Is it better to use a stretchy type tie out on at least one attachment point on a tarp, or is it preferable to use static type lines with no stretch?
Is it better to use a stretchy type tie out on at least one attachment point on a tarp, or is it preferable to use static type lines with no stretch?
I use self tensioning guy lines, they are the best of both worlds. A quick search on the forum or google will tell you all you need to know about them.
Two reasons I can think of to use shock cord: 1) nylon tarps stretch, especially when wet and some shock cord can (might?) keep thing fairly taut. 2) shock cords provide a bit of give when things move around.
Lots of folks skip them. General feeling is that they are not needed with tarps made from cuben fiber or any other non-stretch material.
Self-tensioning guy lines are popular with silnylon tarp users, since silnylon stretches when wet. I tried them, and noticed no improvement and ditched them.
For cuben fiber and polyester tarps, they really don't do anything, but some people use them anyway. Obviously, I don't.
"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." Ralph Waldo Emerson
I dont use them. Heck I dont even use tent stakes. Just crazy like that.
"There's a whisper on the night-wind, there's a star agleam to guide us, And the Wild is calling, calling . . . let us go." -from "The Call of the Wild" by Robert Service
My Trail log: http://ducttapeadk.blogspot.com/
I use shock cord loops on mine, even with my cuben tarps. For me, it's peace of mind knowing that there is a little "give" in the system if a branch falls on the tarp or I trip on my lines.
I don't use either, the sag when wet is not enough to cause a fail of using the tarp, but I just wrap my lines around the stake a couple of times and pull the line over it's self so its super easy to adjust; if the weather is that bad that it's questionable if it would hold I would stake it into the ground. I see them as a luxury item, with little value for the extra weight. But as far as looking cool I give it a +1 and gives a neat clean look and some uniformity for those with closet A.D.D. . Side note if your looking for a simple cheap solution try using Hair bands it will be all you need to take the limpness out of a tarp when its wet and super cheap like 12 for a buck; all you would need for most tarps.
“ Do not correct a fool or he will hate you, correct a wise man and he will appreciate you.”
~ Bruce Lee
Pretty sure my A.D.D. came out of the closet a long time ago...Originally Posted by T- Minus
Aren't those just a more complicated version of a bungee cord?
(They do look pretty cool though, so now I need to make a set or 2)
I have a sylnylon tarp and I find the self tensioners do help to cut down on noise during the night from the tarp flopping in the wind... I still use the tri stakes so it's easy to adjust slack out before bed.
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Btw, if your using the tensioners correctly you don't have room for the tarp to move to and fro... You pull all the slack out of the line, stretching the shock cord until the guy line is nice and taut, then tighten it up on the stake... The only time you have a little wiggle room with the guy line is when the tarp stretches and leaves some slack in the guy line.
The first photo above shows how they should be pulled tight when you start and the second photo shows the approximate amount of slack I usually have in the morning after a wet night...
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