Tarp tie-down attachments?

**dasunt** · 06-30-2009, 21:00

I'm sewing up a hammock tarp and I need to figure out how to attach the ropes to the tarp.

I'm leaning towards just doing a loop of webbing at each position, it's cheap, and the tarp will roll flat. Maybe I should add D-rings though.

I've seen pictures of tarps done with grommets through the loop of webbing. Looks very nice, but I don't know how much the grommet tool costs.

Any other choices?

What *don't* you like?

**warbonnetguy** · 06-30-2009, 21:01

the loops will work fine, lots of tarps are like that

**sclittlefield** · 07-01-2009, 09:16

If you do decide to do grommets, be sure to ONLY put them through the webbing loops and not through the edges of your tarp fabric - that's the way cheap tarps are made and the grommets rip out.

You can buy a whole pack of grommets with the tool at Walmart for around $6-7, in the camping isle. I've used it and it works fine, you'll just need to supply your own hammer.

I'd recommend grommets only for the ridge-line pull outs, they're not necessary anywhere else. On the ridge-line, however, they can be used with hiking poles (or sticks). The Walmart ones are the perfect size, use with 3/4" - 1" webbing. I use 7/8" gross grain.

**Ramblinrev** · 07-01-2009, 09:42

Grommets do serious damage to the intergity of the tarp fabric IMO. The fabric is cut when the hole is punched. Unless you seal that hole, which is hard to do with home equipment, you have a major source of fraying and tearing where it counts the most. I use loops of webbing. When you are dealing with the realy cheap, heavy reinforced vinyl tarps you can get away with it. But ripstop or silnyl is going to fail so much quicker that I don't think it is worth the risk. If you stitch a little compartment into the ridge webbing you can still use trekking poles without the use of grommets. If a metal grommet gets bent for one reason or another they will slice up the fabric of a lightweight tarp in no time flat. IMO they are simply not worth the risk.

I have considered using D-rings in the webbing loops but I never had a supply of them when I needed them and never felt like going to the store to get them when the simple loops work so well.

**canoebie** · 07-01-2009, 09:54

Originally Posted by Ramblinrev

Grommets do serious damage to the intergity of the tarp fabric IMO. The fabric is cut when the hole is punched. Unless you seal that hole, which is hard to do with home equipment, you have a major source of fraying and tearing where it counts the most. I use loops of webbing. When you are dealing with the realy cheap, heavy reinforced vinyl tarps you can get away with it. But ripstop or silnyl is going to fail so much quicker that I don't think it is worth the risk. If you stitch a little compartment into the ridge webbing you can still use trekking poles without the use of grommets. If a metal grommet gets bent for one reason or another they will slice up the fabric of a lightweight tarp in no time flat. IMO they are simply not worth the risk.

I have considered using D-rings in the webbing loops but I never had a supply of them when I needed them and never felt like going to the store to get them when the simple loops work so well.

I whole heartedly agree with this assessment of the utility of grommets. I have a tool, I never use it. There are better ways to achieve the desired result. Grommets I have had on equipment have ultimately failed without exception.

**sclittlefield** · 07-01-2009, 14:40

Originally Posted by Ramblinrev

If a metal grommet gets bent for one reason or another they will slice up the fabric of a lightweight tarp in no time flat. IMO they are simply not worth the risk.

Now that is something I had not thought of. I've only used them on the webbing pull outs, never on the fabric itself, but this is an excellent point and enough to push me to the hard-line of "absolutely not, no how, no way".

**Ramblinrev** · 07-01-2009, 15:38

Originally Posted by sclittlefield

Now that is something I had not thought of. I've only used them on the webbing pull outs, never on the fabric itself, but this is an excellent point and enough to push me to the hard-line of "absolutely not, no how, no way".

The power of a good wind could distort a metal grommet in such a way as to expose sharp edges. I would push you over the edge into "never never land"

**Fig** · 07-01-2009, 15:39

I took some of the material I used to make my tarp, and sewed it into strips. I then sewed the strips onto the tarp as a loop. They are holding great, and didn't add any negligible weight to the tarp.

**Ramblinrev** · 07-01-2009, 15:45

"That'll work. I am not that much of a gram weenie.

**Fig** · 07-01-2009, 16:22

Haha.. Me either, but I didn't have any webbing laying around that I would use, and it hit me when I was sitting there staring at a piece of the fabric I had used to test the stitching. I cut it into strips, and sewed them up into smaller strips, and then sewed them to the tarp in a loop. Held just fine in some pretty strong winds.