my hiking staff/tent support went through the old blue tarp. thankfully, this was just an airing out in my yard. this is the second hole i've put in the thing; may be about time to replace it.




moral of this story is: bring a space blanket, and always have a few feet of gorilla tape handy.

It seems to me that the smaller the end of the support, the more likely it is to cause the problem. Get a tennis ball and cut an X in it, force it over the end of your staff. More area, no corners, light, and could serve as a toy if you're taking the dog!

Sue

good idea.

Looks to me like the tarp would have held up under the same situation when new but over time UV and wear have weakened it. UV is tough on tarps and tents. Cheap nylon can show weakness in a few weeks of summertime exposure. Polyester tends to age more slowly but in time it also fails.

Sometimes the damage is easy to spot as the surface fibers blanch and frizz because they have been weakened but other times the fabric looks good but is ready to fail.

bigger crutch tips?..

I've been using a tarp with hiking staff since forever. Love this arrangement, except when the bugs are bad.

What I've learned (the hard way) is to always, always use a ridgeline. There is no substitute.

On their own, tarps will sag as temperature drops, and as rain falls or wind comes up. The ridgeline keeps the tarp from slumping onto your sleeping bag (bad news, since the underside is pretty damp from condensation).

The ridgeline puts your support just outside the front of the tent, and you can adjust everything in the night without getting up. I always angle the stick/pole a little when setting up, so I can just reach out and move it later to increase tension on the ridgeline.

If you're having a lazy moment and don't want a ridgeline (you'll pay for that later) you can use a cup or canteen from your kitchen to protect the tarp. Though not in bear country.

that's exactly what happened. i'v been using this tarp for a good while now, and it''s spent a few weeks baking in total. for a five dollar tarp it served remarkably well.

An excellent guide to setting up a tarp - including use of a ridgeline - can be found by going to http://www.cookcustomsewing.com , clicking on the Explore CCS link, clicking on the Tundra Tarps link, and then scrolling all the way too the bottom of the page and clicking on the Tundra Tarp Setup link.

The Tundra Tarp by CCS is my own favorite multi-use tarp.

I've used those plastic tarps enough to know that I can't rely on them - they tend to rip and the grommets tend to pull out during storms - when they're needed the most. They are also heavier and harder to pack than their nylon counterparts.

Ken

Did you forget your coffee KenK?
PDF is at the bottom of http://www.cookecustomsewing.com/tundratarp.htm
The direct link is
http://www.cookecustomsewing.com/images/tundratarpsetup.pdf

Since I don't drink coffee my whole life is like that. Sigh.