A night in the woods.

[s'étonner]

Hi guys, thanks again for all the advice

I went out with the tarp again the other night, and after learning some knots, I was able to suspend my ridge line much more efficiently. I removed all the slack.

However, I was not able to reduce the slack further down the tarp. The areas between each pegging loop remained slightly saggy regardless of how tight I made the tarp on the ridge line. I tried repositioning my pegs, but was unable to reduce the sagging in the areas between the pegging points. It's as if the tarp needs a few more peg loops on each side.

You can see this sagging in the image below, notice how the left side of the A-frame sags inwards slightly. This problem was worse on that side of the tarp. I don't know if that is due to the way in which I set it up, or because of the presence of a seam on that side, which makes that side heavier, causing it to sag more.

The real problem though was the aforementioned seam that runs down one side of the tarp. This formed a very slight lip on one side of my A-frame, and leaked! You can see the seam in the image below. I have just bought some seam sealer, as instructed by others in this thread. I'm going to have a go at applying it soon.

Other than that, the tarp held up much better than previously. Water only came in through the seam, and also any area that I happened to brush against from the inside (which is annoying as there's not much room to manoeuvre under this size tarp!). I was wondering if this is normal? That a tarp should leak if touched from the inside?

Thanks for reading, any advice would be fantastic. I can't wait to get a bivvi bag so that this leaking malarky isn't such a problem!

 

[Lupin Rider]

put your ridge line at about head height as you sit on the ground and then widen out the "A". then you have enough space and you don't touch the inside. also any water runs wide and then down. pull the corners wide with guys lines at 45degrees so that the whole thing is taught. it looks like you have pegged the corners str8 into the ground?

good arrows for having another go though.

 

[s'étonner]

put your ridge line at about head height as you sit on the ground and then widen out the "A". then you have enough space and you don't touch the inside. also any water runs wide and then down. pull the corners wide with guys lines at 45degrees so that the whole thing is taught. it looks like you have pegged the corners str8 into the ground?

good arrows for having another go though.

Cheers mate, I never thought of widening out the A! Would be nice to be able to sit up!

I did use short guy lines for the corner pegs, but it's not very clear in the photos. I'm heading out again shortly so hopefully it doesn't rain too much- I still haven't sealed the seam, as I want to camp instead of waiting all evening for sealant to dry!

 

[Lupin Rider]

this is what I'm trying to describe. rained all the night i pitched this.

also notice the tarp is slung under the ridge line not over it. it is pulled taught along the ridge line axis buy prussic knots described above.

 

[R3XXY]

Hi s'etonner, this pic shows pretty well the sort of ridge line set up the other guys have been talking about.

The Prussik hitch really is your best friend when it comes to getting your tarp ridge nice and taut.



P.S. Your fire cooked fish looks awesome !

 

[s'étonner]

Thanks for the pictures guys. It helped a lot when I was setting up last night.

Here's a few snaps of what I knocked together. These pictures were taken in the morning, and the roof had gone a bit wonky by then because I was fiddling! But you get the idea.

I'm still thinking about adding some more loops on my tarp. At the moment, hanging the ridge line above the tarp would be awkward, because there's no loop on the roof. I might try it anyway though.

Widening the A makes things so much more comfortable, it was a great night. I was woken up at about 3:30 by a small animal running down the hill behind my camp, then paying me a visit before running past the fire and into some thick trees. I could only make out a slight shadow, but I'm thinking a muntjac or fox. Great stuff! The owls were also out and about hooting all around me.

I also noticed this bizarre gunky mess in the morning. Is this from a stinkhorn?

Thanks again for all of the help people have given me!

 

[R3XXY]

You don't actually need the loops on the top of the tarp, only the ones at the ends. Although you can't quite see it in my pic, the top loops aren't doing anything, they're just floppy, not holding the tarp up at all, the end loops are doing ALL the work. I suppose they might give a little extra support if the tarp got very wet and heavy.

 

[s'étonner]

You don't actually need the loops on the top of the tarp, only the ones at the ends. Although you can't quite see it in my pic, the top loops aren't doing anything, they're just floppy, not holding the tarp up at all, the end loops are doing ALL the work. I suppose they might give a little extra support if the tarp got very wet and heavy.

Brilliant, will definitely try this next time I'm out! Thanks!

 

[The Lord Poncho]

Smashing photos, make me want to be there! If after taking the advice contained in this thread (including reproofing the tarp) you are still getting wet in heavy rain, then it may be time to think about getting a new tarp. I note from the photos that yours is not a genuine issue one, and may suffer from a poor hydrostatic head no matter what you do to it (save maybe coating the whole lot with silicone sealant watered down with white spirit). Genuine issue bahas can be picked up fairly cheaply from the likes of ebay, and will give you much greater leeway/more options when pitching (i.e. you won't need to achieve such steep sides to keep dry).

 

[Prawnster]

Great pictures and good on you for not getting disheartened.

Like you I didn't know any knots when I first started 'tarping' but now I know loads. That said I only really ever use 4 knots, the evenk, truckers hitch, prusik and a sliding knot I use for pegging out that I got from Ray Mears book.

Most of the fun is in the learning.


