Ribbon for tarp ridgeline - nylon or polyester?

[MikekiM]

I used poly ribbon for the caps on standing french seams on a handful of tarps.

[hutzelbein]

This question is from 2015. As suggested by Boston, I got single faced satin tape and it looks and works like the tape Warbonnet uses. There is really no need for beefier tape like grosgrain. I found the satin tape easier to handle as well.

[Andy Pandy]

This question is from 2015. As suggested by Boston, I got single faced satin tape and it looks and works like the tape Warbonnet uses. There is really no need for beefier tape like grosgrain. I found the satin tape easier to handle as well.

Hi @hutzelbein, how is your ridgeline holding up? I am in exactly this position and looking for a suitable tape / GG for my tarp project. I know I want polyester as it's a silpoly tarp and I don't want the tape to stretch more than the tarp. Did the single faced satin tape work out well? Did you just buy some locally?

[MikekiM]

From 2018....



I used the 7/8" ribbon

Actually did four tarps in 2018 and used the same technique on all.

[Andy Pandy]

From 2018....

I used the 7/8" ribbon

Actually did four tarps in 2018 and used the same technique on all.

When you say 'ribbon', is that GG or polyester 'binding tape', or this 'single-faced polyester satin tape' stuff?

[MikekiM]

This... In 7/8"

[WV]

I have both silnylon and silpoly tarps with no tape reinforcing the ridgeline, and they haven't had any problems.

[MikekiM]

I had chosen the capped standing French seam because it didn't require seam sealing and the ridge tie outs are integrated into the ridge seam. Plus I thought is looked cool. I did two identical 12' hex, with and without doors. The doored tarp had an orange cap and the other had green.

[Andy Pandy]

I had chosen the capped standing French seam because it didn't require seam sealing and the ridge tie outs are integrated into the ridge seam.

Yes that's my reason for selecting that design too, plus a bit of extra support when the ridgeline is under a lot of tension is no bad thing and means I can adopt a split ridgeline most of the time and use a line under the tarp more for hanging stuff up rather than protecting the tarp. The line under the tarp can be attached to the ridgeline tieouts via a suitable water break to prevent rain tracking down the ridgeline and under the tarp. If the wind is really howling I can use the line under the tarp as additional support (it's all dyneema) but by then I suspect the fabric would probably be ripped to shreds anyway.