2 piece snake skin question

**LearnedHat** · 01-20-2020, 10:44

I got a 2 piece snake skin with my Thunderfly. They work but seem to slide off the middle and drop some tarp out when I am repacking it. Is this just something i need to get better at? Is there a solition (snap or something), should I just replace with full length skin and be done with it?

**Yarome** · 01-20-2020, 11:19

Which snake skins do you have? Are you overlapping them in the middle or just pulling them in to meet? "Generally", 2 part snakeskins are long enough that they should overlap each other a foot or more on each side. I've never had an issue with my centers spilling out.

Securing them with a shock cord loop (or similiar) is an option or going with a one piece would work just fine too. I tend to prefer split skins, but it's really just a personal preference thing.

**ag1024** · 01-20-2020, 11:42

I agree with what Yarome said.

My skins have shock cord sewn into the ends that meet in the middle. When you finish pulling them in you lock the shock cord locks. And you do need to pull them so one overlaps the other and a complete covering is made. If your skins do not have the shock cord with locks in the two pieces meeting in the middle, I would get something to tie them together when they overlap.

I have found that there is a lump of material in the middle where the skins meet. I have to stuff this additional material into the skins when I overlap them. I try to fold the tarp so that a large lump does not get pushed to the middle when you pull the skins to the middle, but that does not always happen. Of course, I have a Kelty Noah 12 tarp, so the size does matter. Smaller tarps are easier to cover by the skins.

If you don't have shock cord loops sewn in, you should at least take a piece of cord, pull the skins so they overlap, and then tie the cord around the pieces of the skins that overlap so it holds both pieces in place.

**LearnedHat** · 01-20-2020, 11:47

Thanks guys - I think I will rig some type of connection for the middle section.

**Dvankirk** · 01-20-2020, 13:03

I put kam snaps on mine.

**MikekiM** · 01-21-2020, 06:28

I use single piece but have a set of Hennesey skins that are two piece. they have a length of zip tie threaded through the end seam which make them easier to slide over the tarp but also makes them stay in place once they are overlapped.

**Us5Camp** · 01-21-2020, 10:15

Originally Posted by LearnedHat

I got a 2 piece snake skin with my Thunderfly. They work but seem to slide off the middle and drop some tarp out when I am repacking it. Is this just something i need to get better at? Is there a solition (snap or something), should I just replace with full length skin and be done with it?

My two piece from SLD has a small cord and cord lock on each 1/2 and does not have this problem. Just FYI...