Tell Me About Guy Ropes...

[Pete E]

I picked up my new basha on the way home from work today and picked up some bungees for guys at the same time. It then occured to me that the bungees would double the weight/bulk of the basha!

So I thought I would try using guy ropes instead. I was just going to use some odd lengths of paracord but wondered if I am missing anything here.

Is the cheap immitation paracord ok, or is there something better out there? How long do people generally leave the guys on a basha? What about the ridge cord? I noticed on a different thread some folks are using 5mm or 6mm light rope...Is that usual? It seems a bit of over kill ...

Regards,

Pete

 

[Squidders]

I have psudo paracord for mine... 4 x 5m lengths of 4mm and 1 x 10m length of 6 (or is it 7)mm and that seems to work fine. I'm not sure of the benefits with the larger cord for the ridge, it was discussed previously with no real resolution.

I will be ordering some bungees soon though because i'm lazy basically. the basic benefit of only using paracord or similar is that you can use it for other things like bow drills or laces or whatever where as bungees can only be used to errr... bungee things together.

My 2p's worth.

Joe

 

[alick]

I like to use climbing accessory cord as it doesn't have any of the uncertainties over quality that you get with paracord. It's always decently made, and strength goes according to diameter. Buy from a climbing shop off the roll. The maker should be one of the same names as on the ropes themselves, beal, mammut, cousin, millet (the proper french firm), edelrid, etc.

Anything 3mm and up is strong enough for a ridge, even tiny 2mm cord will hold 70 kilo's so it's strong enough for tie outs at minimal weight but tends to tangle.

I'm using 550 paracord for the tie outs (I bought the "good stuff" but actually it's nowhere near as good as climbing cord) and a long length of 6mm for the ridge. That's overkill for the basha, but it's rated 750kg minimum breaking and 15 metres is only the size of a malt loaf so it doubles as an emergency cord for river crossings and such like.

 

[Squidders]

my climbing ropes are in nice subdued colours that blend in with the environment... bright orange, blue and pink :yikes:

good idea though, the only thing you have to watch is the outer sheath seperating from the core and bunching up from lots of small knots and abraision. I prefer a cord I know I can't trust because i'll never try it on and have it fail on me.

 

[rapidboy]

I got some blackhawk cord from Joe at ODS and it's pretty nice.
Doesn't tangle easily and has a "quality" feel and look to it that you don't get with the cheap stuff.

I use a British Army Basha and always just tie the cord to the eyelets but i was looking at a few pics of the Australian Hootchi and it was suspended below a ridge line which makes adjustment much better so im going to try mine like that.
I also thought about using a second line inside the tarp to hang kit on like in my Hennessy.
I always set mine up with one side and the ends pegged to the ground to stop the wind whistling through but i see many pics with the basha up off the ground on all sides which looks like the wind chill would make it most unpleasant.
How do you guy's set yours up.

rb

 

[bambodoggy]

I once and once only tried to belay on para cord....it held my partner but it ripped my hands apart.... I'd rather be swept down stream than use it for river crossing again!!!! ):

For my basha...I'm lazy like Squidders and use bungee's!

 

[Squidders]

I've tried mine with the loops at the top but they are oriented wrong for it to work well so I tied little paracord loops along the top. It worked ok I guess but I was unimpressed. On the british ones, there's webbing everywhere that takes ages to dry out and there are what look like huge handles everywhere, I hope they're useful because they tick me right off. Any thoughts?

With regards to the pitching, I tend to have mine from the ground as a single flat sheet as this is the easiest way to pitch it. I agree with the windy bit but I try to pitch in naturally shaded areas.

 

[Squidders]

For my basha...I'm lazy like Squidders and use bungee's!

Hey I said I was about to order them... i'm not lazy yet i'm a wannabe lazy bloke!

 

[rapidboy]

.....they are oriented wrong for it to work well so I tied little paracord loops along the top. It worked ok I guess but I was unimpressed..........there are what look like huge handles everywhere, I hope they're useful because they tick me right off. Any thoughts?

I had thought of using split rings so they would slide easily.
The handles are apparently so it can be used as a stretcher .

rb

 

[Squidders]

A stretcher... d'oh! why didn't I think of that?!?

Split rings sound like a good idea... or the little mini carabiners, they would also work and you could use them for securing stuff while in transit too... I may give that a go.

 

[Neil1]

How do you guy's set yours up.

I,ve just put a picture up of the winter set-up I use with a hammock (theres another in my gallery of a winter ground dwelling set-up too). I use para type cord for the suspension line, but do not attach cord to any other part of the basha, instead I carry six wooden toggles with very thin nylon cord attached to deploy as and where I need. Each toggle has 2.5mtrs of cord attached.This system means no trying to untangle yards of cord in the dark
I know two bashas seems a bit "over-the-top" :roll: but one is used as a heat reflector for my fire I like being toasty.
Neil

 

[bambodoggy]

My deepest apologies Squidders....you aren't lazy yet true....but the thought is there and it's only a doze and a snooze away matey!

