What length Paracord????

[OutdoorNewbie]

I have just brought my first Tarp ready to set out into the great outdoors. My question is what length of paracord do you have to hang your tarp so that I'm not cutting new lengths everytime I go out.

Regards

Darren

 

[deezee_uk]

Personally, I'm sure people have different preferences, but I hate being too short and tying cord together. So I take a 10m piece for the ridge if I expect the trees to be large and sparse, 7m for pine woodland. For corners I take 2m lengths If I'm having the tarp high or open one side, and 1m if its tight to the deck. Like I said, I'd rather have too much than not enough. Oh I sometimes use bungees if the weather is bad.

 

[litefoot]

I f you intend to string your tarp up between two trees,pick two that are four paces apart,use the para cord you have to do your knots on each tree to get the tarp up and then simply measure how much that adds up to.Leave a bit extra though just in case and then if you must, cut the cord to the length you have just calculated.I have left the cord for my tarp and the line i run under the tarp for hanging bits and bobs from in one piece and carry a bit extra cord for other uses.
Hope that helps.....Litefoot.

 

[ArkAngel]

I use a 10m piece to allow for huge differences where i pitch the tarp (It rarely gets slept under but i use it for a sunshade when out walking, a cover for shooting under in damp weather etc) and the guy lines are 4m long. I use an adjustable slip knot on those then i can adjust the length accordingly.

 

[sxmolloy]

I use the Hootchie Guy Lines from raymears.com under the Sleeping Out section, page 1.

1x7 meters ridgeline (5mm thick) and 4x4 meters for the corners (2mm thick). Some-one on here recommended them to me when I bought my first tarp and I have to say they are good. I always carry 10 meters of paracord anyway (just in case) but very rarely need to use anything than the cords from RM.com.

Best wishes....Stu

 

[addyb]

To be flat out honest I don't really measure. I just go into the garage, grab either the white or green roll of paracord sitting in the corner, unwravel a bunch and then slice it when I think I have enough. So far that method hasn't failed me yet.

Adam

 

[big_swede]

How long is a piece of string?

 

[RobertRogers]

I always carry 50-feet of EXTRA pc. Great stuff.

 

[spamel]

I use a huge ridge line. The benefit would be if I ever wanted to team up and make a group shelter with two or three bashas, they could all go on the one ridge line. I've yet to do this, but I could see it being a useful idea if a parachute canopy wasn't available.

As for guy lines, I use about 4 metres or so. Again, I just grab the spool, pass the line through a full reach 3 or 4 times and then cut. Heat seal the ends, tie onto the tarp, hank them up and stow away. This time at Delamere though, I had to start from scratch as my aussie hootchie has been tidied away by the missus, so it could be in Botswana for all I know!

 

[dwardo]

Good tip is to have your main ridge line a different colour to all of your other lines. This makes setup a little easier and when its throwing it down your not just pulling little bits out of the bag one at a time swearing

I also keep enough paracord for my ridge line so that it can be doubled back on its self under the tarp for my mozzy net.

Hope that helps.....

PS i have a bag full of paracord bit also lol

 

[wanderinstar]

I use blue polypro. rope and fix the tarp (Tatonka) underneath it using the fixings on the tarp and a short piece of paracord and prussic knots. Then just slide tarp to one end of ridge rope, fold and roll up. Then undo one end from tree, wrap round tarp and then wrap rest round tarp while walking up to other tree. then undo that end and tie off.
Hope that makes sense.
Saves looking for right rope. Tarp in top of pack, last thing in, first thing out.

 

[Tengu]

5mm is the standard size cord isnt it?

and the 2mm extra thin.

or do I use ordinary paracord for both ridge and guys???

 

[TheGreenMan]

Regular 550 pound breaking stain would be fine (in most situations) for both the ridge line and guy lines, Tengu.

If you would like to rely on something more definite (Paracord can vary in quality) then use ‘accessory cord’ with known, and highly specified breaking strains. Accesory Cord is measured in Kilonewtons – or kN (http://www.southeastclimbing.com/faq/faq_kilonewton.htm)

Needle Sports stock a good selection of reliable accessory cord: http://www.needlesports.com/acatalog/Cord_&_Tape.html

Best regards,
Paul.