Adding guy-lines to a tent

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I have a Husky Fighter tent - I just got back from the 2nd expedition using it. Despite being pretty strong, it's one main flaw is that because it only has two guy lines it is very hard to tension the fly so it flaps around and deforms to the wind. It wouldn't be cost effective to pay someone to add guy lines to the fly, but in theory I could add guy lines to the crossover points of the poles. Has anyone tried this? 

 wilkie14c 23 Mar 2020
In reply to purplemonkeyelephant:

Use a pebble on the inside of the fly where you want an attachment point and larks foot some cord from the outside over the pebble, easy once you’ve seen it done

 Pedro50 23 Mar 2020
In reply to wilkie14c:

Intrigued but bewildered, please expand 

 wilkie14c 23 Mar 2020
In reply to Pedro50:

you can use a small pebble, a pound coin or anything that sort of size and that doesn’t have sharp edges that may damage the tent fabric. Get you guy cord ready by starting a larks foot, hangman’s noose or similar type of strangulation knot. decide where you want the extra guy fixing point, hold you pebble/coin object against that point on the inside of the tent. With other hand, use your larks foot knot to loop over the object and fabric together from the outside of the tent. keep taught and peg out the other end of the guy. It’s simple once you’ve done it. 

youtube.com/watch?v=UKE8LGHPDkQ&

In my wilder days i’ve bivvyed under a shower curtain tarp, walking poles for the high end and guys using this method

In reply to wilkie14c:

With arctic storm forces I can see that ripping pretty quick.. :/ 

cb294 23 Mar 2020
In reply to purplemonkeyelephant:

The Hilleberg Tarra / Saitaris tents (of which this tent series seems to be a copy) have guy lines fixed to the seams that wrap around the crossover points.

For overall structural stability, simply looping guy lines around the pole crossover points should do the job (maybe around one pole first, then around both to pull the poles together).

Having the guy lines attached to the seams is of course more convenient, and works like an additional fly clip. Don't think that this makes a noticeable difference when comparing the overall stability of these tents.

CB

PS: I have a Tarra, and really like the crossover guy lines. Once these are tightened the tent goes from bomb proof to whatever comes next.

 d_b 23 Mar 2020
In reply to wilkie14c:

You can use a similar trick with a hex and a sling to attach to an anchor through a sleeping bag during precarious bivvies. I don't know anyone who has actually done it though.

In reply to purplemonkeyelephant:

I've used various schemes to join poles together on similar tents, and I've always found it makes an improvement.  I had a look at pictures of the Husky Fighter on the web, and it looks like you could do something with a little easy sewing. I'd do a picture for you, but I'm not sure how to post it here so I'll try to describe it.

At each point where the poles cross, it looks like there are two sleeves.  One continuously sewn to the tent fly, and another that has a "bridge" that crosses the continuous sleeve.

At the point the poles should cross, on the top edge of the continuous sleeve, I'd sew some narrow (say 10-15mm) hook and loop tape (Velcro).  One strip of each, say 10 cm long, sew the first 2-3 cm onto the sleeve, with some secure stitching.  The idea is, once the tent is pitched you can use these to bind the poles together, by wrapping the loop tape a few times around the "bridge" pole sleeve, then wrapping the hook tape on top of the loop tape.

On the inside edge of the bridge tunnel, I'd sew a small loop of narrow tape or webbing (10mm would be ideal).  This needs to be reasonably secure, so you might need to do this a little bit above the narrowest part of the tunnel, so that the tunnel doesn't become too narrow for the pole.

I would then tie the guy line around the bridge pole sleeve, going through the loop of tape.  The idea is that the tape holds the guy line in place, and stops it from slipping down too far, but the guy line is pulling mostly against the pole itself.  By attaching the guy line loop just above the hook and loop connection, the guy line should also rest on the top of the hook and loop tape, and pull just where the two poles are connected.

Sorry if this doesn't make sense - it's a bit hard to describe without a picture.

 chris_r 08 Apr 2020
In reply to wilkie14c:

Thanks for the link. I love it when the guy introduces an Alpine Butterfly as "one of my all-time favorite knots".  I wonder how many months I'll be at home for before I get around to writing up my own list of favourite knots.

 Rick Graham 08 Apr 2020
In reply to chris_r:

> Thanks for the link. I love it when the guy introduces an Alpine Butterfly as "one of my all-time favorite knots".  I wonder how many months I'll be at home for before I get around to writing up my own list of favourite knots.

Bowline ! stopper , fisherman's, overhand, prussik , clove half  Italian hitch.

Tarbuck is so useful for nothing to do with climbing.

In reply to Rick Graham:

Yes, the Tarbuck knot is really good for tent guy ropes.


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