Welcome, guest [login | register]

Posted by Bill S on October 16, 2006 at 4:25:09 pm EDT
In reply to Best knot for tent guys posted by Blackbeard on October 16, 2006 at 2:06:21 pm EDT

Since there are 2 ends to the guy line, you need 2 different attachments. One end is a more or less fixed loop, while the other should allow adjustment.

There is an ongoing debate whether the adjustable end should be on the tent end or on the tentstake end. I tend to prefer the adjustable end to be the one through the loop on the tent, with the "fixed" loop being the one attaching to the tent stake/deadman/log/boulder/whatever.

You can tie a bowline for the fixed loop, if you want. But you can also tie a figure 8 on a bight, or an overhand loop, or a slip knot, or, two half hitches, or, ... or, ... or, ... whatever gives you a loop.

On the adjustable end, the knot that works best is a tautline hitch. This is basically 2 half hitches with an extra turn. Look in just about any knots book, or in your Boy Scout handbook. Even if you use one of the little "super adjustable plastic/metal thingies" ("thingie" is a technical term, just like "widget" or "thingamabob" or "doohickie", and usually has a very high markup, making for a huge profit for the dealer), the tautline is a good knot to learn. The "thingies" get lost or break easily, leaving you to figure out how to tie some sort of knot. If you don't have some means of adjustment, your tent will never have that nice, taut, perfectly pitched look you see in the ads and magazine articles. Well, no real tent pitched in a real location for a real backpack or campout ever looks as neatly pitched as in the ads.

There are all sorts of "adjustment thingies" available. Basically, all they are is a short (0.5 inch to 1 inch) strip of metal/plastic/wood with two holes in it, one at either end. You thread one end of your guy line through one hole, then through the tent loop (if you want the adjustment at the tent end, as I prefer - if you want it at the stake, skip this step), then back through the other hole. Finish by tying a "stopper" knot of some kind in the end of the guy line. "Stopper" knots include a simple overhand, a "half-fisherman's", capucine knot, "half-double" or "half-triple" fisherman's, or anything that will keep the cord from slipping back through the hole. You can even tie a turk's-head if so inclined.

Point is, you can be as simple or fancy as you want. Simplest is just tie the guyline one end to the tent and the other to the stake or whatever. THERE IS NO, I REPEAT, NO OFFICIAL SANCTIONED WAY OF ATTACHING GUY LINES BETWEEN TENTS AND STAKES! Be stylish, or anti-stylish. Express your inner artistic, free-thinking, non-conformist feelings.

Mostly, stop worrying so much about what's right and wrong in the woods and hills - just get out there and do it!

Replies

View: flat | threaded

• Re: Knotty question! - Blackbeard 19:25:11 10/16/2006
  • Re: Knotty question! - Bill S 21:00:02 10/16/2006
    • Re: Knotty question! - Tom D 00:06:12 10/17/2006
      • Re: Knotty question! - Blackbeard 05:01:10 10/17/2006
        • Re: Knotty question! - Bill S 11:36:50 10/18/2006
• Re: Knotty question! - Chumango 17:16:35 10/16/2006

Post a Reply

Before replying, please read the complete thread.