I started thinking about going from a stargazing, tarp in snakeskin, night to hunkered down in storm mode.
The plan sailors used came to mind. Their sails have fixed reef-points that reduce the sail area by lowering it to fixed tie-off places.
What if, instead of having to find it each time, I had an "anchor point on my guyline that was just where I needed it when the tarp was lowered and closer-in than usual - like during protection from a real (not just sprinkles) rain storm.
So the idea is to set up your tarp at home, guy it down the way you'd want it in a storm, and see where along the guyline length you'd contact your stake. This isn't too hard if you also have a little bungee as part of your guyline - it gives you a bit of flexibility if there's a stone/root just where you'd like the stake.
Then you'd tie a fixed loop - like an Alpine/Butterfly knot at that point in your guyline.
Now, if you have to move from none (tarp still in skins) or loose (porch mode) tarp configuration to storm mode, you know right where to stake your tarp and you have a loop already for your stake. If it were me, I'd make the loop large enough to double it over the stake - so it cinches down (rather than just a loop that can slip off).
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