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  1. #1
    Senior Member ikemouser's Avatar
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    Red face Tarp line/length

    Hey guys, looking for opinions on how long you guys keep your tarp ridge tie lines, and your guy lines for the tarp stakes/tieouts as well. Also what kind of line are you using for your tarp ridge ties? i have a maccat so i call it ridge ties since its not a full ridge line with rope (seam instead), just so you know what im talking about.

  2. #2
    all secure in sector 7 Shug's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ikemouser View Post
    Hey guys, looking for opinions on how long you guys keep your tarp ridge tie lines, and your guy lines for the tarp stakes/tieouts as well. Also what kind of line are you using for your tarp ridge ties? i have a maccat so i call it ridge ties since its not a full ridge line with rope (seam instead), just so you know what im talking about.
    I use Speer Orange no-Tangle Guy line and use around 12 to 15 feet on my ridgeline. Used to use less footage but would be a wee bit short once in a while. The weight of a few extra feet is marginal ... to me at least.
    On my corner tie-out a use around 6 to 8 feet as I like to hang the tarp high in good weather. (In winter more like 3 feet as it is always pitched low). I tie loops along the length of those lines every 2 feet or so to run a stake through. That gives me a really quick set-up and a lot of options on set-up. Though I still tie a quick butterfly clove on the stake at times when the loop is just not in the sweet spot on the cord.
    Used to use Kelty Trip Tease but it "lights up" too much for me. I keep a very small piece of it though tied on .... about 4 inches .... just so I can find my tarp at night. Thanks Dutch!
    I keep a couple of extra pieces ... 6 to 8 feet .....in my kit as back up and for those times that I have to tie it on another line if I need a really long tie out or ridgeline extension. Comes in handy in many ways.
    Stringin' Shug
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  3. #3
    Senior Member Hooch's Avatar
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    A second vote for Speer No-tangle guyline. I use it on all my tarps, excepting my MacCat. For my ridge tie-outs, I use 12 feet and for my side tie-outs, I use 6 feet.
    "If you play a Nicleback song backwards, you'll hear messages from the devil. Even worse, if you play it forward, you'll hear Nickleback." - Dave Grohl

  4. #4
    Senior Member Barry's Avatar
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    I'd be interested in seeing how some of you rig your tarp ridgelines. This past week I used a speer winter tarp. On Thurs night I setup at the base of Mt Monadnock just before it started to pour (3 inches overnight).
    In the morning when I got up, I noticed that the grommets on the ridgeline tieouts were stretching the holes. I don't know if it was because I over tightened the ridge tieouts or if it was weather related, but I'm thinking I need to add a ridgeline to the setup that the tarp uses instead of using the tarp itself.
    Q - How do you secure the tarp to the ridgeline?
    Q - Do you integrate it permanently into the tarp setup or have it as a separate system that you attach the tarp to (and how)?

    Thanks.
    -b
    p.s. - Notwithstanding the wet, the week was good, although the weather prevented completing some of the trip, but the gear worked wonderfully.
    -b

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  5. #5
    Senior Member Ramblinrev's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Barry View Post
    In the morning when I got up, I noticed that the grommets on the ridgeline tieouts were stretching the holes. I don't know if it was because I over tightened the ridge tieouts or if it was weather related, but I'm thinking I need to add a ridgeline to the setup that the tarp uses instead of using the tarp itself.
    That is an inherent problem with grommets. I would suggest sewing some tabs onto the tarp and attaching you line to the tabs. There are any number of ways to actually attach the lines including knots and devices. The problem you mentioned is not a guyline problem IMO but rather a grommet problem.
    I may be slow... But I sure am gimpy.

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  6. #6
    Senior Member Ken's Avatar
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    Barry can confirm this, but I believe the Speer Winter Tarp has grosgrain loops for the ridgeline with grommets near the end of the loops. You should be able to run the tie out line through just the loop, independent of the grommet, and avoid grommet problems. I can't remember at the moment which method I used on mine.

    ken
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  7. #7
    Senior Member GrizzlyAdams's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Barry View Post
    I'd be interested in seeing how some of you rig your tarp ridgelines. This past week I used a speer winter tarp. On Thurs night I setup at the base of Mt Monadnock just before it started to pour (3 inches overnight).
    In the morning when I got up, I noticed that the grommets on the ridgeline tieouts were stretching the holes. I don't know if it was because I over tightened the ridge tieouts or if it was weather related, but I'm thinking I need to add a ridgeline to the setup that the tarp uses instead of using the tarp itself.
    Q - How do you secure the tarp to the ridgeline?
    Q - Do you integrate it permanently into the tarp setup or have it as a separate system that you attach the tarp to (and how)?

