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  1. #1
    New Member
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    (Noon Questions) Tarp setup and knots

    So I bought a HG tarp not too long ago and have used it a couple of times. Everytime I set it up I just tie my own weird knots and make it work. My questions are:
    Without a continuous ridgelone, how do you setup your hammock to be over your tarp? (EDIT: how do you set your tarp up to be over your hammock?) I have a couple loop aliens I just don't fully grasp how to set them up/set them up.

    What knots do you use to attach the guy line to the tie outs?

    Thanks again, y'all always help
    Last edited by Datboijon; 01-25-2020 at 14:39.

  2. #2
    Senior Member jeff-oh's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Datboijon View Post
    how do you setup your hammock to be over your tarp?
    Just lay the tarp on the ground and hang your hammock normally. I do not stake it down or anything and rely on the weight of my boots & pack to keep it in place if it gets windy. This also gives a clean area to stand on when your getting up in the morning. Not really much to it.

  3. #3
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    A lot depends on the cord you use for the guys and ridge. Braided Dynema like ZingIt tends to work better with hardware and soft shackle prussic knots left permanently attached to the ridge line. 1/8th 16-plait polyester line takes taught line hitched 1/16 (2mm) line very well.

    For guys to tie outs, pick your poison, you can use bowlines through the tie outs, or if they are webbing loops make larks heads with bowline or fig-8 loops, or you can use slippery sheet bends. Depends whether you want to be able to remove the lines from the tarp, move them around for different configurations If your tie outs are hard rings, you can do all the above but not the sheet bend, but you can make like a little hang-man's noose through the hard ring and pull tight. A couple of half hitches will also work.

    I prefer knots for guy tensioning but have been dabbling with line locks and Dutch hardware a little more lately.

    This shows some good knots....I could repost here, but its a pretty big bunch of posts and easier to check it out if you want...or not if you don't.

    ATB

    Chris
    https://bushcraftuk.com/community/in...y-knots.78600/

  4. #4
    Senior Member MikekiM's Avatar
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    I know a good deal about Loop Aliens and used them for a long time.. but I don't know what your question is.. Would you please rephrase it. Otherwise I think Jeff-oh has nailed it.

    As far as connecting gut lines to tie outs.. there's a bunch of ways.. If you want your lines fixed to the corner hardware without an adjustment, you can tie a simple bowline, or a slipped bowline or a double dragon, or a simple overhand knot creating an eye and larkshead that to the corner hardware.. which you can do with the bowline and the double dragon as well. You can splice the line on.. so....

    Ask ten experienced campers this question and you'll like get about thirty or more answers.
    Yes, my pack weighs 70lbs, but it's all light weight gear....
    Bob's brother-in-law

  5. #5
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    Hahaha, I said it backwards. I mean when setting up your tarp, how do you adjust it to be over your hammock? I will usually set my tarp up, hang the hammock, then adjust the tarp (have to untie and retie all my bad knots). I am wondering a way that would be faster than having to untie my bad knots everytime to adjust it. Whether that is learning a better knot for one side and using a loop alien on the other, or loop aliens on both? I hope that clears up that question a little.

  6. #6
    Senior Member
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    I have been playing with a continuous ridge line and Nama claws last couple of weeks. Been good at centering the tarp without much hassle.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  7. #7
    Senior Member MikekiM's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Datboijon View Post
    Hahaha, I said it backwards. I mean when setting up your tarp, how do you adjust it to be over your hammock? I will usually set my tarp up, hang the hammock, then adjust the tarp (have to untie and retie all my bad knots). I am wondering a way that would be faster than having to untie my bad knots everytime to adjust it. Whether that is learning a better knot for one side and using a loop alien on the other, or loop aliens on both? I hope that clears up that question a little.

    Still missing some information to give you a good answer but yes, that helps. I figured that was what you meant.. but...

    Many folks will have some kind of sliding adjustment that is the connection between the ridge line (RL) and the tarp. Your Loop Aliens can do that, but aren't really made for that purpose. Mentioned above are Nama Claws which are hardware items that are threaded onto the RL. They have small hooks hanging from them that bite onto the RL when tension is applied. The hooks connect to the tarps ridge tieout. If you release the tension, they slide along the RL. Tighten the tension and lock in place. If you need to bump your tarp left or right to center over your hammock release the tension, slide and tighten.

