Thanks so much for the kind words! I'm glad you enjoyed the video :)

Hey Marko! Thanks for the comment! Yeah, I'm lucky to be able to go out and mess around with gear in the woods be able to share it with other people. It's so enjoyable.

Thanks so much for the comment! I'm glad you found it useful.

Look up some tutorials on the taut-line hitch. That is one that is generally used exclusively for guy-outs and stakes as it makes adjusting them much simpler than undoing the entire knot. The truckers hitch is also invaluable and i use it for clothes lines and ridge lines for my tarp and tents. Knots are fun!

@@maxenra Hey Matthew! Thanks so much for chiming in here. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of the taught line hitch, having tried it both ways. The cons of the taught line for me are: 1. Less precise tension, especially on non-stretch fabrics like DCF 2. No 2:1 mechanical advantage 3. You can only adjust to ~1/2 the length of your guyline (where the knot hits your the tieout on the tarp) before you need to retie 4. Difficult to use when the line is icy Thanks again and have a great weekend!

For something like this, as long as you can do any kind of knot that won't give out under stress/wind, you'll be fine. Barring something where your life is literally in your hands like climbing or rescue, knowing different knots just makes your experience easier - faster to undo, make adjustments, more versatile, etc. As Tim said in the video, practice them a bunch at home until you can do them without thinking (teach them to someone else). Or barring that, if you find you just have a mental block, there are all kinds of small tools that can do most of the same functions for albeit for a few extra grams or ounces - the LiteOutdoors Ultralight tensioner, the Nite-Ize Figure 9 to name a couple. Heck, you can 3D print several of them if you have or know someone with a printer. But do learn the bowline no matter the direction you take. edit: Zpacks uses a variation of those tensioners on several products, including the tarp, but I don't see many people using them that way. Mostly I see people do something similar to here where they make their own tensioning knot for the same reasons Tim outlined in the video, but they're built to the tarp.

Thanks for the kind words! I'm so glad that you found it helpful. I appreciate you!

Glad it was helpful!

I came here just to make a similar joke 😂

Lol! I'm beginning to think my channel would get more traction if I made more suggestive thumbnails.

@@timbschwartz Being alone in the woods turns me into a prepubescent 13 year old.

@@Jimmy2Bits Happens to the best of us, my friend!

Alas, at my stage of the journey, my head making a suggestion 🙏 and the body replying with "you want to do what?" 😳. Not always though .. fortunately. Weeds are still at risk ..😏.

Thanks so much, Mat! Really been enjoying your channel, as well.

@@timbschwartz I’m glad you’ve been enjoying my channel too. Thanks for checking it out! I appreciate it.

Vc❤❤❤c❤❤c❤c❤❤❤❤❤❤cc❤❤❤❤ V

Thanks so much for watching! Yeah the main reason I prefer the truckers' hitch is that I find it faster to tie if I want to make the lines super short or whatever. I also really like how tight I can get the whole shelter with them, but it's totally personal preference and to each their own. The larkshead works really well for that application! I appreciate the kind words!

Hey Scott! Thanks for the comment! Having used both, I prefer a trucker's hitch for all tie out points. The cons of the taught line for me are: 1. Less precise tension, especially on non-stretch fabrics like DCF 2. No 2:1 mechanical advantage 3. You can only adjust to ~1/2 the length of your guyline (where the knot hits your the tieout on the tarp) before you need to retie 4. Difficult to use when the line is icy Thanks again for the feedback and have a great weekend!

Thanks for the comment! Tarp camping is amazing, and I'm glad you enjoyed the video! The addition of a bug bivy can be crucial depending on conditions - good thinking.

Thanks so much for the kind words, Joel! Lots more videos on the way.

Thanks so much for the kind words, Craig! Glad you enjoyed it!

Thanks for the kind words!

I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Mark!

Thanks for the comment! Haven't tried using elastic, but it's interesting to think about.

