With the 1.75 mm Dyneema lines I use to hang my tarp, hardware is simply faster and easier to use. Also easier to tension and keep the tension. I have never lost any hardware, because it stays connected either to the tarp or the line.
With the 1.75 mm Dyneema lines I use to hang my tarp, hardware is simply faster and easier to use. Also easier to tension and keep the tension. I have never lost any hardware, because it stays connected either to the tarp or the line.
Are there any specifically you all would recommend to try first, to see if it's for me? There seems to be a bewildering array of options out there.
I tend to use Dutch gear in winter, I want to be able to tighten a guyline or setup a ridgeline while not taking off my gloves. Otherwise I stick with knots the other 3 seasons.
If a tarp is the next thing you're going to be using them for, then maybe you could buy the tarp with LineLoc's for the guy-out points (no bling or knots needed) and then maybe the ridgeline could be done with either a Dutch Wasp and Hook (Continuous Ridgeline) or two Stingerz for a split ridgeline. There are options available from other vendors, of course, like the tarptick from Warbonnet.
Iceman857
"An optimist is a man who plants two acorns and buys a hammock" - Jean de Lattre de Tassigny (French Army General in WWII)
Iceman nailed my setup. The most "bang for your buck" is probably using Dutch Stingers for a ridgeline with 1.75mm dyneema lines, though it works with 2 mm lines as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uH7YNHqqB88 It makes putting tension on the lines and repositioning the tarp MUCH easier than knots.
My tarp didn't have line locks from the factory, so I eventually added them: https://dutchwaregear.com/product/line-lock-hook/ I for years, I tied a midshipman's hitch to a stake, but this is easier. The 2mm poly lines I use work beautifully in this, 1.75 Dyneema will require a backup hitch at the least.
I grabbed a set of Figure 9s and cords from the store after getting my WB tarp. They're okay, but the cords are kind of stretchy and re-figuring out the figure 9s after they get tangled is a minor pain. At least they're forgiving enough to work if I use them wrong.
I figured I could test the concept and replace later if I felt the need. I like the concept, but I do feel the need to replace, so I'll be watching this thread.
I use continuous ridgelines with a small Dutch hook on one end. One line has a figure nine, the other, a Dutch wasp. I prefer the figure nine.
I use tarp worms (attached to an elastic loop) on the guy outs. This seems to be the simplest set up for me.
Charlotte
dustin, I started out with Figure-9’s on split rings attached to the tarp D-rings. That way, they didn’t get tangled with the guy lines. But I didn’t like squishing up all that metal with my tarp when I’d put it in a stuff sack (pre-snakeskin days). So I put the figure-9’s on my guy lines. And you’ve probably experienced, from one setup to the next, they are never on a convenient place on the line and have to be moved. Next, I’m going to try bungee loops on the tarp D-rings and have the guy lines in line-locs. The line-locs are the “clip-on” type that would just hook on the bungee loop. I used to fret about that bungee breaking and have researched different methods of backing it up with fixed line. I made several sets of guy lines with a combo of bungee and line attached to the tarp. The line is backup if the bungee breaks.
But you know, given my camping environment, a bungee break would be a very, very rare occurrence. And if it did happen, it would be easy enough to just tie the line on the D-Ring.
I’ve been in some Typhoons in my life and was in Portland OR during the Columbus Day storm (1962, gusts up to 170 mph) - watching roofs being blown off. But that’s not my usual camping environment. However, it does leave a mark on the psyche. Sometimes it’s not so much that “… you pack your fears.” as it is, “… you pack your experiences."
Last edited by cougarmeat; 02-21-2022 at 16:54.
In order to see what few have seen, you must go where few have gone. And DO what few have done.
I also prefer a few simple knots, and am really OCD when it comes to what is for me unnecessary complication. Knots work just fine with a knot-appropriate cord such as Lawson's Glowire or Guywire.
Here is a little video demonstrating the few simple knots I use, which have served me in all seasons for a few years now...
Five Basic Principles of Going Lighter (not me... the great Cam Honan of OZ)
“If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking.” ~ Gen. George S Patton
Nice video @cmoulder though it would be nice if there were a text overlay with the name of the knot you were tying. Also, I'm wondering why you have two hanging hitches and three friction knots. Are two your go-tos and the others backups or are there functional differences that have you switching between them?
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