Taking down a tarp in high winds?

[AmberG]

Help! The wind wasn’t too bad yesterday evening, but it’s really picked up since then (if I’d looked more carefully at the forecast, I probably would’ve known this). So, now that I’m out here, with no snakeskins or extra hands, anyone have any suggestions on taking down this 11’ DCF tarp in 25-35mph winds without it becoming a big, expensive kite?! I honestly can’t believe the stakes held.

[SLG45]

With no gear and no one else to help, just take one stake at a time and roll or fold as you go, so that all of it is either attached to the tree/stake, or bundled up in your arms. Not neat, but effective.

[AmberG]

Yeah, that’s what I was just thinking would be best. I usually fold and roll, but that’s not happening today. I guess I’m going to start at one corner and start stuffing. I checked precipitation and temperature...I did not check wind speed.

[rhjanes]

Pull the stake and put it somewhere under the tarp towards the center. Do a Figure-8 or something with the line to keep it from whipping. Then roll up as best you can. Got some twine or something? Maybe try and tie it up a bit. Move on to the next corner on the same side. Toss that stake up where you tossed the first one (so they all wind up together and in one place). Keep working, best of luck. Tarp should be fine, just don't get yourself hurt.
I use tarp mesh sleeves so I'd work from one end, say the foot end. I can roll the one end up and pull the sleeve on.

[AmberG]

Thanks. Skins are definitely on my to-do list. They’re getting bumped to the top of the list after this experience. I tried putting a tarp UP in winds like this once, and I got a nice rope burn on my hand as a result. Gonna try to avoid that this time.

[rweb82]

If you have any extra cordage, tie a few small loops around your tarp ridgeline about 3" in diameter, and then slide them over your tarp (evenly spaced) to use as a makeshift snakeskin.

[AmberG]

We made it. I packed up the hammock first, so THAT wouldn’t become a sail, then I started taking out stakes and rolling until I had enough tarp to stuff. The best part? At the exact moment that I was cinching the drawcord of the stuff sack, a hiker passed by and said hello. Oy, my luck.

[cougarmeat]

AmberG, you definitely modeled my experience in the wind. Once I got skins/sleeves AND oriented parallel to the wind rather than broadside (when I can), things settled down A LOT. You can get sleeves that will corral your hammock (regular snake skin will do that) and UQ together. It looks a bit bulky but will squish down pretty good.

[cmoulder]

I had a similar experience Monday morning, although the wind speed was only 20mph or so.

I do not use a snakeskin. I release the downwind corner guy lines and then the upwind corner guy lines. I release one end of the tarp from the tree and let the wind blow it away from me, with guy lines and tarp blowing away from me. Then I start folding the tarp along its ridge line, in zig-zag fashion, toward the other end of the tarp. The wind actually makes this process easier! Once the zig-zag folding is complete I start rolling from the ridge line toward the panel edges, folding in the ends of rolled section (after the first roll or 2) to make the bundle smaller. After the bundle is all rolled up, I continue rolling the guy lines and ridge lines around the bundle, which slides easily into its stuff sack with room to spare.

I should do a video of this sometime because it is much easier to do it than it is to explain it.

[AmberG]

I understand what you mean. In my mind, I saw the sequence going a bit differently - I figured I could just stuff my way around the perimeter. When I actually began doing it, rolling was much easier. I just tried to make sure the wind never found a surface area large enough to grab, once I’d taken out the stakes. I thought I’d gotten farther down the mountain than that last night - that’s exactly what I was trying to avoid!