Is a bonded or a sewn tarp ridgeline stronger?
Is a bonded or a sewn tarp ridgeline stronger?
I don’t know
Bonded is new, or at least new to me
I would imagine that one has to be stronger than the other. But both will do the job.
I think bonded is supposed to be much much less prone to leaks.
I think both kinds of tarp ridgeline seams are subject to failure, if pulled spang tight.
We all like a neat set up with straight tarp ridgeline. But I believe that any tarp that is stretched extremely tight along ridgeline can be damaged over time.
Phantom guessing again
I currently am only interested in the tarps that use the standing vertical grosgrain ribbon type seam. I like the piece of mind knowing there is the strength of the “built in ridge line” to really pull tight. I love the Warbonnet’s and ugq offerings. HYOH
Kris
I think Phantom is spot on when he opines that either will do the job. Either is more than adequately strong.
Bonding should pretty well guarantee waterproofness. Seams and hems strengthen edges but can affect the tautness of the tarp shape under the tension of the ridgeline, guylines, and pullouts. Grosgrain edges and ridges are fine for some material, not so much for others. It can actually decrease your ability to stretch the ridge of the tarp material.
Bonding makes for a clean look and saves a smidgen bit of weight.
It all comes done to HYOH I guess.
I concur with Phantom... probably doesn't make a huge difference either way.
However if I were using a split ridge line I'd probably opt for sewn with grosgrain for those "spang tight" pitches that Phantom mentions. I sometimes see DCF tarps (also bonded) pitched this way and it always makes me cringe a bit.
The nice thing with a one-piece ridge line is that the tarp is essentially suspended under it, independent of the tension on the ridge line cordage, so it can be tweaked to the Nth degree.
Comparing the regular (1.1 xenon) and the ultralight (0.9 xenon) versions of the simple 11' Hex, Dutch lists weights of 330g vs 315g, in which case I'd opt for the slightly heavier material with only a 1/2oz "penalty" for something that is presumably a bit more robust.
Last edited by cmoulder; 04-02-2022 at 05:50.
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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
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