Thanks for watching, Carl! Just looked up the Siberian hitch - will need to give that a shot at some point.

Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Thanks for the comment, Roman! First I'm hearing about this but I just watched a video explaining how it works. I'll give it a whirl!

@@timbschwartz Two loops thru the truckers hitch 💪This works the best for me.

So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the kind words!

Thanks for the kind words, Mark!

I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the comment :)

Thanks so much for the kind words! I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Thanks for the comment! So glad you found it helpful!

Hey Jessica! I'm glad it helped! I had you in mind when I went through the knots. Yeah the woods are particularly nice this time of year :)

@@timbschwartz Thank you! This is extremely helpful to me and perfectly filmed. I can see everything you're doing. Much appreciated! I will be using these knots for sure. I'm so glad your channel came up.

Gotta love the Andrew Skurka tips!

Thanks so much, John! Yep, I learned from that same Skurka video many years ago, than added my own flavor over time. That dude is a legend! Been considering going on one of his guided trips.

So glad you enjoyed it, and thank you for the feedback!

Thanks for the kind words, Chris!

Thanks! Yeah I looove being under a tarp.

Thanks for the comment, Eric! Glad you found it useful!

Hey Zac! Thanks for the kind words. Glad you enjoyed it!

Thanks for the tip! I normally do it handle down so they don't sink too far into the ground, since it's always so wet here.

You're very welcome! Thank you for the kind words!

Thank you so much!

Thanks so much for the kind words, Andrew!

@@timbschwartz You're welcome!

Thanks so much, JD! That means a lot. You as well, my friend!

Thanks for the comment! Glad you found it helpful.

Thanks so much for the kind words!

Thanks so much for the kind words, Adrian! Northumberland looks beautiful as well.

Thanks for the kind words, Matthew! I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Thanks for the kind words! I'm so glad it helped you out.

So glad you enjoyed it, Debbi! I completely agree with you - practice makes perfect!

..Learn how to tie a taut-line hitch for the stake end ,, can be tightened if winds and stretch loosen the lines ...

@@rockytopwrangler2069 My NEMO tents have adjustable straps but this is a good knot to know how to tie if the straps break and I need to improvise. Thanks for the tip! One of my favorites is just a plain square knot and for adjustable lines, I use the fisherman's knot (for my EDC neck knife). 😁

Glad you liked it, Dave! Thanks for the comment.

Thanks so much for watching! I'm glad you enjoyed it :)

Thank you so much!

Thanks so much for the comment! I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Thanks so much, Will! I'm glad you liked it. Have a great week!

Thanks so much! I really appreciate you saying so, and I'm glad you enjoy it. And thanks also for the sub - so happy to have you along for the ride!

Thanks so much for the comment! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Thanks for watching! I've always liked the concept of a mid, but I've found that I need to size up with a traditional mid here in the PNW since its so wet and I don't want to be bumping the walls. I've recently started using a Zpacks plex solo, which is not quite a mid, but similar concept with the single pole design. Sounds like you have a good system for breaking up the weight! All that matters is that you're having a good time. For what its worth, I'm a huge fan of the full sized groundhogs when holding power is a concern.

Hey Timothy! Thanks for the comment. I haven't used elastic on my tieouts but have heard of folks using them to keep silnylon shelters from sagging. My concern with using them with the configurations in the video would be that the additional stretch introduced by the elastic would be enough to take tension off of the trekking pole and have it kick out, bringing the whole shelter down with it. I've found that using natural anchors (roots, trees, etc.) plus the knot system I go through results in a pretty bomber setup. That said, I'm always open to new ways of doing things. Let me know if it works for you!

Thanks for the comment, Andy! Just subscribed to your channel - really like what you're making over there. Interesting - would need to play around with that a bit.

@@timbschwartz That's awesome, thanks for checking out my channel. I've been trying to make better quality videos with quality editing, camera, audio + good content. The clove hitch is honestly one of my favorite knots. I use it often rock climbing but also when setting up my tarp. I used the hitch when I biked the Colorado last summer with the HMG tarp. There's so many good knots out there so to each their own right.