    Thanks.
    -b
    p.s. - Notwithstanding the wet, the week was good, although the weather prevented completing some of the trip, but the gear worked wonderfully.
    Barry---
    when I saw holes opening where the tabs on my tarp were sewn on the ridgeline seam, I knew it was time for a bit of ridgeline cord. For me this was not a grommet problem, but a "tension on the ridgeline seam" problem. Probably self-inflicted, but here's this tarp with weakened tabs....

    On one end of the cord I tied a small loop and clipped on a microbiner. That end is first up all the time...wrap the cord around the tree once and clip the biner onto the cord.

    I adjust the length of the ridgeline cord at the other end. Cord around the tree, then tied off any one of a number of ways. Tautline hitch tied there on the spot works. Any one of a number of other hitches work, the hitchcraft UK folks like this "Siberian hitch" I have yet to master.

    A way I like in particular to tie off the other end is to attach an anchor to the ridgeline with a prusik knot. Again loop the cord around the tree, move the anchor position on the ridgeline to receive the working end and tie it off. "Anchor" here has been a figure-9, a plastic D-ring, even a micro-biner. Depends mostly on what I have on hand when I'm rigging the tarp (at home). With a prusik attachment I don't lose the figure-9 and it is easier to reposition on the cord than either trying to slide it along the cord, or take it off the cord, drop it in the leaves and scuffle around for a while trying to find it again.

    Finally getting to the part you ask about...also on the ridgeline I have prusiked on two microbiners. The center tabs on the tarp get attached to these. Thus, to position the tarp along the ridgeline is a matter of moving those prusiked microbiners.

    You can leave the tarp clicked onto the ridgeline all the time (I do), or fold it up separately and easily attach and disattach when setting up or tearing down. You can put the tarp over the ridgeline (I do), or hang it under the ridgeline (TeeDee does). My way puts less strain on those ridgeline tabs, but does need drip strings because water can come down the ridgeline and then under the tarp. You might infer how I know this for certain

    The line one attaches to the ridgeline as a prussik knot ought to be somewhat smaller in diameter than the ridgeline itself, or the ridgeline otherwise offer some resistance to the prusik (e.g. with a rough sheathing, as has Speer's no-tangle cord). I'm using 1.8mm LashIt for the prusik cord, just because I have some. Other small diameter cord ought to work on the tarp-positioning microbiners because there's not a lot of holding that has to happen there (if the tarp is over the ridgeline, anyway). For the ridgeline itself I'm using some TripTease knockoff that doesn't reflect light. I've used Speer's cord also. Like shug and others I have a small easily mobile piece of cord with embedded reflection to aid finding my hang again at night. I use it as the drawstring on my hammock's sil stuff sack, which I can hang out in the elements if I need that reflective beacon.

    Grizz

  8. #8
    Senior Member Ramblinrev's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by GrizzlyAdams View Post
    Barry---
    when I saw holes opening where the tabs on my tarp were sewn on the ridgeline seam, I knew it was time for a bit of ridgeline cord. For me this was not a grommet problem, but a "tension on the ridgeline seam" problem. Probably self-inflicted, but here's this tarp with weakened tabs....Grizz
    I apologoze if I read that wrong. Grizz I totally agree with you given the sewn on tabes being where the stretch is. I understood it to be just the grommet holes were stretching.
    I may be slow... But I sure am gimpy.

    "Bless you child, when you set out to thread a needle don't hold the thread still and fetch the needle up to it; hold the needle still and poke the thread at it; that's the way a woman most always does, but a man always does t'other way."
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  9. #9
    Senior Member GrizzlyAdams's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ramblinrev View Post
    I apologoze if I read that wrong. Grizz I totally agree with you given the sewn on tabes being where the stretch is. I understood it to be just the grommet holes were stretching.
    I don't think you read his post incorrectly...his problem and mine have related causes and similar solutions.

    Grizz

  10. #10
    Senior Member Ramblinrev's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by GrizzlyAdams View Post
    I don't think you read his post incorrectly...his problem and mine have related causes and similar solutions.

    Grizz
    Gotcha... I agree a ridgeline would do no harm. I just don't like them and seek to avoid them on tarps. (A childhood issue I assure you.) But that's my problem
    I may be slow... But I sure am gimpy.

    "Bless you child, when you set out to thread a needle don't hold the thread still and fetch the needle up to it; hold the needle still and poke the thread at it; that's the way a woman most always does, but a man always does t'other way."
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