Sent from my phone.

 

[lostplanet]

Never ceases to amaze me some peoples ingenuity,

Check out the klemheist for your ridgeline http://www.animatedknots.com/klemheist/index.php It's a version of a prussik, I find it grips better and you can add extra turns to increase friction depending on what cord you use. once in place it just stays there and works.

If you are using pegs or sticks to tie the tarp guy lines to, you can use the clove hitch effectively. Ultra quick to tie and untie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=na-8lj26mCs

I have guy lines with adjustable knots (three turn tautline) already on the tarp loops so I just de-hank and then clove hitch to a peg and then adjust tension at the tarp. If I have a tree nearby I Evenk and then adjust at the tarp.

Having the adjusters near the tarp also saves wandering round and round the whole outside of the guy lines chasing the tarp tension you are happy with. Also try adjusting on the diagonal. Adjust your ridgeline and tarp prussiks, then adjust left front then right rear, then right front and then left rear.

Great thing about wild camping/BC is you get to try and practice all sorts of stuff and eventually choose what works for you and knowledge weighs nothing.

Also it worth getting decent cord to tie knots in, cheaper stuff has caused me all sorts of problems in the past.

Good job getting out there! and having a go.

 

[hog]

Bummer that you got wet, nothing worse than being wet at night, still it was a valuble learning curve and I hope that the next tarp venture is dry and comfy, tasty looking victuals by the way.

 

[s'étonner]

Smashing photos, make me want to be there! If after taking the advice contained in this thread (including reproofing the tarp) you are still getting wet in heavy rain, then it may be time to think about getting a new tarp. I note from the photos that yours is not a genuine issue one, and may suffer from a poor hydrostatic head no matter what you do to it (save maybe coating the whole lot with silicone sealant watered down with white spirit). Genuine issue bahas can be picked up fairly cheaply from the likes of ebay, and will give you much greater leeway/more options when pitching (i.e. you won't need to achieve such steep sides to keep dry).

Thanks for the advice! It has been worrying me that water can seep through the actual material itself, particularly when touched from the inside. I'm guessing that this should not be able to happen unless the tarp is pitched so poorly that rain is able to collect on it?

Now that I've bought the sealant, I plan to use it on the leaky seam, then take it out again in the rain and see how it holds up (possibly tomorrow night!).

I've been eyeing up this basha on the woodlore site, but it's pricey! I may have to have a mooch on ebay as you suggested!

http://www.raymears.com/Bushcraft_Product/81-Australian-Waterproof-Hootchie-Flysheet/


Thanks again for the tips!

 

[s'étonner]

Great pictures and good on you for not getting disheartened.

Like you I didn't know any knots when I first started 'tarping' but now I know loads. That said I only really ever use 4 knots, the evenk, truckers hitch, prusik and a sliding knot I use for pegging out that I got from Ray Mears book.

Most of the fun is in the learning.


Sent from my phone.

Thanks! I was a bit overwhelmed initially by the amount of knots and pitching variations out there. I've just been trying to take on board new techniques slowly, and then try them out for myself, and I love it- I never want to use a tent again!

Never ceases to amaze me some peoples ingenuity,

Check out the klemheist for your ridgeline http://www.animatedknots.com/klemheist/index.php It's a version of a prussik, I find it grips better and you can add extra turns to increase friction depending on what cord you use. once in place it just stays there and works.

If you are using pegs or sticks to tie the tarp guy lines to, you can use the clove hitch effectively. Ultra quick to tie and untie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=na-8lj26mCs

I have guy lines with adjustable knots (three turn tautline) already on the tarp loops so I just de-hank and then clove hitch to a peg and then adjust tension at the tarp. If I have a tree nearby I Evenk and then adjust at the tarp.

Having the adjusters near the tarp also saves wandering round and round the whole outside of the guy lines chasing the tarp tension you are happy with. Also try adjusting on the diagonal. Adjust your ridgeline and tarp prussiks, then adjust left front then right rear, then right front and then left rear.

Great thing about wild camping/BC is you get to try and practice all sorts of stuff and eventually choose what works for you and knowledge weighs nothing.

Also it worth getting decent cord to tie knots in, cheaper stuff has caused me all sorts of problems in the past.

Good job getting out there! and having a go.

Cheers, some great info there! I've been thinking about heading out on a bike with my tarp for a few days so that setup may come in handy! haha!

Bummer that you got wet, nothing worse than being wet at night, still it was a valuble learning curve and I hope that the next tarp venture is dry and comfy, tasty looking victuals by the way.

It was a bit grim but luckily the rain only started in the morning after dawn, so I wasn't too inconvenienced! I'm thinking about heading out tomorrow (today actually, since it's 2am!) and there's rain forecast, so fingers crossed the tarp holds up this time!

 

[spandit]

Have you thought about buying a bivi bag to keep you dry? Looks like you had fun anyway

 

[s'étonner]

Have you thought about buying a bivi bag to keep you dry? Looks like you had fun anyway

I actually purchased one a few weeks back, and the last two times I've camped out, that's all I've used! It's only a cheap hi gear one but so far I'm impressed with it. Still need to test it in the rain though!