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  1. #131
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    on a rather more serious note: andrew skurkas method is cool, but he's not a big fan of hammocks and it shows: for hammock camping, we often like to tie the tarp quite "far". ground dwellers typically like the tarp very close to the ground, and the tieouts quite close to the stakes, so the so called mcarty hitch makes some sense for them as it's easy to understand.

    nevertheless, in basically all applications, a tensioner which lives at the tarp tieout, doesn't require any action to lock (it will stay where you put it once you release the line, without need to do any "locking motion"), doesn't require re-tying anything to adjust, and allows the far end of the guyline to be "free" (so that it can be tied to a stake, or root, bush, tree, dead enemy, doesn't matter, you don't need that end of the guyline to run free to tension/adjust, as your tensioner is at the tarp), and which allows access to the full range of length, from very near to the tarp tieout (0), to the full length of your guyline, without any change in "method" (including easily adding extensions as desired to this "free end"), are all characteristics which are desireable, and make setting up the shelter much faster and less frustrating/fidly (which, in a thunderstorm, can actually make a difference). these are the "nice to haves" which, for me, became "must haves" because, well, if they can be had, why should i go without them? of course one only needs a piece of string in each corner, and some "creativity", but if i'm going to pre-rig my tarp from home, i have requirements, it better be good, it better be worth the time i spent rigging it/figuring out how to make everything work, etc. otherwise, i can just tie a rolling hitch, no worries.

  2. #132
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    Quote Originally Posted by uninjured View Post
    As my experience with hammocking proves, I think I will switch my tarp guyline tie-out method for what must be the 5th time I spent a couple of weeks in the field with my latest as of July setup I got from this forum: 4' or 6' reflect-it attached to tarp hooks using a figure-eight stopper attached to 1/8" shock cord loops on my Superfly tie-outs. Guylines were MSH'd to my stakes. But I found that when I wanted to snakeskin up the tarp for nice days, I had to pull the stakes to get the MSH off which I found to be quite annoying not to mention needing to find new ground to put the stakes in. The alternative of unhooking the tarp hooks and leaving them on the ground didn't seem to be so great considering I'd have this line strewn about. Also, seems someone stole one of my tarp hooks (NYC, go figure) and I don't really care to order a new one and pay for shipping...

    I just ordered 200' of Lawson glowire and will probably use this exact method: bowline them semi-permanently to my tarp tie-outs with another bowline at the stake end in case I want to extend them for porch mode. If my guylines are too long then they are apt to get tangled when rolling them up for the snakeskin. Do you have any length recommendations? Only asking because in case it's not obvious, I have a tendency to switch things up so often and after so many iterations I somehow ended up with a bunch of not so useful hanks of lashit. I'm guessing 6' might be the max workable length to not get tangled and should be enough to feed it back through the bowline, although even 4' might work although I may end up needing to truckers hitch more often.

    So when I recently redid these for my new tarp, I just did about 8 feet of reflective line. I am also pretty diligent about tying up my guylines when packing up, so I don't have any issues with tangle, but not everybody likes to take the time to do that, haha. But that length is enough for me to porch my tarp if I want to in every situation I've been in up to this point. But I love this method, and so far haven't found anything else as easy for when I get to camp.

  3. #133
    OlTrailDog's Avatar
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    Wow, you can teach an Old Dog new tricks. I was not familiar with the McCarthy and will give it a try. Albeit the cord needs to be long enough. I've trucker hitches for lashing down loads on pickup beds.

    My most common stake knot is a clove hitch on a bight. But I just learned about the rolling hitch modification. The other mod I would add is using a bight so that all you need to do is pull to undo.

  4. #134
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    Quote Originally Posted by OlTrailDog View Post
    Wow, you can teach an Old Dog new tricks. I was not familiar with the McCarthy and will give it a try. Albeit the cord needs to be long enough. I've trucker hitches for lashing down loads on pickup beds.

    My most common stake knot is a clove hitch on a bight. But I just learned about the rolling hitch modification. The other mod I would add is using a bight so that all you need to do is pull to undo.
    Yep, when I don't have enough cordage to get from the tarp pull out to the stake back to the pull out, I just do a trucker's hitch somewhere in the middle of the line and slippery half hitch it in that loop, viola, it's done. The simplicity is wonderful!

  5. #135
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    The one (only?, main?, one of?) problem I can see with the Mccarthy Hitch is that if you want your stake X units away from the tarp you need 2X plus a bit units of line.

    When we were shifting trailers of hay on the farm my dad would make a truckers' hitch but put about four twists when forming the first loop, this made undoing it a lot easier.
    Better weight than wisdom, a traveller cannot carry - Viking proverb

  6. #136
    New Member Rath Adventures's Avatar
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    after using my tarp properly on a 5 day trip recently, I have decided that for me, the best setup is a guyline with bowline on one end, through the eyelett and ran through itself to attach there, then just a standard marlin spike hitch on the stake. or if going to a tree above (porch mode) a standard truckers hitch. No fussing around tying knots as they are both easily made, and undone within a second. Full adjustability, no extra doodads to tension it, etc. Just quick and easy. Has worked wonderfully.
    Manitoba, Canada
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