Tarp tensioners

**Hawk-eye** · 09-08-2009, 23:25

Pardon me for being selfish and asking for assistance but I'm overseas and my connection comes and goes ... tough to research things when you keep getting locked out or logged off.

I've found two versions ... well three really ... of methods to tension the tarp to compensate for the stretch in a sil tarp.

If any of you would kindly post links in this thread to any of the great tips out there for this ... I'd be grateful. Not to mention it might just help someone else besides this old fart.

Regards ... Michael

**GrizzlyAdams** · 09-08-2009, 23:28

Originally Posted by Hawk-eye

Pardon me for being selfish and asking for assistance but I'm overseas and my connection comes and goes ... tough to research things when you keep getting locked out or logged off.

I've found two versions ... well three really ... of methods to tension the tarp to compensate for the stretch in a sil tarp.

If any of you would kindly post links in this thread to any of the great tips out there for this ... I'd be grateful. Not to mention it might just help someone else besides this old fart.

Regards ... Michael

I use a variation of the technique HC4U writes about in the first posting on this thread. It has the important ideas, and photos!

Grizz

**Cannibal** · 09-08-2009, 23:40

I use the method shown in the third post of the same thread Grizz linked. Very light, effective, inexpensive, and easy to make.

**JerryW** · 09-08-2009, 23:43

Here's the surgical tubing style from Just Jeff's website.

Just Jeff link.

I think the Jacks R Better are similar to these, just a different kind of tubing.

Grizz posted the bungee type, here's the surgical tubing type, anybody know of any others?

Jerry

**Hawk-eye** · 09-08-2009, 23:43

Xiexie ni guys (thank you)

And a big xiexie ni to you Jerry ... that's the one I was trying to find when everything crashed this morning.

**warbonnetguy** · 09-08-2009, 23:49

i tension the crap out of my tarp during setup so it never gets loose enough to be an issue, no tensioners needed. works pretty well this way as long as the ground is good enough to hold my groundhogs in securely.

**Hawk-eye** · 09-08-2009, 23:54

I've never had a problem either ... although I've been a little concerned what I'm doing to the sil material long term but two years down the road .. doesn't appear to be any problems.

Anyone had any problems torquing down a sil tarp?

**warbonnetguy** · 09-09-2009, 00:09

don't think it should hurt the sil material, it's very stretchy, the stress would be on all the pull tabs and such, but if those are solid (which will depend on the tarp) then it should be fine.

i've woken up to tarps wet with dew and still relativley tight. sure they loosened, but they were tight enough to begin with that even with the loosening it wasn't enough to cause any sag.

**Hawk-eye** · 09-09-2009, 01:58

Hmm ... found that Thera-band brand tubing on Amazon.com for about $17 and some change with free shipping for 25 feet. Might just have to have a batch sent to my office (avoiding explaining to the blonde) and try some of these rigs out. Cheap fun anyway.

There are different strengths (wall thickness) of the stuff color coded ... the green appears to be what JRB uses which is classified as HEAVY strength. I'd try the heavier stuff but with my luck I'd just end up in the middle of the night getting popped in my arse when the tent stake pulled out!

I thought fly fishing and photography were a gadget guys dream hobbies ... then came hammock camping!

**2Questions** · 09-09-2009, 06:31

Originally Posted by Hawk-eye

Hmm ... found that Thera-band brand tubing on Amazon.com for about $17 and some change with free shipping for 25 feet. Might just have to have a batch sent to my office (avoiding explaining to the blonde) and try some of these rigs out. Cheap fun anyway.

There are different strengths (wall thickness) of the stuff color coded ... the green appears to be what JRB uses which is classified as HEAVY strength. I'd try the heavier stuff but with my luck I'd just end up in the middle of the night getting popped in my arse when the tent stake pulled out!

I thought fly fishing and photography were a gadget guys dream hobbies ... then came hammock camping!

Note that Theraband tubing tends to "freeze up". One winter, that's exactly what happened when it dropped well below freezing, the tensioners were frozen stiff.....then of no value.

If your interested in something a bit sturdier, check out 3/16" Solcor EPDM shock cord from Anapolis Performance Sailing.
http://www.apsltd.com/c-1506-shockco...ingstraps.aspx

You can purchase plastic eye hooks and end hooks at the site for quick configuring.