this got me intrigued. i never used a dripline, partly because i have the tarp ridgeline always above the tarp, where i think it fits best (that's a different discussion, i know some people prefer it under), and partly because i use ucr's for suspension, with the adjustable end at the hammock, and the way i make them, i guess they are their own dripline (unlike whoopie slings). so keep this in mind, the following is just me thinking about it, i don't have much experience with them.
i would use a binding knot, i was about to suggest a double constrictor or just a constrictor, with both tails hanging out, much like what phantom is suggesting (that nail knot is cool btw, i didn't know about it, i am sorely lacking in fishing knots).
as to the material: i wouldn't use dyneema just because it would seem like such a waste :), but that aside, i would prefer a material that doesn't absorb water, like dyneema, polyester, or, my first choice would be polypropylene (cheap, lighter than dyneema, and as hydrophobic as dyneema)
i know it might sound counterintuitive, but my thought process so far is that, for an "ideal" solution, what we're looking for is a water break, and a redirect, so we want to break the flow of water and then redirect it (many people point out that one of the most effective ways is to have a carabinner or such inline, for instance, the bigger the better, but we don't like bulky hardware :P ). so we want: a rather bulky knot to break the flow, with a tail hanging down as early in the water path as possible, and made of a material which doesn't wick water, so that when it gets saturated, it doesn't start to leak to the opposite side of the knot.
so my (untested) conclusion would be that a piece of polypro rope, of rather large diameter (like 4mm, larger than the ridgeline), making a simple but bulky knot, like the constrictor or such, or maybe even a quick turks head if you feel like it, with one of the tails hanging out on the "water side", so it redirects the flow early (for a "quick turkshead" see the famous miller's knot https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miller%27s_knot , you can keep braiding a few times as if doing a three strand braid). this way you would get a waterproof waterbreak, that can be slid around as needed, and would not leak (and require a second one to back it up) in "extreme conditions". i have yet to test it though, as i said, i just thought of it because of this thread, so don't throw your cotton shoelaces away just yet ;).
note: obviously, this wouldn't make much sense if the host line itself is water absorbant, i suppose this is where the cotton preference historically comes from, but this should be the best solution if the host line (ridgeline or suspension) is dyneema
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Originally Posted by Randonneur
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