Article: DD Hammocks: DD Tarp 4x4 MC

[shelly]

You can view the page at http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/content.php?r=818-DD-Hammocks-DD-Tarp-4x4-MC

 

[Philster]

I've seen people tie the ridge loops in a knot which shortens them without having to modify it - hope this helps,
Phil

 

[Fraxinus]

Nice review John, really like my 4x4 multi cam but agree that the ridge loops are a tad long.
It is almost big enough to garage my Ally 15DR canoe without turning it over to keep rain out but gave me enough room for my kit plus my DD travel hammock used in bivvi mode and the upturned canoe as a wind barrier.
Also (and this is not the fault of DD) I bent most of the pegs at this location due to very little soil over a shale like base layer that I was unaware of, since sourced some heavy duty 8" pegs for my next trip there, the supplied pegs had worked fine elsewhere.

Rob.

 

[Mang]

I asked DD Hammocks about this very thing concerning the loops on the DD hammocks tarp M and they said:-

Regarding the loop sizes you're not really missing a technical point. They are bigger because once the tarp is pegged out (in the middle), there is often more pressure on the middle points (if they are pegged downwards, straight to the ground) and so being a little longer prevents excess stress on them (as the middle of the tarp is likely to be slightly lower than the ends of the tarp). The middle loops are still very strong but not as super strong as the side attachment points are due to the placement on the tarp and use of re-inforcement patches at the sides (that makes it sound like the middle ones are weak but they certainly aren't and we do not hear of any weaknesses/ issues with them at all). If the middle sides of the tarp are not pegged at a steep angle to the ground the loops can sit a little loose.The middle loops on all of our tarps are like this and as you mention its possible to tie a knot to make them shorter if required.

 

[John Fenna]

I asked DD Hammocks about this very thing concerning the loops on the DD hammocks tarp M and they said:-

Regarding the loop sizes you're not really missing a technical point. They are bigger because once the tarp is pegged out (in the middle), there is often more pressure on the middle points (if they are pegged downwards, straight to the ground) and so being a little longer prevents excess stress on them (as the middle of the tarp is likely to be slightly lower than the ends of the tarp). The middle loops are still very strong but not as super strong as the side attachment points are due to the placement on the tarp and use of re-inforcement patches at the sides (that makes it sound like the middle ones are weak but they certainly aren't and we do not hear of any weaknesses/ issues with them at all). If the middle sides of the tarp are not pegged at a steep angle to the ground the loops can sit a little loose.The middle loops on all of our tarps are like this and as you mention its possible to tie a knot to make them shorter if required.

Ah - interesting....but I hardly ever peg straight to the ground and found with most of my usual set ups that the loops were so long as to make the ridge of the tarp sag ... hence I knotted them

 

[Paulm]

Likewise John, the ridge loops were always overly long for me on my 3x3 tarp, in whatever configuration used, so I sewed them instead of knotting them (just cause I could !) to give smaller loops and hangs much better now.

 

[sandbag47]

Nice write-up John.

 

[Native Nathan]

I have sewn the loops together, about 1.5cms from the tarp. this allows me to tread a ridge line through and get rid of the sag

 

[cmarkod]

John I've got the 4x4 and I run a line internally to hang things from. The end ridgeline loops have a small loop on the inside of the tarp and I clip a length of bungee cord attached with mini carabiners to them. Works well as long as you use decent prussicks, otherwise it pulls the tap in a bit. I'm out with it over the weekend so I'll take a photo and post.

 

[GGTBod]

I spent years refusing to spend more than a tenner on tarps, god dammit i suffered on countless times as the wind shredded them in the middle of a storm in the middle of a night, then i bought my first dd 3X3 after my first time out with it i bought another

 

[bopdude]

I spent years refusing to spend more than a tenner on tarps, god dammit i suffered on countless times as the wind shredded them in the middle of a storm in the middle of a night, then i bought my first dd 3X3 after my first time out with it i bought another

Yep, been there lol, just given my 4x4 to Son of, a) because he wanted it b) it's just tooooooooooooo damned big, takes a LOT of packing away imho

 

[cmarkod]

John I've got the 4x4 and I run a line internally to hang things from. The end ridgeline loops have a small loop on the inside of the tarp and I clip a length of bungee cord attached with mini carabiners to them. Works well as long as you use decent prussicks, otherwise it pulls the tap in a bit. I'm out with it over the weekend so I'll take a photo and post.

I've a couple of pictures of this from this weekend but can't seem to upload them? they are on my PC so don't know the url?
Another of the benefits of this setup is that it pulls down on the ridge loops and keeps everything taught. I was also reminded of the useful feature of the bungee allowing you to pull things to you.

 

[cmarkod]

Now I'm a full member, I've added photos of the bungee I run under the tarp