Thought I would post some comments on a few gadgets that I used on my last trip:

DeLorme PN-60w GPS w/ SPOT: this is the DeLorme GPS receiver that comes paired with a SPOT. The benefit of this is that you can send various messages via the SPOT using the GPSr, including type & send text.

The downside of this combo is that the DeLorme user interface is difficult to learn and use, IMO. I did load up the 1:50k Quetico maps from their map library, and they were nice as they matched the 1:50k maps that I use in the Park. I don't use a GPS for navigation, but it's nice to see the same maps on the display. I did send an "OK" type & send message every night, which worked well with 100% success rate. This feature could make a sat phone obsolete, IMO.

Black Diamond Lantern: kind of heavy as it uses AA batteries, but nice to have in the tent or for after-dark dishwashing, and easier than headlamps. I made my trip notes every night under it.

Night Ize Figure 9: I know the knots, but these caught my eye in REI. Slick little gadget for stringing up tarps and such, very easy to adjust tension as needed. I used these to rig up the Lean 3 one night. Kind of like BDBs in that they're cheap, lightweight and useful.

Golf club tubes: thought I would try to protect my rod tips while the rods were bungeed into the canoe. They may have worked, but I thought they were fairly worthless. Seemed like they should be more rigid to really add value.

CCS Lean 3+: finally spent a night in the Lean 3 and thought it was far better than the tent - more space and better air flow. The only downside that I see is that unless you carry poles, you have to be willing to pass up sites if the tree/ground combo is not favorable. And it if were cold, the tent would be much warmer.

Thanks for the reviews, always appreciated.  I have a couple of those Figure-9 dealios and haven't tried them yet.


Ranger wrote on Sep 19^th, 2011 at 11:32pm:

CCS Lean 3+: finally spent a night in the Lean 3 and thought it was far better than the tent - more space and better air flow. The only downside that I see is that unless you carry poles, you have to be willing to pass up sites if the tree/ground combo is not favorable. And it if were cold, the tent would be much warmer.

I often hear this mentioned with respect to tarp shelters and wonder.  It has been 5+ years since I tripped with a tent.  Never had a problem when there aren't any trees close by.  It might cost me a 6' - 8' length of potential firewood, but poles are plentiful.
I hate using paddles as poles unless it's only for one night and I'm not going out in the canoe after shelter's up.

Thanks Ranger for pointing out those Figure 9 rope tightners, they look like a quick and easy solution to running a tarp line.  I'm into my knots but fast and easy is the goal and these look like they might actually be an improvement on a trucker's hitch.  Has that been your experience?  I went into their site and noticed a product they call "Cam Jam" which I might try as a way to tie down my tarp.  Sometimes these clever little gadgets turn out to be more of a pain in the ash than a help but then sometimes they really do what they say they will.

I had not seen the cam jam before - very interesting.

I've used the figure 9 for a couple years now on my tarp, a Crazy Creek sil-nylon (very nice) and find they make tensioning the tarp immensely easy.  They are very easy to move up and down the rope too, if your tie off is closer or farther then the last one and much quicker than moving a trucker's hitch.  When you tension, run the free end over the hook so it hangs straight down - less likely to come undone due to a breeze or gravity.  I also like to add a quick slip know to help prevent that.  Hardest problem - teaching others that are unfamiliar, the right way to use them when they give you a funny look!

These are all very clever gadgets.
The only draw back I can see is that handy as they maybe, there adding to the " weight" issue most of us struggle with. A few ounces here or there adds up faster than you think. I have at least 6 tie down points on my Dry-Fly that I use a Trucker Hitch on. Bigger fly's or multiple fly's would requirie more gadgets adding more weight. Even if you like these type gadgets, I would highly recommend you learn the Trucker hitch if you don't alrady know it. Sooner or later you'll lose one or more of these items and you want to be able to go old school if you need too. ;)
I'm pretty handy/satisfied with the Trucker's hitch and for me, the extra weight isn't worth the conveience these little gadgets bring.
But each to their own and if you don't mind lugging it, then have at it ;D

Don't you guys use the same (2 or 3 hole type) line tensioners that normally come with tents on your flys? Tiny, light, simple, effective ...? That figure 9 thing looks like an awful complicated solution.