@@AndyOnTheMountain Sure thing, man! Yeah totally agree - everyone has their favorite knot haha.

Thank you so much, Melanie! I'm glad you enjoyed it :)

Thanks for watching! Great point - it is similar, although a clove hitch should be a bit easier to untie. I admit though I haven't really messed around with the constrictor knot. I've always wanted to try a configuration with a floor! I feel like I'd shred my thin DCF tarp doing it, so I'd need to get something a bit more durable.

Thanks for the comment and kind words! I'm glad you found it useful, and I appreciate your feedback on the music.

Thank you for watching, Justin!

I'm slow glad you enjoyed it! That's a great tip for being able to practice knots on the go, so thanks so much for the comment. Enjoy the rest of your week!

@@timbschwartz 👍

Thanks so much, Cord! I'm glad it helped you out.

Thanks for the kind words! Yeah I love a good tarp setup as well - best way, to camp in my opinion!

Glad you enjoyed it! I can see the positives of the taut-line and keeping things pre-assembled, but at this point its muscle memory haha. I agree! I'd love to do a modified lean-to like you describe, but my tarp doesn't have mid tie outs on the shorter sides, so I'd need to do a long lean-to, which always seemed a bit wonky to me since you can't tuck into the sheltered end if the weather turns. It's one of a couple minor quirks out this tarp that I think could be improved. Thanks for commenting and watching!

I feel your pain! It took me a few tarps to figure this out you cannot have too many perimeter loops and pull outs on the tarp. Since tarp pitching is all about versatility - you would think manufacturers would get it. Some don't. It doesn't weigh that much more and make the tarp infinitely more flexible and useful. Keep up the good work!@@timbschwartz

Thanks for comment and help with time-stamping, Tony! For anyone else that would like to skip around: 0:36 Required Gear 2:22 Knot Tutorial 4:03 Site Selection 7:55 Tarp Setup / Lean - To 10:00 A Frame Have a good one!

@@timbschwartz I must say, I respect the classy reply to my snarky comment. Shamefully, I am a product of these new KZfaq shorts where I get the idea in 30 seconds or less. It’s made me impatient and that is a step backwards for me in character development. Thanks for taking the high road when I clearly took the low one. I forget sometimes, there is a real person behind these videos and you took the time to produce quality bushcrafting content that teaches a nearly forgotten skill set. My apologies. 🔥

Don't sweat it, my friend! The comments help me improve. I really appreciate the follow up, though!

Thanks so much, James!

Love me some TOGR!

Hey! Thanks for the comment. Totally! That's actually something that I do when I'm out fairly often depending on how close I put the sides to the ground. The issue that I run into when making tutorials like these is that if I include lots of different options for how to do things, it can be a bit confusing for people who are learning this stuff for the first time. I completely agree, though!

Actually, I think I misunderstood as I'm reading this again - I originally though you meant feeding the standing end through the bowline loop instead of a slip loop for the truckers hitch. Do you mean creating the bowline then essentially using the loop as a larkshead to attach it to the tarp? If so I actually use to have them on my tarp like that, but I found them difficult to remove in the cold/wet if I needed to reposition lines, which is why I opted for the bowline with a slip loop. Everyone's different, though!

@@timbschwartz Your original thought was correct: I throw the standing end through the bowline creating a larkshead. I find them easy to move around of needed and I remove them each morning. Sometimes I just use a fir cone as a pin in the bowline against the tarp loop, but that gets into too many details for people just learning about tarps, along with rarely carrying stakes in woodlands since every stick on the ground is a potential stake haha

@@timbschwartz PS Hope I run into you sometime on the Mt Hood or the GP.

@@memathews Ahh gotcha. Yeah it may be an issue of line thickness - I tend to find myself picking at it quite a bit with my nails to get the larkshead apart. I like the fir cone idea! I'll need to take a crack at that.

