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  1. #1
    Senior Member
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    Guy lines on the tarp or stake?

    I'm very new to backpacking (< 1 yr) and when I went out on my first trip last year, I learned a lot... a lot about what did and didn't work (a lot of things DIDN'T work! lol). One of the things I had a lot of problem with was my tarp (Superfly) and staking it down. I learned that knots aren't my thing, even though I watched a lot of videos beforehand and practiced a bit. After, I decided to come up with a system that would be much easier for me.

    I purchased plastic Nite Ize Figure 9 things after I saw my friend with them and how easy they were to use. I hooked them on with the guy lines they came with directly to my tarp, but I have yet to use them on an overnight. I'm going out this Friday, and I was thinking about switching this up because I want to change my guy lines out for brighter ones that I've recently purchased, and also because I'm having a hard time packaging the guy line up attached to the tarp. I try to wrap it around the Figure 9 so it "stays together" but it always unravels.

    So my questions are -

    1. Would it be easier to hook the guyline up directly to the stakes and store them together? For the setup that I've proposed, is there an advantage to one over the other? Or should I leave on the tarp?
    2. If I do leave them on the tarp, is there some obvious way that I'm missing in order to keep the cord neater and not get tangled with other lines as it's in it's stuff sack?

    I've been reading about different ways to secure the tension on my tarp, and for me, the easier the better. I've seen some dutchware stuff that looked pretty easy, but I've already got these from last year so I'd like to try them. For someone totally new who hates knots who has a hard time following along in this forum - any advice you'd like to give in this area? Something I'm doing that could be made simpler or something I'm missing?

    Also, a general question - for those of you with a tarp like the superfly with side pullouts - do you leave guyline off of the side pullouts and just bring it with you and attach it if you decide to use it?

    Thanks!

  2. #2
    Senior Member TrailSlug's Avatar
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    I have the SimplyLightDesigns Winter Haven with doors and I always leave my guy lines attached to the tarp and when storing it in my snakeskin I flip both sides of the tarp to one side and grab both matching guy lines and wrap them in a figure 8 on my hand and store them with the tarp. The stakes are stored in a storage bag with my poles from my Warbonnet Ridgerunner hammock. In addition I leave my continuous ridgeline attached to the tarp and all of this stores in the snake skins neatly and ready to be deployed.

  3. #3
    Senior Member Ranc0r's Avatar
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    If you REALLY hate knots, leave the lines on the stakes and wrap the line around the stakes. I use a loop of elastic shock cord tied (yes, a knot, but I only have to tie each one once) to the tarp tie-out with a Dutch Fleaz. I unskin the tarp, slip the line from around the stake and put the stake in the ground, then run my line up to the flea and secure. This setup gives me tarp tensioner, colored or reflective tie-out lines of my choice and easy to swap out, and lets me re-tension or adjust from under the tarp when raining. I am going to experiment with LineLok 3's instead of fleaz here in a week or so.

    My other tarp setup is to tie or splice a fixed loop in the tie-out line and lark's head it to the tarp tie-out loop. Then I pass a loop of the line thru the anchor on the NightIze Figure 9, secure the Fig 9 where needed on the tie-out, and use as directed. This way, I can swap out the lines without re-tying any knots, I can use the Fig 9's for quick adjustments, store the lines with the tarp for quick deployment, and I can use a smaller stake sack since the stakes are naked.

    I learned knots in the Boy Scouts many years ago, but there are only a handful that I use regularly. Learning to tie a couple of knots is no big deal, but it does take a little practice to get them right the first time and quickly when its raining on me.
    Thanks,
    Ranc0r
    .

  4. #4
    New Member StandingBear's Avatar
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    I attach my lines to my stakes and then put them in a small stuff sack. I find it easier this way. I have some Dutch bling (Tarp worms) to make assembly quick and easy. I can have my SuperFly set up in less than 5 minutes.
    Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right.......

  5. #5
    Senior Member Tacblades's Avatar
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    Mine stay on the tarp, then go out to the peg and secure with farrimond hitch easy fast and efficient lowest weight.

    Sent from my LG-H815 using Tapatalk
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    Tacblades

  6. #6
    Senior Member Singingcrowsings's Avatar
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    I tie them to the tarp and leave them there, folding them up (figure 8) and wrapping the end line around it to for a slip knot. Then I wrap the whole thing in my skins, but you could just as easily stuff it all into your stuff sack, just the same. Any other line (2 piece ridgeline + 2 Dutch fleaz) gets stuffed into the pockets and the end of the skins. I don't use stakes.

  7. #7
    Senior Member Carrico's Avatar
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    I keep mine attached to my steaks. Always had issues with my lines getting tangled after putting the tarp away. I also like being able to detach them from my tarp so I can flip it back without having Lines dangling everywhere. I also use dutchware fleas that are spliced onto my tie outs. I then can simply just hook them on a piece of shock cord that's tied to the tie outs on my tarp, this allows for a quick disconnect from my line without losing my set position.
    By all means, let's argue about whether or not a hammock will hurt a tree. All the while ignoring the fact that there is an island of garbage the size of Texas floating in the Pacific ocean. Or how about the fact that over 75% of the world's nuclear reactors are leaking...

  8. #8
    Senior Member OneClick's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Singingcrowsings View Post
    I tie them to the tarp and leave them there, folding them up (figure 8) and wrapping the end line around it to for a slip knot. Then I wrap the whole thing in my skins, but you could just as easily stuff it all into your stuff sack, just the same. Any other line (2 piece ridgeline + 2 Dutch fleaz) gets stuffed into the pockets and the end of the skins. I don't use stakes.
    Exact same here. Can't image leaving them on stakes. I'm surprised I haven't heard of that yet. Sometimes I don't use stakes. Sometimes around a tree or root. All kinds of different things happen depending on where I'm at.

    If you leave them on the tarp, it's pretty much impossible to ever be without a safe setup. You could forget the stakes and still be fine using sticks.

  9. #9
    dakotaross's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by markr6 View Post
    ...You could forget the stakes and still be fine...
    Been there, done that. For me it was rocks, like the size that folks like to make fire rings out of, just wrap the line around the rock.
    "I wonder if anyone else has an ear so tuned and sharpened as I have, to detect the music, not of the spheres, but of earth, subtleties of major and minor chord that the wind strikes upon the tree branches. Have you ever heard the earth breathe... ?"
    - Kate Chopin

  10. #10
    Senior Member GadgetUK437's Avatar
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    Securing a stake to a guyline risks it becoming a tarp piercing missile if it works loose in strong winds. I would rather have a guyline come off a stake in high wind.

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