I once ripped my fly by cranking a trucker's hitch too hard. I had another thingy that came with a tent and works on the same principle as the stone and knot trick to replace that tie point but I swear I sat there for a half hour figuring out how the heck to work it. This figure 9 thing looks way more complicated than that. Cool gadgets on that site but I just don't see the need for a lot of them beyond cool gadget status.

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Don't you guys use the same (2 or 3 hole type) line tensioner that normally come with tents on your flys? Tiny, light, simple, effective ...? That figure 9 thing looks like an awful complicated solution.

I used them for a long time, but I found that for the way I store my tent fly/ Dri-Fly tarp, they ended up tangling so bad I was always untangling them.
I don't roll/fold my fly like some do, I just stuff it in it's sack. For my style, I found that plain guy-lines with the ends sealed worked best for me with a Truckers Hitch.
Yes, you need to exercise some restraint when using it. Doesn't take much to get a lot of tension on a line. I get it snug but allow for a little line stretch under load.

I move the tensioners all the way back to the fly before folding/rolling. Before it goes in the bag, the four corners are together and those cords are like 8' long or so. I just wrap them around the bundle like a chalk line on a stick. I know it seems like they should tangle but they really don't unless there are those little velcro type twigs involved.

Do you guys take your lines off and wrap them individually or what?

I use knots to tension things.  No tent, so nothing I have comes with those 3-hole dealies.  Tools are neat, but I tend to view each as more weight than value.  Knots work for me & are tools that go anywhere I go.

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Do you guys take your lines off and wrap them individually or what?

No, I just untie the Trucker Hitches and start stuffing tarp/fly into bag. When I pull it out, the lines might be intertwined a bit, but a gentle shake seems to separate them nicely.
I'm trying to gradually get rid of items that get lost/broken or that I can use something I already have ( rope/guy lines) to do the same thing.
One of the best things about QJ is the different ways people do things and the clever ideas they come up with.
I'm always experimenting, looking for the " perfect" gear selection ;D
Problem is there's NO such thing :-?

We're sort of talking about solving two different "problems."  The first, at least for me, is the best way to get my tarp guy line up and tensioned.  For that I have typically used a sliding hitch/taut-line hitch at one end and a trucker's hitch at the other.  Then, when I get the tarp on the line, I use a prussic at each end of the tarp (which I leave attached to the line) to keep it taut and aligned.  But at barely an ounze I figure I'll replace the trucker's hitch with one of those figure 9's and see if it makes things easier and faster or just adds one more thing to carry. 
The second problem is a system of tying the tarp down.  I have the same problem as Solo T which is getting all those damn lines in a tangle.  I use an Integral Designs Sil Tarp (which I love) and just stuff it back into it's bag, lines and all, when I'm done.  So the lines and tensioners just get into an unholy mess of tangles when its time to set it up again.  But I'll definitely give your idea a try, db, and see if that helps.

Despite my namesake (Master-tangler) I actually hate tangles and have low tolerance for them. The last thing I need on a trip is any hassles. I just want to grab the lines and uncoil them bada-bing.

In the interests of credit to whom credit is due, I learned this from Cliff Jacobson and it works like a charm. I believe he said it is how the Navy handles ropes (lines). Larger lines like my ridgeline I coil around from palm to elbow (much like your extension cord). Smaller lines like paracord I have in 10' or 20' sections and loop them around my palm.

Now you have a coil. Leave about 10" or so loose and wrap it around several times. Then slide the tag end through the hole you have made and slide the wraps upward to lock in place. Quick and easily accomplished and all stays together without tangles. All my lines go into a small stuff sack without tangling.

