Tarp pitching question

“almost dayhiker except it was a tall enough burrito that you could sit up in it.

I saw him pitch it that way 2 or 3 times and never really figured out how he was doing it. I do remember he said he had to add some loops to the tarp for it to work.
last edited: 6/16/06 10:10:54 AM”

“I've pitched one corner about two feet from the tree trunk with the opposite corner pegged down tight. I was then able to drape my poncho over the line tied to the tree and nearly close off the shealter. Worked great. i'd be afraid of wrapping in the corners for fear of getting a hole or rip.”

“Wow, that is crazy. I see where you'd need loops to hold it open but it seems like that tension would cause the top to collapse. I guess if you pull the ridge taut then pulling on the sides wouldn't be a problem. Interesting.”

“Nigal, do you tarp in the summer or just in the winter.
I still haven't used a tarp yet. After all the friggin ticks and bees I have run into lately not sure I would want to in the summer. I may try a tarp out this winter”

“Only thing about walkindudes setup is you are laying on part of the tarp and pokeing little holes in it from the trash on the ground. As long as you use that tarp that way each time it will work, but if you then try to use it in other ways, it might leak.”

“I only tarp in the cold. I did a hike once where I did a short day then a 20 mile day then out five. The 20 mile day was a beater and I picked nearly 100 big wood ticks off me. I finally made camp about 10 PM and as I lay there under my tarp all I could feel were bugs crawling on me. Imagined or not I packede up and hiked the last five miles out in the dark. My hatred of ticks is what lead me to try hammock camping.

My other issue is the dog. She gets up and wanders around at night in a tarp be it to pee, just wander or to dive head first into Tara's sleeping bag. LOL! I use the Clip Flashlight nearly all the time now.”

“Well, the intention is to do things full Aed but for right now it's no-Aed.

As soon as I get both hands free, I might be able to find my A (cause I need both hands to find it) and get bank on track to a full Aed existance.”

“Just got my first real hiking tarp in the mail last night. Can't wait to use it.

Anyone have any good ideas for fasteners for the guy lines so you don't have to tie and untie knots all the time?”

“I just leave my guy lines tied to the tarp and have taut line hitches tied to the other ends where I stake it out. I very rarely have to do any knot tying in the field.”

“I do the same as lumber

sacco once sent me a link to a fastener that attaches to the tarp in a non damaging way. You might check with him to see if he still has a link, but this has been a year or two ago.”

“i don't currently use hike poles and will be using trees and maybe sticks to pitch my tarp...i was thinking mainly for ends that will be going around trees, not the ones that will be staked out”

“I use a ridge line when I string a tarp.

This requires short lines to pull the tarp taut along the ridge line but is worth the bother to get a tight set up and avoid stressing the gromets.

The ridge line prevents sagging and makes a better shelter.

I usually leave the guy lines tied to the tarp........easier to find them.”

“backpackinglight.com sells great tensioners with aircore line that is very light and work very well.”

“Jimmy san is a nerd.”

“I use a ridge line when I string a tarp.

This requires short lines to pull the tarp taut

backpackinglight.com sells great tensioners with aircore line

Good lord. One would think that trailrats would know more about cordage, knots, and rigging.”

“"I very rarely have to do any knot tying in the field.”
Lumberzac

Too bad Zac, I do lots of tying when I rig a tarp, its part of the fun.

Quick-release hitches and all manner of stuff.......I like to get creative and set the tarp to suit the camp.

Stick to the FUEGO threads Mutt, you will find little here to pick at.
last edited: 9/12/06 10:18:30 AM”

“Too bad Zac, I do lots of tying when I rig a tarp, its part of the fun.
MarkO
11:16:50 AM
9/12/06

A lot of the hiking I do, by the time I get to camp all I want to do is eat and then go to sleep. I don't want to mess around tying knots.”

“OK with me!!

I've created some interesting shelters with a tarp.

Many years ago I would rig my tarp under an A-frame of two skinny poles lashed together.

I haven't been that ambitious in quite a while.”

“Stick to the FUEGO threads Mutt, you will find little here to pick at.

Mark, judging from your, um, "contributions", you shouldn't be giving anyone advice on how to work with ropes and knots.”

“I use a "Ghetto" knot around trees. you wrap upwards around once then around once downward then stuff the remaining rope into the tension of the rope going towards the tarp. its quick and easy and is friendlier to the trees.”

“"Mark, judging from your, um, "contributions", you shouldn't be giving anyone advice on how to work with ropes and knots."

Judging from your need to pick at those toward whom you feel a need to be hostile, you should get counselling.

I do just fine with ropes and knots and I have taught a number of people, including my sons, how to.

Now and then I refer to my Mountain Warfare School manual but most of what I use I learned form the Boy Scouts.

Oh dang me, I responded to a nasty troll!!
Don't Feed The Trolls!!

(You must be a lonely prick)”

“dang...i was a boyscout and i did learn those knots but if i don't use something on a regular basis i loose it...maybe i'll just bring a roll of duct tape”

“Oh I see, you were a boyscout before turned into a hippy doofus. Well, you've got me and my years of treework rigging (and climbing and camping) beat! Yeah.”

“take your nastyness back to fuego where it belongs”

“The truth can be nasty.”

“I think it's easier and more useful to just learn the knots.

But then I like knotwork.”

“"Oh I see, you were a boyscout before turned into a hippy doofus."

That's right Fred Astaire, and then I was a part-time Mountain Infantryman in my '30s when my kids were little.

Now I'm running for Dog Catcher while taking ballet lessons and writing the great American novel.”

“Marko in a tutu......scary!”

“

”

“My tarp pitching is better than your tarp pitching.

Take that!!!!”

“Why, I oughta tie you in knots!!!”

“My tarp will not pitch after that tutu.”

“Uh huh, she looks like something from 4-H.......”

“Which of those pictures is Marko?”

“I couldn't find one of me in a tutu......too bad!

There's a picture of me with a machine gun somewhere......but without tutu”

“I was going to answer earlier, but it appears that Campmor no longer has the product I use. I have bungee cords attached to my tarps. One end has a ball, which is large enought to prevent passage through the grommets. The other end has a piece of plastic with a loop for ties, a snap hook and an Adjustable holder of the bongee cord. It permits one to tighten the cord to take up slack in the line quickly and easily. For takedown, the cord can be loosen easily, too.”