Knots for tightening Tarp Ridgerope

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reddave

Life Member
Mar 15, 2006
335
47
stalybridge
I use an evenk knot and a prussiky type thing to get it tight...

Good advice I got that rings true is you can forget knowing every knot known to man by just putting loads of manky knots in a rope.

I've used this before and although it may take an hour to undo the knot(s) what really matters is that you don't get wet/fall on the floor/fall down a cliff. ;)

Joe

:lmao: Yeah. If you can't tie knots, tie lots :slap:
 
H

High on Hex

Guest
Before i learnt a few knots i used a karabiner and a bungee. Sad but true!
 

Graham_S

Squirrely!
Feb 27, 2005
4,041
65
50
Saudi Arabia
bungee cord actually isn't such a bad idea. It allows the tarp a bit of give in high winds, and then it will return to position when th wind drops.
Less danger of torn tarps in stormy weather.
 

verloc

Settler
Jun 2, 2008
676
4
East Lothian, Scotland
bungee cord actually isn't such a bad idea. It allows the tarp a bit of give in high winds, and then it will return to position when th wind drops.
Less danger of torn tarps in stormy weather.

Completely agree - bungees are useful as well in limited space and as long you know how to do it without a bungee (oo-er) in case you lose / forget one then they are a cracking solution - plus my ex army mates will tell you that its the best way to put one up (but that could just be the REME for ya!).
 
I use the Evenk and the Tarp taut hitch. I never knew either knot until I went to Woodlore's fundimental bushcraft course. I took a bungie in the eye last year at Cadet camp, blood everywhere. I was lucky not to lose my eye, and would never recommend them. Ropes are much safer and if you practice your knots often you can put up a ridge line as quick with knots as with bungies
 

Bob_about

Member
May 9, 2008
27
0
Warwickshire
I`m getting better with knots - each time the forum has a thread like this I`m prompted to practice more and have some lengths of tape & rope here by my desk to loop round table legs, chairs and from a nail driven into one of the beams above my head - it can even be quite theraputic!

But, for what its worth, I still love my karabiners and thule load straps. Having wandered onto here via UKRGB and SOTP, krabs and straps are part of my basic kit and anything that can hold a canadian canoe onto the car at 80mph can hold me (in a hammock) or a tarp above the ground reasonably well.

The straps can lie flat round the tree (I have several 4 & 5 meter ones) avoiding any rubbing or damage to the bark and the cam buckles allow tightening / slackening to & from the krab as needed.

Until I get better with the knots and know from experience the ones I can easily tie and untie before and after loading I`m afraid I`m a way off being a rope & knots only guy.

Having got the lines up though, a loop of para cord is a really easy way to create a prussick for securing tarps where you want them.
 

crazydave

Settler
Aug 25, 2006
858
1
54
Gloucester
I recently got some hammock toggle ropes which are fantastic, no knots as its all predone. working out a similar process for tarps using normal two hole flat clothing toggles. I'll post something when the toggles turn up.

still a great fan of bungees cos I'm too lazy to spend an hour knotting up. seeing all the saggy tarps at the weekend has only reinforced my opinions :)
 

Minotaur

Native
Apr 27, 2005
1,600
232
Birmingham
Before i learnt a few knots i used a karabiner and a bungee. Sad but true!

Put a link up for Youtube of Wilderness Outfiters, and his versa trap uses bungees.

Seems like a good idea to me, especially the way he does it.

He also uses the Nitelize s thing in small for guylines.
 

Sniper

Native
Aug 3, 2008
1,431
0
Saltcoats, Ayrshire
Completely agree - bungees are useful as well in limited space and as long you know how to do it without a bungee (oo-er) in case you lose / forget one then they are a cracking solution - plus my ex army mates will tell you that its the best way to put one up (but that could just be the REME for ya!).

You know what REME stands for of course
Rough Engineering Made Easy

I have used cuts from a commercial inner tube (punctured of course) for this type of thing in the past, costs nothing from a tyre fitters which left me loads of the stuff for fire making.
 

spamel

Banned
Feb 15, 2005
6,833
21
48
Silkstone, Blighty!
The falconers hitch would have been a great knot for the poor guy whose gas meter I changed today. I shall regale the tale of woe and misery for you now, although it does have a happy ending!

The guy was talking about going to play with his bird whilst I was doing the meter exchange, I sort of heard him but just wanted to get on. He obviously wanted me to go "Eh?" and I think may have been slightly dissapointed when I didn't. therefore, he told me that his "bird" was in fact an eight week old kestrel. That grabbed my attention!

He said that it was fledging and was getting a bit of air under his wings now and then, if I liked I could take a look after I finished the job. Damn right I will! The kestrel was beautiful, bought for 200 quid from a guy in Wakefield who he calls on if he needs any help. He's like his mentor. He took the bird from its platform thingy and held on to the jesses, a leash connected it to the platform. The guy was obviously taking great care of the bird and you could see the pride and devotion he had for it. I envied him to be honest. I cannot afford the spare time to keep such a magnificent creature so have to settle for watching them in the wild. Anyway, he put the bird back and tied him onto the platform. Next thing we now, "Weeeeo!" and off he goes! The bloody knot pulls undone and the little blighter flies off into next doors' window, turns about and does one towards the big blue sky! :eek:

I was worried for this guy, 200 quid was flying off. The bloke was no longer in the same garden as me, he can fair shift over a garden fence! Fortunately, the fact that the bird is only just learning to fly coupled with the fact that it had just been fed meant it didn't get very far. The fellah brought the bird back and tied him to his platform with some "can't tie knots, tie lots!" type knot and I would have liked to show him the falconers' knot but I don't know it. I showed him the siberian hitch instead.

Pretty exciting though, and what a beautiful creature. One day, probably when I'm retired so that i can give it the time it requires, I'd like to keep a little kestrel.
 

robwolf

Tenderfoot
Aug 16, 2008
86
0
57
thetford norfolk
the evenk slippery hitch can be done in 5 secounds flat then at the other end i tighten the rope by going around the tree smooth or rough tree it doesnt matter bring the string end under the tightend side back around the tree and so on each time you do this it tightens the original string then make a loop and put the bended loop through pull tight and repeat once more to make sure
 

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