The following vid is the general idea. I omit the last step on the vid and instead just pop the tag end through the hole and slide the loops up to lock in place. The trick is to not get the loops so tight that they won't slide up. Seems to work just fine.
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Um, yah MT, what you're doing there is fine.  I do the same with unattached lines but what I'm talking about and I think what Solo T is talking about are the tie down lines running off the tarp.  In my case I've got 8 and I don't have the time or patience to untie them from the tarp and coil them separately each time.  For that matter I'm not going to coil and tie them on the tarp each and every time I take it down, it's just too big a pain in the ass. 

Yup Kerry, that is exactly what I'm talking about.
I have that many and like you I'm not going to take the time either.
When I take my tarp down ( Dri-Fly), I lay it flat on the ground and just let the guy lines fall loosely where there tied off.
I just start at one corner and stuff in bag.
Since I eliminated the 2-3 hole tensioner and any other things that tend to grab/snag, I've found that once I open the tarp out to hang, the lines don't seem to tangle as bad, if at all.

I set my tarp up so I can rig it even in heavy winds. Check my " clip" system out in my QJ picture gallery. If you've never strung a tarp solo in wind/rain, you don't know what your missing ;D

Kerry wrote on Sep 23^rd, 2011 at 1:07am:

Um, yah MT, what you're doing there is fine.  I do the same with unattached lines but what I'm talking about and I think what Solo T is talking about are the tie down lines running off the tarp.  In my case I've got 8 and I don't have the time or patience to untie them from the tarp and coil them separately each time.  For that matter I'm not going to coil and tie them on the tarp each and every time I take it down, it's just too big a pain in the ass.

To each there own I suppose........what sounds like a major pain in the rear to me is stuffing 8 lines (or even 4 for that matter) attached to a tarp in a bag and hoping they are not a tangled mess when I get it out. Plus it seems like there could be a major potential for complications if the wind is up with theses lines flippin and floppin around. No thanks, with quick release knots I can have my tarp down in a flash, no tools needed, no patience required. 

Corner lines are effectively permanent, any point that's always tied off deserves a permanent line.  Everything else is usually added as needed for the conditions.  Sometimes a centerpoint line, sometimes a ridge line, sometimes a center pole.  Once the main set is up there's time for tweaking.

I don't like tangles.  With my tarps being my only shelter I like to be able to quickly set them up in a downpour. 

For my guy-lines I use something similar to a very small butterfly coil starting from one end of the rope.  Left hand is the jig held in a Hang 10 sign.    (You need to Login or Register   (You need to Login or Register  Cord goes around thumb & pinky crossing itself in between.  Then that mass of figure-8s is folded and wrapped with the last 12" of cord.  When it's time to pitch the tarp just grab a fist of cord and walk away paying out line as needed.

A big fan of the 3m reflective cord.  They used to make it red, now it's black & less visible in the day than it is at night with a light on it.  It should be hot pink, hunting vest orange, fireman yellow.

Most all my lines are butterfly-coiled.  That's just how I learned.  It keeps twists out of the rope.

When someone has a signature of  "I'd rather be looking at rope than looking for rope."  and they're talking about rope, I'm listening.   ;)

I have more like 12-16 ropes hanging off my tarp.  I cut them to about 5 foot lengths and tie onto the tarp loops where they generally stay unless I need to move one or double them up for length.  When storing I just double each up a few times until they are about 8 inches long and tie the group in an overhand or slip knot to hold.  Then either fold or stuff the tarp into its bag.  I have the center of the tarp already tied to a main rope, about 50 feet long, which is also stuffed in when storing.  When I take it out I can tie one free end of the main rope to a tree and find the other end to tie to a tree opposite the first.  When the rope is stretched the tarp center line is already secured and is easy to control even if it is windy and fast since I already have the tarp on the main rope as it comes out of the bag.

BTW, Ranger...is that a Eureka Apex 2XT tent you use?  I have been eyeing that model up and wonder how you like it.

intrepid_camper wrote on Sep 24^th, 2011 at 4:03pm:

BTW, Ranger...is that a Eureka Apex 2XT tent you use?  I have been eyeing that model up and wonder how you like it.

