Maccat setup help

**lori** · 07-12-2009, 23:05

I bought the four niteize figure nines plus reflective cord for tents. I'm considering just taking the figure nines off and going back to the tautline hitch - I really just wanted reflective cord and it was cheaper than another bundle of triptease.

**Oms** · 07-13-2009, 05:05

Hey Lori, if I remember correctly, I had a hard time sliding the tautline hitch under load using triptease. Check it out before leaving the figure nines at home. Switched the cord to something else REI sells for cheap to resolve the problem.

**lori** · 07-13-2009, 12:54

Thanks, but I'm not using triptease - I'm using whatever the green reflective cord that came with the niteize is. It's thicker and not as abrasive as triptease, which I have on a different tarp.

I was tying tautlines on the triptease before and didn't have a problem. My usual habit was two wraps around a groundhog stake and then a tautline to hold it in place. The tension was mostly on the first wrap of cord around the stake and seemed to hole pretty well.

**Oms** · 07-13-2009, 17:22

Try only one wrap around the stake and then you can slide the knot further up to increase tension on the tarp. I find after the tarp is hung for a while the cord and fabric of the tarp tend to stretch a little.

**lori** · 07-13-2009, 18:52

I have tarp tensioners at the D rings... things stay pretty tight.

PS · 07-13-2009, 21:34

From my boy scouting days a tautline hitch slips over time...
I'm a trucker's hitch dude now... No slip, can really apply tension, and simple to untie.

**Oms** · 07-14-2009, 05:25

Originally Posted by TheRev

From my boy scouting days a tautline hitch slips over time...
I'm a trucker's hitch dude now... No slip, can really apply tension, and simple to untie.

Can't really say I've had any problems with it slipping, more so that it doesn't slide well with some types of cord. I'll take a look at the trucker's hitch to see how it works. Trying to learn knots frustrates me

. I always seem to forget how to do it. So once I get it I stick with it.

**Oms** · 07-14-2009, 05:37

Oh, that looked confusing. http://www.animatedknots.com/trucker...matedknots.com If I'm correct the knot does not slide for increasing tension. That is the reason for the tauthitch knot. Stormcrow showed me a knot that was quick and simple for pinning out the sides on a tarp. Don't know the name, but it would work well with tensioners.

**Kobear** · 07-14-2009, 05:42

Just to add, if you have the SpinnUL MacCat deluxe, Brian says you don't need any tensioners.

**pisanodc** · 07-14-2009, 06:49

Hey there,
I have the same tarp. I use jab's self tesioning guy lines and they work great my bud made his own and they work great too. They keep a nice even tension on the tarp