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  1. #1
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    Fixed line loop knot on line/strap to run truckers hitch to instead of around tree

    Sorry if the title isn't clear. I'm using glowire as my tarp CRL. On one end I have bowline that I wrap around the tree and find some stick to use as a toggle. That end works pretty well with minimum fuss and abrasion. The other end I traditionally used a truckers hitch around the tree. The problem with this is that I notice after a while my line is getting frayed. In the interest of reducing stress on the tree and my line, I toyed with the idea of using another piece of glowire as a small strap and to tie a alpine butterfly knot to form a fixed loop for which I could use to feed my CRL end in through and perform a truckers hitch instead of going around the tree. I realized in the morning that the alpine butterfly loop was a bit hard to untie. I've looked up various other fixed line loops and the best I could find that won't bind is the bowline on a bight.

    Curious to hear of any other no hardware approaches here to the above considerations!

  2. #2
    Phantom Grappler's Avatar
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    After attaching one end of tarp ridgeline, then I stretch-pull the ridgeline beside-next to second tree. I hand pull the ridgeline hard, over my head along side second tree. Then without delay, wrap ridgeline around tree two or more times—all while maintaining tension on ridgeline. By maintaining tension and friction from tight wrap on tree, the ridgeline maintains most of its tension.
    Then I tie one half hitch with loose end onto ridgeline next to tree.
    Then I tie one slipped half hitch
    Then I finish with a daisy chain or monkey braid (loop through loop) several stitches.

    This holds ridgeline reasonably tight with minimal abrasion—because there is minimal movement or loosening once ridgeline has contacted tree. The ridgeline is held tight during all steps by my hand.

    Best of all, when breaking camp, just yank ripcord (loose end) and it releases with no jamming.
    Daisy chain does not jam
    Slipped half hitch does not jam
    Half hitch does not jam

    I can hear it now…”but truckers hitch gives you a 3 to 1 mechanical advantage”

    I don’t need a mechanical advantage to pull ridgeline tight
    And due to friction the mechanical advantage is a bit less than 3 to 1 with a truckers hitch but still more than 1 to 1

  3. #3
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    I had tried a similar method involving wrapping around the tree but my issue with this was needing an extra long CRL in case I found some bigger trees. But a lot of the time I ended up not needing it and then had to contend with 10-20' slack which is a bit annoying depending on how you're setting this up... I was hoping my above method would allow me to use a shorter, say 25' CRL and separation of tree affixing concern.

    I suppose I could keep my 25' CRL and adopt your method by tying a bowline on the end and extend if needed...

  4. #4
    Phantom Grappler's Avatar
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    If you are having a hard time removing a knot from your rope or cord:
    Most simple knots, when tight, have a rounded or spherical shape. When in this rounded shape, the cord is pulled tight and is traveling it’s shortest distance through the knot.

    If you can tap the knot with a hammer or smooth stone against a hard surface (several taps), the knot changes from spherical shape to a pancake shape with a slightly higher center. Now the cord has had to travel a longer distance through the knot. By definition your knot is now much looser than before, and can be untied by hand.

    At work, overhand knots left by others was easy to fix.
    I dropped the knot on floor and stomped knot with heel of my shoe—while shouting dam! I was alone and disturbed no one.
    The formerly hard jammed knot was now easy to untie!

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Phantom Grappler View Post
    If you are having a hard time removing a knot from your rope or cord:
    Most simple knots, when tight, have a rounded or spherical shape. When in this rounded shape, the cord is pulled tight and is traveling it’s shortest distance through the knot.

    If you can tap the knot with a hammer or smooth stone against a hard surface (several taps), the knot changes from spherical shape to a pancake shape with a slightly higher center. Now the cord has had to travel a longer distance through the knot. By definition your knot is now much looser than before, and can be untied by hand.

    At work, overhand knots left by others was easy to fix.
    I dropped the knot on floor and stomped knot with heel of my shoe—while shouting dam! I was alone and disturbed no one.
    The formerly hard jammed knot was now easy to untie!
    Thanks for your wisdom on hard-to-untie knots, I'll definitely give this a try when needed!

  6. #6
    Senior Member cmoulder's Avatar
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    What you might do instead of making an alpine butterfly in the Glowire is to use a 3-wrap Prusik loop or Klemheist made of Zing-it, attached to the Glowire. Klemheist is crazy-quick to slap on.

    Zing-it doesn't grip Zing-it — not without a whole bunch of wraps, anyway — but it has a good grip when used with Glowire and is very easy to remove with either of the above knots.
    Five Basic Principles of Going Lighter (not me... the great Cam Honan of OZ)
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  7. #7
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    Could you use a Farrimond Hitch instead? You don't get the mechanical advantage of the Trucker's Hitch but it's easy to tie and release and won't fray the line as much.

    Depending on what you have at the end of your tarp ridgeline, say a Beastie-D or similar, you can get the same 2:1 mechanical advantage as with the TH - thread the line through the Beastie-D/ring/whatever, pull snug and then tie-off with a temporary slippery half-hitch to take the strain. Now tie the Farrimond Hitch as close to the half-hitch as you can, release the half-hitch and tighten up using the Farrimond. Doing this gives you as much length of the line between tarp and tree as possible to use to tighten things. If you only have a tape loop at the end of the tarp ridgeline then a mini-biner will do. (I know you said no hardware )
    Better weight than wisdom, a traveller cannot carry - Viking proverb

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