Dutch hook on a Continuous Ridgeline - Splice or Larkshead?

[DBurn]

Don't think I ever photographed it. Nothing special at all - just use a set of Dutch's with Reflect-It. I have several tarps so I like having one stake pouch with everything I might need and then I can grab any tarp and go. I don't even attach my tie-out line to either stakes or tarps. I carry line and stakes seperate. So I just clip Stingerz onto whatever rings my tarp has.

You might be able to see a tiny bit of it in this pic (my hammock on the left). It rained for 2 days so we set up with both our tarps in porch mode to give us somewhere to cook and stay dry.

Attachment 167189

Thanks for the description. I have a bit of a splicing addiction, so I've made several sets of tie-outs and just left them on the tarp. I do keep the CRL separate though. At some point, I may have to order some stingers from Dutch and see how I like them. It seems like I constantly have something I want to order from him so I may as well as some stingers to the list.

[DBurn]

So I should clarify... I don't think I have ever had to extend my CRL.. when I use it (rather than split RL's) I have 37'. No I know I have never had to extend it. In the NE, it's pretty rare to be in a situation where 37' can't span the trees. That CRL has the hook larksheaded on. Been using it like that for a few years.

On the other hand, I have quite often wanted to extend a guy line or a use a panel pull out. Most common would be going to porch mode to a third tree a distance away. That's where a long dog bone would be useful and why my split RLs are always in my suspension kit. Some have the hook spliced others not. All of my guy lines have a fixed eye in both ends. Easy enough to hook the Dutch Hook onto the eye.

My CRL is about 35' and just last month I had a hang that nearly required an extension. It was not that the hang distance was long but the trees were absolutely massive in diameter. It tested both my CRL and my hammock suspension. That experience definitely made me think about building out a longer CRL. A long dogbone would be a good way to do that without having to go with a giant CRL. Having a couple dogbones would also be useful for moments like you mentioned and whatever else might need a bit of cordage.

Thanks for the insight. I'll definitely be splicing up some longer dogbones over the next week or two.

[Grumpy Squatch]

I know many people love splicing for fun, but I never understood the fascination with "dogbones" when a well-tied square/reef knot will yield nearly 75% of a rope's full strength. Especially for people using Dyneema cordage rated for thousands of pounds on tarps that will tear with hundreds of pounds, the loss of strength is a moot point, and unspliced cordage is usually much more flexible when it comes to tying things out. Taking the time to tie a double fisherman's bend saves even more of the rope's strength and probably more than larks headed dogbones. At least IMHO.

[DBurn]

Splicing and knots definitely have their places. I use both.

I like to put eyes in the ends of my cordage to have that flexibility (I rarely terminate any of my cordage with anything other than a locked eye). If the situation calls for using the eye, it's there; if i need to place a knot somewhere along the length of the cordage, done. A good example happened to me just last night. I had a one-night hang to try to catch the Perseid shower (spoiled by too much smoke in the atmosphere) and the wind later in the night called for battening the hatches. The best solution was to secure the doors of my tarp in place with a few knots. It was simply the better option. Sometimes it's knots, sometimes it's a spliced feature, or it may be hardware that serves me best. Of course, personal preference may tip the scales one way or the other but it's best to have knowledge and ability and options on multiple solutions.

Generally, I also enjoy the cleanliness and durability of spliced ends over melted or loose ends. That may be just a simple back-splice but I find a locked eye to give me a clean termination that is also useful. Like you mentioned, it's rarely a matter of rope strength but cleanliness and ease of use go a long way with me.

Good points, Grumpy. Thanks!

[TominMN]

I know many people love splicing for fun, but I never understood the fascination with "dogbones" when a well-tied square/reef knot will yield nearly 75% of a rope's full strength. Especially for people using Dyneema cordage rated for thousands of pounds on tarps that will tear with hundreds of pounds, the loss of strength is a moot point, and unspliced cordage is usually much more flexible when it comes to tying things out. Taking the time to tie a double fisherman's bend saves even more of the rope's strength and probably more than larks headed dogbones. At least IMHO.

While I won't disagree that a reef knot can be adequate, there's a reason that it isn't called a "reef bend": it really isn't a great way to join two lengths of rope/cordage. Its prime historical usage was to encapsulate something, particularly a reefed sail using a single piece of rope. Today we should probably call it the "Christmas present knot"! I'd be happier with a sheet bend if I need to be able to untie it or go for the fisherman's knot, either single or double, if I'm looking for something that I'll probably leave together for a while. (And why isn't it a fisherman's bend?)

[Grumpy Squatch]

While I won't disagree that a reef knot can be adequate, there's a reason that it isn't called a "reef bend": it really isn't a great way to join two lengths of rope/cordage. Its prime historical usage was to encapsulate something, particularly a reefed sail using a single piece of rope. Today we should probably call it the "Christmas present knot"! I'd be happier with a sheet bend if I need to be able to untie it or go for the fisherman's knot, either single or double, if I'm looking for something that I'll probably leave together for a while. (And why isn't it a fisherman's bend?)

Sure, Ashley first warned of its unsuitability for use as a bend in the beginning of the book (nice quote BTW), but we are talking about tarp tie-outs here and not rigging pianos over sidewalks. Do I use a reef knot to link ropes when I'm skidding trees off trails? No. Do I use them all the time to extend tarp tie-outs? You betcha'. The fact that you can spill a reef knot easily - even easier than a sheet bend - is what I like about it. It's a strength in the case of extended tarp tie-outs, not a liability for me. Generally I only extend tarp tie-outs to set up porch mode. As soon as the weather gets bad, odds are I'm dropping the sides and going to short ties to trees or stakes anyway. But for a super-fast setup and takedown of porch mode, the reef works fine for me.

[TominMN]

And either one spills even more easily if you tie them "slippery!"