Actually, just to be difficult I'm going to say that I'm not lazy to use bungee's, I'm praticle as follows:

1) I can have my basha up and down in less time than you guys spend tying and untying knots (work out how long each knot takes, times it by the number of knots you have on your basha, times that by the numer of times you use your basha in a year and that's how long you waste with knots!)
As eficiency is all in bushcraft my bungee's win ):
2) True you can use cordage for other purposes BUT most of us can make cordage and so don't need to use the paracord. Also while we're using this cord, we have no shelter....if the shelter stays up without that bit of paracord then why is it there? You're just carrying cordarge in the disgise of a guy rope.
3) my bungee's can be pressed into service as a catapult, part of a spring snare, as a binding, the metal hooks used to hold pots over fires or fashioned into fishing hooks (obviously off the rubber). The outer cord can be used for lashings. The rubber makes perfect wet weather fire starters and so the list goes on....
4) I can set up and take down my basha at night without removing my gloves to tie knots.
5) If times get hard I can barter with locals with bungee's which they may not have seen much better than with a bit of green string...."mmmm, shiney stretchy thingy with hooks or manky old bit of green string"? (I'm talking primative peoples here - the lady in the Red Cow just south of the Brecon Beacons was having none of it and I even offered her my most stretchy one !).


They may be a little more heavy and at first sight look more lazy but they are far more useful than just green string!!!!!

Well.....that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

See Squidders, we're not lazy.....but by using bungee's we have time to sit under our basha thinking of excuses for them while we watch the rest struggling to do their knots with cold numb fingers!!!

 

[Adi007]

The only thing I have against bungees is that they can be dangerous if you are pegging them to the ground. Even if you aren't pegging them in under great tension wind can pick up and give them extra power. Having said that, I've used bungees in association with twizelpegs often and I still got both eyes!

 

[jakunen]

Just to add my tuppence worth to Adi's warning...

Pursonally I don't recommend the use of bungees. For various reasons:

1. The can over tension your tarp.
2. If the knot pulls through the hook it can be extremely dangerous (I have a cracked bone in my hand from this happening on a cold winters carp fishing trip a few years ago).
3. On a cheap one the hook can straighten and whip-crack dangerously.
4. trying to tension them with cold hands/gloves/mittens it can be too easily lost from your hand and whip-crack dangerously.

I used to use them all the time for tarps, attaching things to my bike/pack/etc., but had a ceremonial destruction event and destroyed the lot of them.

Your much better getting a set of tarp lines like Gary sells or making up your own. At least that way you know you won't suffer potential loss of eyes, cracked knuckles and the ropes will be long enough.

 

[bambodoggy]

Hey Jakunen, you're TOPS ): I've heard all the horror stories about bungee's pinging off all over the place and taking out eyes left, right and centre but I'd always put it down to being an Urban Legend as it always happened to a mate of a mate etc and I've never known anyone that's had it happen to them! You are my first live specimen...lol...congratulations! :You_Rock_

Can't disagree too much with all your negatives except to say that as with all things you get what you pay for, buy cheap bungee's and they'll break....buy cheap string and it'll snap.

I tend to use twizel pegs with mine too...so I'm either a scaredy lazy boy or I just like shiney new kit.....or both! :shock:

I also have to say that what with axes and knives to play with and odd plants to eat and all the rest of the risk involved in bushcraft while it's something else to be aware of I don't think it's as dangerous as can be made out and it's certainly nothing I worry about.....yes yes, easy to say when I've never known an accident I know.

Think I'll still keep using mine though. Doesn't hurt to have a warning though..thanks all


Oh, and if you see me at the ashdown meet with a pirates eye patch on them I'm wrong....I know I'm worng and I don't need reminding I was wrong!!! :shade: :zip: :sulkoff:

 

[jakunen]

Bamboodogy, erm, thanx, I think...

I only bought good quality ones (generally military spec ones) but had to borrow some off a mate as I lost some of mine, usual story "I know I put them back in here last time...", probably left them in the woods/on the lake bank.

If you like them, by all means carry one using them, just don't expect me to be anywhere near your basha unless I'm wearing my kevlar!):

 

[bambodoggy]

Lol....that sounds fair to me.... so I'll be the one basha'd up and all alone... nothing new there then!

 

[jakunen]

Back to being serious for a second, I've also seen it happen to others several times.

The worst one I had was I had a cadet get his cheek ripped by one. Was rather nasty as it was old one he'd borrowed from his father who did a lot of carp fishing and the rubber/plastic coating on the hook had worn off and the hook was rusty. One inch higher...

The cadet force CO banned the use of them.

 

[bambodoggy]

Fair enough, as I said you're totally right to highlight the possible problems with bungee's.
I'll still use them but to be fair after hearing the horror stories start to circulate a few years back (even though I thought they might be urban legends) I've still been more careful with them.
Even in the TA we were warned about them but not banned so I'd guessed there must be something in it...but as I said you're the first I've actually known it happen to.

 

[jakunen]

In the Terriers (respect for that mate!) or the Regs, you have to assume a certain amount of responsibility for yourself.

When you're dealing with Little Johnny in the school ACF/CCF, and mummy know's the address of the school's governors you have to be a bit more careful.

I'm not ordering everybody to stop using them, if you like them, keep on using them, but personally I don't like them and wouldn't personally recommend using and find cord much safer and useful. But that's just me.

Twang away mate.:rolmao: :rolmao: :rolmao: