I need a knot.

[Asa Samuel]

I'm having a bit of trouble keeping the tension on my tarp ridge line while tying knots. I've tried the ray mears taught line knot from his essential bushcraft book and I've also tried the truckers hitch or waggoner's hitch which I could only get taught if I made an adjustable Cawley hitch to keep the tension on which is too much faffing about. If I just make an adjustable Cawley hitch then tensioning would get in the way of the prussic I use to keep my tarp stretched out on the ridge line.

Are there any knots that are easy to tie under tension and keep the ridge line taught without getting in the way of the prussics?

Thanks,
Asa.

 

[Leezo]

Wrap the rope around the tree a few times then just a case of tying loose end off, works for me.

 

[Asa Samuel]

can anybody else offer some suggestions?

 

[Ogri the trog]

Cobwebs "Power Cinch" is a cracker for holding tension....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VRtTdsRW2U
Starts about 3:45 and on in the clip
She taught me and I've used it ever since.

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[John Fenna]

Round turn and 2 half hitches on one end, "hammock hitch" at the other- works for me....quick and simple - just like me!

 

[Asa Samuel]

John, what's the "hammock hitch"?

Ogri, the power cinch looks really good, I'll have to try it out and see if I can get it to work with my prussics.

Thanks

 

[John Fenna]

Take the cord rond the treeover the cord, back on itself, around the cord (pulling it tighter)back around the tree,(reversing the direction you just brought it) over the cord again, pull tight again and tie off with a quick release knot through the last loop - sounds complicated but once you see it it is simple!

 

[Mesquite]

If you use Coibwebs power cinch don't thread the short end through the loop. If you do it Cobwebs way you run the very real risk of cutting through any cord you're using. I snapped some 7mm cord and ended up flat on my back.

Clip the loop and and the end you''re going to pull together with a carbiner. This helps in 2 ways. 1 reduces friction on cords substantially making it easier and smoother to pull tight and 2 makes it a lot quicker and easier to connect and unconnect them as you don't have to feed a length of cord through the loop.

 

[Ogri the trog]

If you use Coibwebs power cinch don't thread the short end through the loop. If you do it Cobwebs way you run the very real risk of cutting through any cord you're using. I snapped some 7mm cord and ended up flat on my back.

Clip the loop and and the end you''re going to pull together with a carbiner. This helps in 2 ways. 1 reduces friction on cords substantially making it easier and smoother to pull tight and 2 makes it a lot quicker and easier to connect and unconnect them as you don't have to feed a length of cord through the loop.

To be fair Mesquite,
Asa requested knots for a tarp ridge line!

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[Mesquite]

To be fair Mesquite,
Asa requested knots for a tarp ridge line!

ATB

Ogri the trog

I know exactly what he was asking for Ogri, but that was what I putting up when the cord cut through itself and I ended up flat on my back hence my warning.

 

[Noddy]

...............

 

[tjwuk]

Is it the line you are using? Knots aren't my strongest point but I do find I get by and when I do have problems its the line to blame. I find this with the DDtarp line! Don't have any problems with paracord or perlon.

 

[Mesquite]

Is it the line you are using? Knots aren't my strongest point but I do find I get by and when I do have problems its the line to blame. I find this with the DDtarp line! Don't have any problems with paracord or perlon.

The problem is the friction generated if you pull the cord really tight. I watched as Mors Kochanski demonstrated how paracord is cut through with ease and I did the same with 7mm purlon.

That's why I suggested using a caribiner, it elemenates the friction and allows you to pull the ridge line a lot tighter than without.

 

[Ogri the trog]

I know exactly what he was asking for Ogri, but that was what I putting up when the cord cut through itself and I ended up flat on my back hence my warning.

Then I apologise Mesquite - I thought that you were talking about rigging your hammock with a Power Cinch. That must have been some serious tension you were applying.

Cheers

Ogri the trog

 

[Mesquite]

Then I apologise Mesquite - I thought that you were talking about rigging your hammock with a Power Cinch. That must have been some serious tension you were applying.

Cheers

Ogri the trog

It was for a 4 x 4.5mt Andywinkk tarp

 

[tjwuk]

How about this one. Its good as it can be tightened with ease when you take the line back round the tree!

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?i...ox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&sa=G&um=1

 

[Carbuncle]

I don't get this. Isn't the power cinch more or less a truckers hitch with a puffy name? I use a truckers hitch on my ridge lines, opposite an evenk not - I tie the truckers hitch off with a slipped half hitch, and this gets my ridge line tighter than a dutchmans thong. Better still, it pulls the hitch towards the tree (as opposed to awy from it, with a rolling hitch), which leaves more space to slide my prussics. But the OP said a truckers hitch wasn't up to the job. Strange.

 

[Noddy]

...............

 

[Asa Samuel]

I don't get this. Isn't the power cinch more or less a truckers hitch with a puffy name? I use a truckers hitch on my ridge lines, opposite an evenk not - I tie the truckers hitch off with a slipped half hitch, and this gets my ridge line tighter than a dutchmans thong. Better still, it pulls the hitch towards the tree (as opposed to awy from it, with a rolling hitch), which leaves more space to slide my prussics. But the OP said a truckers hitch wasn't up to the job. Strange.

The reason I said it wasn't up to the job was I was finding it hard to position it with my prussics, but with the power cinch having a small loop that is easy to get close to the tree I shouldn't have any problems.

Asa.

 

[Carbuncle]

The reason I said it wasn't up to the job was I was finding it hard to position it with my prussics, but with the power cinch having a small loop that is easy to get close to the tree I shouldn't have any problems.

Asa.

Aah, it's probably that I'm confusing my knots. After a quick butchers on the gimpnet there seem to be loads of variations on the truckers hitch/power cinch, revolving around how the first loop is made. Same principle of mechanical advantage, I suppose.