Quick deploy ridge line

[MikekiM]

I guess this would work with amsteel, cordura, zing it or whatever. Doesn't have to be paracord.
why not by the way?

Too much stretch; Too much bulk; Too much weight.

It's even quicker if you leave RL and guy lines attached to tarp, and you don't need to carry/find those pegs in order to attach.

I've never understood the rationale behind separating RL/guylines from the tarp. Much easier to deploy and less chance to forget when packing if they remain with the tarp.

+1 on this...

Yes, it requires that I used an extra fifty feet of cordage per tarp, but everything is grab and go and comes down just as easily.

I've done that. I have a single-piece mesh tarp sleeve, and I've left the RL with the tarp inside. But the last time I did it, I found a reason not to , and since then my wrapped-up RL sits in a pocket at the end of the sleeve.

For the life of me, though, I don't remember what the reason was. I know that having the RL outside of the sleeve interferes with pulling the sleeve away from the tarp when deploying.

I use snake skins on both tarps, and both use split ridge lines that stay attached via mini-ucrs. I can't find any issue, nor can I find an easier way to do it. Maybe a CRL is more complicated, but I don't think so.

[mab0852]

Too much stretch; Too much bulk; Too much weight.




+1 on this...

Yes, it requires that I used an extra fifty feet of cordage per tarp, but everything is grab and go and comes down just as easily.



I use snake skins on both tarps, and both use split ridge lines that stay attached via mini-ucrs. I can't find any issue, nor can I find an easier way to do it. Maybe a CRL is more complicated, but I don't think so.

^^All of that^^ Paracord is awful and should probably be reserved for crafting bracelets, rifle slings, and belts. I get why Dave likes it, but in the real world, with all options on the table, it is highly subpar. Even in his case I'd be taking a spool of Spyderwire and a spool of zing-it instead. Once you get some Dutch bling and snake skins, you'll throw that hasty ridgeline and your p-cord stash in the parts bin. JMHO

[SilvrSurfr]

I guess this would work with amsteel, cordura, zing it or whatever. Doesn't have to be paracord.
why not by the way?

Paracord stretches when wet (and probably dry too). I don't want stretch in any of hammock lines, which is why I use Amsteel and Zing-It. I also don't like knots if I can avoid them (only use a slippery half-hitch and marlin spike hitch) so Zing-It and Amsteel are both spliceable.

[hutzelbein]

Well I guess in theory this should work with zing it and/or lash it or similar? Amsteel... well any kind of cord like material. Or?

My first tarp suspension was a single line 2.2mm Lash-It (Dyneema) with soft shackle prusiks - so essentially the same system but with Dyneema lines. I could never keep the tarp as tight as I wanted. As soon as I tightened the guy lines, the prusiks slipped slightly, which resulted in a curved ridgeline. On the other hand they were dang tight when trying to move them to another position. Especially when the prusiks were wet. Just for curiosity sake I tried a split ridgeline with Stingerz after 3 years with prusiks. Never looked back. It's good to know your knots so that you always have something to fall back on. But Stingerz made setting up my tarp so much easier and more reliable that prusiks will remain plan B.

[Snaps]

I like putting "handles" in my prusiks... a little loop of cord can give you a lot of leverage on the prusik, and maybe even give the prusik more grip to prevent slipping.

[Rice-N-beans]

I have my CRL set up like in the video, I use #36 bank line for my CRL and prusiks, so far no issues, I did try paracord and did not like how much it stretched during a rainy weekend, so now I use bank line.
I ended up using Lawson Glowire for guy lines, the bright colors and reflectiveness of Glowire keeps me from tripping over and it makes finding my camp easier from the way those guy lines shine up when hit with a flashlight beam, bank line is black and I kept tripping over them at night.
I keep a huge hank of bank line in my car and camp box, it is handy stuff to have around camp, I no longer use paracord.

[ChrisJHC]

1. I agree with the above comments about para cord. I personally don't use the stuff but if it works for you go for it.

2. A bowline is not a great knot for making a permanent loop. They have a tendency to come undone when not kept under pressure. Not a big problem as they are easy to tie (once you get the knack) and take a few seconds but I would look at either a better knot or a spliced loop (particularly with Dyneema).

[zpamnor]

I bought some reflective zing it from Dutch and after having played with this for a while I can't say I'm sold.

The stretch from the paracord, when tightened with a trucker's hitch of a Figure 9 is minimal. For guylines, the inherent flex is actually a plus as it has built-in give.
I use 1,8mm reflective Nanocord for guylines. I haven't replaced those.
I like the reduced weight of the reflect it, bit beyond that it's not worlds apart.

bang/buck paracord still wins.
I've already spent the money now, so all my ridgelines have been replaced. Let's see if it stays that way

[cmoulder]

1. I agree with the above comments about para cord. I personally don't use the stuff but if it works for you go for it.

2. A bowline is not a great knot for making a permanent loop. They have a tendency to come undone when not kept under pressure. Not a big problem as they are easy to tie (once you get the knack) and take a few seconds but I would look at either a better knot or a spliced loop (particularly with Dyneema).

Agreed, a spliced loop looks really spiffy and it also makes cords more tangle-resistant when stored. But a loop made with a plain ol' overhand knot is quick and works fine. Bowline sometimes seems like an automatic go-to for bushcrafters but it isn't necessarily the best choice for every application.

[ahursey530]

I started out using a similar setup of 550 paracord with the bowline (only two prusics for the tarp and a taught line hitch to adjust tension). Then I moved to 750 paracord then to smaller 325 paracord. On my quest to lighten things up I moved to the same setup using zingit with zingit prusics. I added some dutchwear bling to simplify things. Today its a Mountainfly with Dutch flyz and I am a happy hammocker. For me its all in the progression. The experience of finding your own solution by trying all the different ways of doing the same thing. Its part of the fun of camping in my opinion. Also I know that in a pinch I can use whatever may be available to set up a decent shelter.

The paracord solution worked good enough and didn't cost a thing technically (already had the paracord). Once I had the experience under my belt I moved to different materials. I would use paracord again if I needed to.