Hanging clothes to dry in MN fall + another tarp question

**TominMN** · 10-05-2022, 10:25

Originally Posted by ccrowhurst

I use dyneema line and truckers hitches, zero hardware. Which then makes me wonder why I don't just do that on the ridge lines too.

Because now you see a good reason for not stressing the ridge of the fly.

You could use the trucker's hitch on a single ridge line and use Prusiks with soft shackles as tensioners, a la Dutch, as a no-hardware approach.

**ccrowhurst** · 10-05-2022, 10:27

Originally Posted by TominMN

Because now you see a good reason for not stressing the ridge of the fly.

**** it. Old dog learned a new trick today. off to play with my set up.

**HarveyM** · 10-05-2022, 12:19

If you're ultra-light why aren't you just burning that thong at the end of your trip? (Tongue firmly in cheek).

**cougarmeat** · 10-05-2022, 13:36

In following earlier comments, it is sometimes good to look at the whole system and consider, not necessarily "worst case" scenarios, but more like bad case scenarios. If an external force is applied to your tarp - say the falling tree branch, a misstep by a camper resulting in a fall against the ridgeline, a load of snow dropping from a tree branch - what is going to absorb that force, what is going to break first? That's why a weak-ish split ring is sometimes added to the system as a "fuse" to give way first.

That's why I don't use split ridgeline suspension - any shear is put directly on the tarp. I used to use a continuous ridgeline that was more of an Oval with the line on one side and the tarp part of the oval on the other side. The friction of the line around the trees protected the tarp a bit, but I wanted better protection. So now I use a single line connected to two trees with the tarp hanging under the line on Nama Claws. I could use prusiks as well, but a little hardware minimizes the fuss factor.

If I played with different styles of prusik knots, I'm sure I could find one that holds and slides with an acceptable effort. But for now, the Claws are working just fine.

**cmoulder** · 10-05-2022, 13:51

Originally Posted by HarveyM

If you're ultra-light why aren't you just burning that thong at the end of your trip? (Tongue firmly in cheek).

Thongs? For the seriously committed it's commando.

**TominMN** · 10-05-2022, 14:08

And barefoot!

**Phantom Grappler** · 10-05-2022, 14:24

I use 2.2 Zingit for tarp single ridgeline—and for guylines and prusiks for tensioning tarp on ridgeline

A five or six wrap prusik is best for me. Six wraps yield 12 coils before beginning prusik, I put a hand sized pull loop (made with 2.2 Zingit) on the ridgeline The prusik is wrapped around ridgeline and pull loop Pull loop is used to easily adjust prusik from side to side

When finished pull loop is trapped inside prusik along with ridgeline

**Shug** · 10-05-2022, 15:15

Hanging my wet hiking clothes in the sun at camp is my only chance of them drying. Hanging under my tarp overnight off the ends just lets them breathe but always moist no matter the weather...especially fall.
Thus my change into dry clothes for sleeping.
Shug the sog

**Crazytown3** · 10-05-2022, 15:21

Phantom, maybe I have seen this before and don't remember, but do you maybe have a picture of the pull loop on your prusik? The prusiks on my ridgeline are pretty tight, and I'm thinking that might help.

**cmoulder** · 10-05-2022, 15:32

Originally Posted by Shug

Hanging my wet hiking clothes in the sun at camp is my only chance of them drying. Hanging under my tarp overnight off the ends just lets them breathe but always moist no matter the weather...especially fall.
Thus my change into dry clothes for sleeping.
Shug the sog

My experience as well. If you're hanging them under the tarp it's almost certain that the relative humidity is also very high, so they're not drying anyway.