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Kelty Noahs Tarp Wifely Outfitting

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(and CCS Ridgeline stuff sacks)

I seam sealed the exposed stitching atop the Noahs tarp and got to work on the outfitting challenge. In this case the challenge is trying to rig and outfit a tarp to be as simple and foolproof to erect as possible for someone not good with ropes. Or knots; she does know the truckers hitch, but any other knottage can be a mess.

This tarp needs especially intuitive set up for trips where she may have friends helping her.

For simplicity sake, since she prefers to hang between two trees sans any poles, a SS carabineer at one end of the ridgeline to simply encircle the tree or limb and clip back onto the line. Hopefully using a truckers hitch (instead of 6 granny knots) on the other end to tighten the ridgeline around another tree.

Prussic knots and clips for the end webbing loops at each end of the ridgeline, so that tarp can be slid anywhere along the rope length, clipped and prussic tightened in place.

I would rather not to have used the last loop for the ridgeline, so I could affect some drop on the apex ends for better side windage, but the Noahs tarp does not have as many, or as sturdy ridgeline loops as a CCS Tundra Tarp. I left the loop free for the prussic clip and ran the ridgeline through the end grommet. The beefy plastic clips have a circular pole aperture (under the webbing loop) in case a pole is ever needed.

P6090858 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

Attached hair ties for bundling all of the coiled lines. With the three guy lines that get stuffed inside the Ridgeline sack wrapped & trapped inside the tarp corners, so those lines can not mysteriously tangle together in stuffage.

P6090854 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

(By the way the next tarp I worked on has two triangulated lines on each of 4 corners. Those lines were all carefully coiled the last time I put the tarp away. When I pulled it out of the stuff bag to work on I had a rats nest to tangled line. Black Magic, or stuff bag leprechauns?)

58 feet of closeout 3mm Army Green Glowire for the ridgeline; 24 feet through the ridgeline loops, with 17 foot lengths out each end, which should be enough to span any reasonable tree spacing, even if she has to throw some line over a branch to achieve her max headroom preferences.

Two 15 foot long corner ties, yellow Glowire since those are trippable if staked to the ground. With Lawson Equipment line tightners (also closeouts) instead of taut line hitches (see knots, not). I know she would prefer line tighteners, yet dislikes the ubiquitous little black plastic dookicies for confusion about which of the three holes to pull the line through.

These are at least one-less-hole confusing and kinda hard to screw up.

P6090857 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

Time for the moment of truth, will the 16 x 16 Noahs Tarp fit inside the cordlocked bottom half of a CCS Ridgeline stuff sack?

The answer, if I smushed the living heck out of it, is not quite. Even if it fit that would have left no room in the stuff bag for the auxiliary lines and stakes. But the Noahs tarp stuffs easily in the expanded Ridgeline stuff sack, with room to spare.

P6090860 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

Room to spare was important; I want to have everything she needs stored inside one grab-and-go tarp bag.

There are four unadorned tie downs loops remaining, two on each side. Some (unattached) auxiliary lines, clips and tighteners (no, no knots) might come in handy in the wind. Having four more ten foot lengths of yellow Glowire with tighteners and clips available for those unadorned side ties would not hurt.

P6090862 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

Eh, that is a total of six possible side guys. Needs six stakes. Knowing that she is sometimes camping on hard packed State campground sites, spike stakes. She has a mallet and knows how to use it.

Maybe a stupid question, but why are the heads of those spike stakes green in color. Those things are camouflaged toe stubbbers, even in daylight.

I had the dregs of some orange spray paint. Much better.

P6100865 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

Those stakes and aux lines fit inside a little ditty day, which fits inside the expanded Ridgeline stuff sack.

P6100869 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

I need to do some line replacement on the big Tundra Tarp, but first I want to see how it fits inside a Ridgeline Stuff sack.

It is amazing how much smaller a sil-nylon tarp will pack. Even the 1.9 ounce sil-nylon 12 x 14, with beefier ridgeline and multiple guys fits inside the fully compressed Ridgeline stuff bag. There is a reason Cooke Custom Sewing uses only sil-nylon for Tundra Tarps:

All CCS tarps are now sewn utilizing 1.1 oz or 1.9 oz silicone coated nylon. Sil-nylon is lighter weight yet provides more than twice as much tear strength when compared to 1.9 oz urethane coated nylon.

16 x 16 Noahs Tarp and 12 x 14 Tundra Tarp in Ridgeline bags:

P6100871 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

For home storage the Tundra Tarp can rest less compressed in the expanded bag, and only takes a second to fist to down to the smaller compressed size.

