Luminescent/reflective tent wires?

[Jakob.sievers]

Hi all

So lately I've been looking into the possibility of getting either luminescent (glow-in-the-dark) or reflective tent wires, or guy lines or pegs or something, all for the purpose of making the outlines of my tent easier to see in the dark and as such avoid bumping into wires during nighttime excursions.
I bought what was marketed as glow-in-the-dark tent wire but it doesn't glow in the least bit. So my worry now is that maybe this is a bit too gimmicky market with lots of **** products and before I spend more money I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts or experiences with the overall problem of making tent wires more visible.

Ps.: while I think of myself as fairly proficient when it comes to the english language, it IS my second language (Danish being my native language) and I am a bit unsure of the right terminology here so please excuse me if "wires", "pegs" and "guy lines" are confusing. I hope you know what I'm referring to

Thanks in advance!

 

[Broch]

Hi Jakob. Guy-line or guy-rope (or guy line, guy rope) is the right terminology although I have seen them referred to as guy wires recently.

The only ones that I have found and used are reflective not luminescent - so they only show up when a light is shone on them or if there is natural light. I have switched to using them exclusively now for exactly the reasons you mention. I haven't found any that actually glow but that isn't to say there aren't any out there somewhere.

 

[C_Claycomb]

Sterling Rope 2.75 mm GloCord (50')

Description 2.75 mm Sterling reflective GloCord. Same construction as Sterling's standard accessory cord but with a reflective tracer braided into the sheath.This makes the cord vibrant when hit by light and perfect for low-light conditions. Great for guylines, tents, zippers, backpacks, and...

ripstopbytheroll.com

I wouldn't waste time looking for guy lines that glow. Glowing decays fairly quickly over time and it really isn't practical to go around your whole tent with a light charging up the lines.

Reflective line is another matter. It can be good stuff. There are a number around. The best I have seen was from the US. Dutchware has a lot, but I will never buy from him again after learning of his very questionable dealings and law suit against a competitor. I have bought other things from the company I have linked to and am happy to recommend them.

Another place is:

extremtextil

Extremely tear-resistant cord with a core made of Dyneema® UHMW-PE-threads and a polyester cover with interwoven, reflecting threads. Perfect for tent-guylines that are visible in the dark or as accessory cord on bags, backpacks or garment.

www.extremtextil.de

Personally, I have only a small amount of reflective line, 3mm and 550 cord size. I much prefer 2mm size line, but while what I have is bright in day light, it doesn't reflect.

A dim LED lantern left in the tent might also show up its outline.

 

[nitrambur]

Best of both worlds, reflective line with glow in the dark runners

CL606/P4. 4mm Reflective Fluorescent Guyline. Pack of 4 + 4 Line-Lok®

Avoid tripping over your guylines by using our 4mm guy line. Fluorescent for daylight visibility. Highly reflective at night. Pack of 4 + 4 CL260 Line-Lok®

www.cleats.co.uk

 

[Erbswurst]

Probably a bit late in your case, but there are tent constructions that avoid those problems in normal weather conditions. (No heavy wind demanding storm lines.)

For example my Hilleberg Nallo 2 tent stands with just 4 stakes in the corners of the outer fly.

My Luxe Outdoor SilHexpeak V4a stands with 6 pegs in the fly corners.

My horribly cheap Arpenaz 2 crossbow tent even stands without any tent stakes but can also be used with 4 stakes in the corners of the fly.

My plough point poncho shelter stands with 3 stakes in the corners of the poncho.

That's why I can't give you any good answers to your question. Night or day, I never have such problems.

But if I remember it right, the Hilleberg storm lines are reflective. I always carry them and never use them.
You can assume that they are the best one can get, because that is Hilleberg's construction principle.

 

[Erbswurst]

I recently discovered that EXTREMTEXTIL opened a shop in Berlin. Not really my area, but surely not as far as where you all are located.
Now it's closed of course. But should somebody have a very good reason that I look at something there, I probably could do that sooner or later.

 

[Toddy]

I threaded glow in the dark pony beads onto my guy lines. I didn't change all of them to reflective lines, but I did do the ones around the door way.

Both work fine in Summer, but in the gloom of an overcast Autumn or Winter, with short daylight, the glow in the dark just doesn't work, the reflective line really only works if you've a headlight or torch on.

I did dip the ends of some of the carp fishermen's glow light things in hot glue and pressed a bead into that which would run easily over the guy line. I just threaded them on before dark and clicked them when I left the tent.

They sell them on Amazon, costs about a fiver for ten there, but I buy them in the pound stores and it's twenty for a pound.
I'm trying to cut down on my plastic waste though, and I know these are tiny wee things, but it's the principle of the thing.

I've been given battery powered glow stakes but haven't tried them yet. They were a pound in the poundstores too...a lot more expensive elsewhere. They seem to work, I did try, but batteries and camping aren't always a happy thing. We'll see.

 

[henchy3rd]

All I’ve ever used for my one tigris tent & what ever tarp I’m using is Bowtree olive colour 2mm reflective paracord on a roll, (cheap as chips)discreet in day light & has a good reflection at dusk & night.
never snapped or frayed on me yet.

 

[Duggie Bravo]

I bought some reflective spoke things, which fit on the guy lines for the scouts hammocks.
For mine I bought reflective guy lines and glow in the dark runners.

My tent has reflective guy lines.

I seem to remember someone talking about using Mountain Dew bottle, the bright green one, cut in to strips


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