I have the Apex 3XT model. I've had it for ~10 years and we love it. In Montana in 2005 we endured a severe 15-hour storm with heavy wind and rains (we still talk about this storm). In Quetico in 2007 it rained most of every single day. Plus a few bad storms in the Rockies, and it's never let in a drop of water. There are lighter options out there, but it's been bombproof for us. Only minor complaint: the pole sections are a little bit longer than my Duluth Pack, so I have to pack it on top under the flap.

Ranger

Man!  I must be doing something wrong because it's so much easier and simpler than anything described in this thread. 

BillConner wrote on Sep 27^th, 2011 at 2:37am:

Man!  I must be doing something wrong because it's so much easier and simpler than anything described in this thread.

Not sure what you mean.  The device is easier & simpler to use than learning the skill the device replaces or vice-versa?

I mean my rigging a tarp - rope between two trees with half hitches, toss tarp over on a diagonal - and guy out two lines to a tree or root or log - usually with half hitches.  3 pieces of rope and a few minutes and no skills I didn't learn 50 years ago in Scouts.

I must be doing it wrong.

Heh, yep!  It can be as easy or as complicated as you want to make it.

I enjoy tarpentry.  Futzing with lines, getting everything as tight as I can make it is campsite fun for me.  Since my tarp is my shelter (tents - bah!) it's very important that the tarp be solid for the conditions with options to quickly 'baton down' should a storm brew.  I have made the mistake and had the wind switch, last time on Batch!

Your method works great for setting up around the fire/kitchen area, not so great for a sleeping shelter.  Water travels down your ridge line.

BillConner wrote on Sep 27^th, 2011 at 6:01pm:

I mean my rigging a tarp - rope between two trees with half hitches, toss tarp over on a diagonal - and guy out two lines to a tree or root or log - usually with half hitches.  3 pieces of rope and a few minutes and no skills I didn't learn 50 years ago in Scouts. I must be doing it wrong.

Unless it's failed you when you need it, your doing it YOUR way, not necessarily the wrong way ;)
What works for one might be a pain for others.
I've learned a lot here from hearing how others do things. Sometimes they're things I already tried and rejected but often they make me slap my head and say " DUH" ;D
Everyone has they're individual style in how they do things.
Unless your dissatisfied then your way is the right way for you 8-)

I also enjoy tarpentry.  I have tie outs along the ridgeline on the "up" side of the tarp and that is what I tie to my main rope.  Then the tarp is hanging down from, not over, the ridge rope.  If you drape it over the ridge rope, you can stop the leak that comes with water running down the ridge line by tieing a bit of rag or rope ON the ridge rope, outside of the tarp or just under the edge.  When the water runs down the rope it is stopped at the rag/rope and drips off instead.

Excellent point / tip IC.
I also might suggest that if you tie your canoe on top of your car and secure the middle by passing a rope/strap thru car window that doing this will eliminate water seeping along rope/strap when it rains and dripping inside your car.
Tie on both sides of window and you'll eliminate this potential problem.

It's true I only use tarp for cooking.  Worse, I'm being lead into a fate trap because in about 90 days in the Q over 10 years, it rained a little on 2 or 3 days and a lot on just one.  I don't count a few night time sprinkles.  I'm pretty sure I've been very lucky. 

BillConner wrote on Sep 28^th, 2011 at 1:48am:

It's true I only use tarp for cooking.  Worse, I'm being lead into a fate trap because in about 90 days in the Q over 10 years, it rained a little on 2 or 3 days and a lot on just one.  I don't count a few night time sprinkles.  I'm pretty sure I've been very lucky.

Wow that is lucky!  I need to go tripping with you, sneak some of that luck.

Neat trick ST.  I've tried the drip-line on tarp & hammock sets, mixed results, takes care for much but not all drips.

Here's a car-topping trick.  If you use webbing straps and get tired of the hum of the wind put a 1/2 twist in the webbing.

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Here's a car-topping trick.  If you use webbing straps and get tired of the hum of the wind put a 1/2 twist in the webbing

That little trick works with rope as well. I noticed a distinct hum coming from bow/stern tie down ropes. I read somewhere ( maybe here?) that a twist in rope would solve that.
From my experience it works.