P6100872 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

One last tip:

P6040840 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

(Actually the latest prank on my waitstaff buddies at the diner. The spring lever is disabled, the release arm fixed in place and the bill glued to the trap)
 
I too prefer trees to poles. One more thing (actually two) I don't have to remember to pack. And not forget at the last campsite. And not be concerned with how heavy they are. And breakable.
I've found tying prussics kinda therapeutic. Or maybe I was just needing to zone out and tune in for a period of time, as long as it took to tie two onto my ridgeline.
I scored a yard sale deal of the century last month. My d-i-l was selling all kinds of collectibles (junk) and I spotted a package of black elastic hair ties. A package of 20. I knew exactly what they were for. No. Not hair. Tarp tie outs. Must be nearly a lifetime supply.
That money honey trap looks painfully effective. I was once in a gift shop with family on vacation, when one of the grandkids thought they'd prank their grandad. Holding up a box they asked me to lift the lid to peek inside. A coiled wooden snake rattled and shook it's way out as grandpa dropped an f-bomb in front of the kids. I was made to wait in the car. With guilty comic. I'm not a big fan of horseplay. Too many consequences.
 
I too prefer trees to poles. One more thing (actually two) I don't have to remember to pack. And not forget at the last campsite. And not be concerned with how heavy they are. And breakable.

I prefer a couple well spaced trees for the Tundra Tarp or other flat tarpage. But sometimes there are no trees conveniently spaced for wind direction. Or no trees at all.

The parawing tarps actually go up better with two poles on the high ends. To be their most effective wind-shedding wing shape they set up best and easiest with two poles, at specific height and distance for a prefect parabolas.

I've found tying prussics kinda therapeutic. Or maybe I was just needing to zone out and tune in for a period of time, as long as it took to tie two onto my ridgeline.

I am admittedly not Mr. Knot, but a pruissic is dang easy to tie.

I scored a yard sale deal of the century last month. My d-i-l was selling all kinds of collectibles (junk) and I spotted a package of black elastic hair ties. A package of 20. I knew exactly what they were for. No. Not hair. Tarp tie outs. Must be nearly a lifetime supply.

Hopefully less than $3. Yes, I was back in the hair care aisle of Wally World again. They do come in colors other than black, but with a larks head tightened around the webbing loops they are not going anywhere.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Goody-Ouchless-No-Metal-Black-Elastics-30-count/21811200

That money honey trap looks painfully effective. I'm not a big fan of horseplay. Too many consequences.

That tip trap was disabled and fixed in apparently set position six ways to Sunday. I will not know how it was received until my next visit to the diner, but two of my favorite waitstaff were clued into the trick before I left.

Jeeze I hope there are no consequences, that gentle prank business has been going on for a couple years now, and usually end in the waitstaff and I laughing, which is a wonderful way to occasionally start off my morning.

At this point they look forward to it, and so do I.

http://www.canoetripping.net/forums...g-discussions/general-discussion/78356-pranks
 
Hey, Mike

Where did you get the clips shown in you first picture?

In recent sales I got a pair of the Ketly Noah's tarps in the "old" color when they were about 60% off (one 16' and one 20') and Mountainsmith had their 12' tarp on sale for $27 shipped so I got one of those. All three came with reflective guy-lines and I ordered extra guy lines from Mountainsmith but they should all have more guy lines and none have ridge lines. Surprisingly at the price, all three have taped seams, though.

I just got a 300' spool of orange Bluewater NiteLine 3mm reflective accessory cord so it looks like we'll get rained out on one and maybe two days of this week's camping/hiking trip I'll sit under the camper awning (cheating, I know) and make up new guy lines with mini carabiners for the tarps and new 4mm ridge lines with prusik knots on the tarp loops for adjustment. But I like the look of the clips you show and like the idea of pole holes in them, too.

Thanks and best regards to all.


Lance
 
Where did you get the clips shown in you first picture?

Lordy, asking me where I got some plastic clips? I have a bag of 20 different shape and style plastic clips, cut of dead gear or ordered new.

But, lucky you, I still have a bit of old man memory left. Those are Scotty #590 Snap Hooks, ordered from Top Kayaker.

http://topkayaker.com/index.php?main...oducts_id=1401

Do not order those from Top Kayaker until you have wandered around the site for a bit. Surely you need a few pad eyes

http://topkayaker.com/index.php?main...roducts_id=137

And some bottom grommets for webbing straps.

http://topkayaker.com/index.php?main...roducts_id=898

I just got a 300' spool of orange Bluewater NiteLine 3mm reflective accessory cord

Yeah buddy. When I find a cord or line I like, reflective tracer stuff or floating rescue rope, it is worth buying a 300’ spool. It is amazing how fast quality rope goes when you have it on hand.
 
Thanks, Mike

We just got back from a pretty much rained out trip. Even with a climbing instructor's instructor's discount I cringe at the price of good reflective cord. I got the Niteline on Ebay with a "Make an offer" for $60 delivered. It was dated 2015 and I have no way of knowing what the storage conditions are so I'd never use it for climbing related stuff but at that price I'd have taken a couple more rolls if he had them.

Best regards to all,


Lance
 
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