are a butt different spacing apart) hmm I guess if I had kept the same ridge line the whole time wouldn't be a very big deal?

Yep leave the prussiks and tarp and rl together as a system.

If you need to adjust for the difference in trees on your next set up, you slide the prussiks to allow for that.
Pack the system away with care and you will be less tangled next time you need the tarp. Some use skins or roll/fold the tarp carefully.

**Teegs** · 07-16-2013, 07:15

Originally Posted by Viper

So you guys keep the same ridge line each time you set up your tarp? For some reason I had never put much though into that(because all trees are a butt different spacing apart) hmm I guess if I had kept the same ridge line the whole time wouldn't be a very big deal?

Haha I used to be like that. But the truth is, if you're going to run your RL under your tarp it makes absolutely no sense to take everything apart. The setup is the same each time so may as well leave it.

Even pitching a tarp from tree to ground would work. Heck I even leave my guy lines attached. That way everything is neatly packaged and kept together, so when it comes time to deploy, it takes a whopping 45 seconds.