    Tato Tarp connectors do the same thing although in different way. Dutchware Gear Stingrz, Flyz and Fleaz all can be used to give you adjustment. Each a little different. Too many options to list them all..

    Others prefer no hardware.. They might use a prussik to do what many of the hardware options do.. Prussik is a small loop of cord wrapped around the RL in a manner that allows it to slide when tension is released and lock when tension is applied. I use small constrictors as a means of sliding my tarp along the RL.

    Google is your friend here..

    As far as your bad knots.. there a handful of really good knots that are easy to untie by making the 'slipped' or 'slippery' so you release them more so than untie them.

    Options are limited only by preference, creativity and cordage and again, ask ten people they will each likely have a dozen they have tried and another dozen they have yet to try
    Yes, my pack weighs 70lbs, but it's all light weight gear....
    Bob's brother-in-law

  8. #8
    Senior Member cmoulder's Avatar
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    LOL well there are indeed approximately 477,562,811 ways to do this.

    What kind of cord are you using? Are you using a continuous ridge line (CRL, single cord going from tree to tree) or a split ridge line (with separate cords attached to ends of tarp)?

    Some cords hold knots well and some don't. Slippery stuff like Zing-it (HMWPE, high molecular weight polyethylene) and cousins are great for splicing but don't hold knots well. Braided polyester cords with jacket and a core hold knots really well. Parachute cord (550) and other nylon stuff are stretchy, which is not a good attribute for our purposes... it'll work in a pinch but it's super annoying when you come back a little later and your carefully rigged tarp is now sagging!

    Like most here, I've been 'around the block' several times when it comes to cordage, finally settling upon 2mm Lawson Glowire and Guywire (jacketed polyester!) for everything. But the important thing is that I'm a knot-only person... I played around a bit with various metal doodads and came to the conclusion that knots are sufficient for my needs, and also my desire for simplicity and minimalism. Nothing wrong with bling, just a quirk of mine.

    With that said, my preference here is a CRL using Prusiks to attach the tarp to the CRL, which makes it easy to center and to tweak the tension on the tarp itself.

    Now my friend MikekiM hates prusiks, and I love 'em, so it goes to show that we can peacefully coexist!

    Pics below show how this is tied and attached to CRL, and how it looks on a tarp that is pitched.



    Last edited by cmoulder; 01-25-2020 at 15:54.
    Five Basic Principles of Going Lighter (not me... the great Cam Honan of OZ)
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  9. #9
    Member ravenblack's Avatar
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    The loopaliens are pretty versatile and as you already have them it's worth trying them out. Derek did some good articles/videos explaining various ways to use the loopaliens here https://theultimatehang.com/tag/loopalien/ if you look on ytube there are videos showing other methods for using them.

    Personally I use a split ridgeline using the method Derek shows in his 'Loopaliens with a tarp 2' video. It's quick and easy to adjust the tarp although not as easy as using prusiks (comes close though). As Derek points out in his video you can create a V, which minimises the hammock suspensions interference with the tarps ridgeline.

    You can get really good tension using the loopaliens with small diameter lines like ZigIt and it wont move at all once you set it.

  10. #10
    cougarmeat's Avatar
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    Though the preferred method is to set the tarp up first - a good habit to get into so you'll be squared away if you need to setup in the rain, I find it easier to set the hammock up first. Then I lay the tarp over the hammock ridge line and rig its suspension. A bowline and figure-8 are two handy knots as are a few of the "slides and grips" variety like the taut line hitch.

    I've find that the smaller the line, the harder it is to work with. I use night-eze reflective guy line - though I'd probably choose something similar but different (like glow wire) if I had to do it again because the reflective "flakes" in the night-ese line catches on itself. I use 3mm utility cord for the tarp suspension. Knots are good to know but you can save some time if you try locking hardware like Figure-9's or various styles of Line locks.

    Being able to set up with no hardware (just line and knots) is a good skill to have. But after that, the goal it to get setup as quickly and simply as possible. In a pouring rain or freezing temperatures, "wrap and lock" is much better than, "... the rabbit goes up the hole, around the tree, and back down the hole ... "
    In order to see what few have seen, you must go where few have gone. And DO what few have done.

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