I've done the twist thing with web straps and it works great.  And..ST...Duh!  Why didn't I think of that on my last return drive??? I got a soaked left shoulder from my car top strap dripping on me as I drove through rain.  :-[

I think every one of you should include a picture(s) of your set-up(s).

We could vote on prettiest, most artistic, simplest, best rigging in the pirate tradition etc.

(well, actually, so I could learn from 'em ....)

-- kypaddler

Recent set-up of the new rasberry tarp on my September solo.

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Photo #2:  August trip to Brule, I was still carrying 100 feet of rope  :o ...handy 'cuz you can string up places to hang the sides as well as the center ridge.

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Photo#3:  One of my more creative set-ups...note unique weights (firewood, rock) hung from sky hooks  ;D

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I see your doing the tarp over tent set-up at least in the one pic.
As you know I really like that set-up, especially while solo.
Stepping out of your tent in a rain or packing up in same is a lot easier.

That tent is a Sierra Meteor Light which I got off E-bay for $35.00...it was inexpensive because it did not have a rain fly.  I replaced one full wall with a mosquito screen window and put a zipper on it and the nylon wall so I can still zip up the wall in cooler weather.  Then I made a cover for it that works well and adds a little camoflage when I might not be camping exactly where I am supposed to be  ::)  The tent's original design had quite a bit of mosquito screen in the body, across the top and down the corners to the floor, and with just a tarp the wind can blow rain in underneath. 

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;)  I like the little Stealth Cover.
Better watch it though, you never know who might be watching here :o
Next time you cross the border they might have a picture of you and your Stealth tent on the do-not-let in list ;D

IC
That color of tent cover looks familiar.
MagicPaddler

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The above is a pretty typical set up for me when I'm out tandem with my wife, which accounts for the lion's share of my trips.  That's a 12x10 Siltarp which is super strong and light and stuffs down into a ridiculously small bag. 
But the set up below is a little different.  The rainbow can be stuffed into a sack the size of my fist and weighs next to nothing.  I used a trucker's hitch to secure it to the tree, a taut line hitch at the bottom to hold it taut and voila! You'd swear it was the real thing.
[IMG]http://i1195.photobucket.com/albums/aa383/PsychoG/2011_09050165.jpg[/img]

I only set it up when needed, usually using the same basic setup. Always a ridgeline or two and when possable, one end or at least a corner over the fire. I can always use my foodpack for seating if wind direction is screwing up the log seating. Having as much walking around without rubbing area near the fire as possible is the goal though it can get lower over the seating quickly if there's more than just me and it's nasty out:
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Notice the nearest middle cord is staked in this photo. Normally there'd be a prussic on the ridgeline, a side rope or tree but it was raining enough I needed better drainage. I'll do stuff like that at night before hitting the sack or anytime I leave camp. Usually all it takes is lowering one rope to get a good pitch on all surfaces to be sure water won't puddle when I'm not around to poke at it.

I don't recall a problem with dripping from the ridgeline but I don't hang anything to dry from it either. It will wick and get saturated. Drying things in the rain doesn't work very well for me without body heat anyway.


If it's really windy I just go in the woods and use the stove:
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White or brightly colored cordage to replace my dark cordage is on my to-do list. Has been since I bought that fly. I thought reflective would be worth the price but last trip, I noticed it's only reflective if the light is near eye level. My tent looks like a freaken airport with lamp on head but when holding the lamp at my side there's no apparent reflectivity to it at all.

The prettiest award goes to IC no doubt. Raspberry? Could be my monitor but who's gonna beat that frilly Hollywood pink at it's pooffiest possible state?  :D

I knew it would be a "stand out" color; I had no idea...paddled away from camp one day and was shocked to see how it stood out from a mile or two away  :o  You should see it glow when the sun hits it  ;D
Here is one I just made for a fellow who wanted his to stand out...it is 19 x 23 feet...Wenonah Rider size and still weighs less than 3 lbs in its stuff sack  8-)

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