Thanks for the comment! I put together a short on this topic: kzfaq.infoeddu4NQfyps The main point is that I'm often changing how I set up my tarp, which requires re-tying the knots on the lines. I find the truckers' hitch to be faster to tie and tighten than a taught line. If I were to always set it up in an a-frame, for example, I'd probably use them more often. Totally agree with you on knots! It's a dying art haha.

Thanks for the comment, Michael! I appreciate the feedback. Would love to do a follow up on this video at some point with more creative setups. It's more about making it all fit in a video that isn't 40 min long. Are there any other specific setups that you'd like to see one day?

Hey James! Thanks for commenting. Not sure which knot you mean - looks like it got deleted from your reply.

@@timbschwartz deleted? weird.

The perfection loop is often used in fishing to form a loop at the end of the line for attachment of something else such as another line rigged to a bait, for example. As James noted, the end of the line stands clear of the loop you formed. I’m not sure it is as easily undone as the one you demonstrated but if you want your loop to be more or less permanent then that aspect of the perfection loop vs your choice makes little difference.

Hey James! I Haven't tried it. Thanks for the tip!

@@wanttogo1958 It's about as easy as loosening a prussic/prusik/prussick knot. (I dont know how to spell)

Thanks for the kind words! Yeah, it has no stretch (in the practical sense.) I've never made a tarp tent with it as I like to keep things open for the sake of managing condensation, but I've seen folks do it and it seems to work fine. The nice thing about it - from what I've seen in other videos - is that the lack of stretch means that you don't have to worry about permanently stretching out the material in a weird spot, which apparently can be an issue with materials like Silnylon. Again, just what I've seen but I don't have any real world experience with that configuration.

Hey Billy! Thanks for the comment. You've sort of nailed it here - I tend to sleep a bit on the cooler side so I sometimes struggle with the breeze stealing warmth from my sleep system, and with new tent fabrics you can get something that's roughly the same weight as a tarp + bivy that's a true 4 sided shelter. You can still end up lighter with the tarp and bivy combo, but the difference is pretty negligible in terms of weight. The real question to ask is, would you rather a tent with a set footprint, or do you want the ability to plop down wherever and versatility to ditch the overhead protection on clear nights? If that doesn't matter much to you and you're just trying to save weight, then a lightweight tent like a Plexamid may be a better option, although a sil tarp and bivy would come in at about half the price. Hope that helps - its really more a matter of personal preference than anything else.

Hey! Mine actually came like that, before they put linelocs on them. I suppose you could clip them if you were so inclined.

Hi Petra! Thanks for the comment, and glad you found it useful! Tick bites are serious business - it's not a huge issue where I live but if its a concern for you you could pair your tarp up with a lightweight bivy like those from Borah Gear or Mountain Laurel designs, or at the very least use some sort of bathtub floor to make it a bit harder for the them to get to you. You could also give your gear a good blast with permethrin to keep them at bay.

@@timbschwartz Thanks a lot for the suggestions! I will definitely consider them, as there are a lot of ticks in the area where I live. So thanks again!

Hi Miguel! Thanks for the suggestion! Having used both, I'm personally not a huge fan of the taught line hitch. The cons for me are: 1. Less precise tension, especially on non-stretch fabrics like DCF 2. No 2:1 mechanical advantage 3. You can only adjust to ~1/2 the length of your guyline (where the knot hits your the tieout on the tarp) before you need to retie 4. Difficult to use when the line is icy Have a good one!

@@timbschwartz I've had good results with the taut-line hitch, but it's true that I haven't used it much and not in the conditions you're describing. So I will take into account what you have said. Thanks for responding. Regards!

Hey Neda! Thanks for the comment. I haven't used the HMG tarp, but I'm pretty familiar with it. A few things to consider: Yes, the HMG is $50 more expensive for the equivalent size (8x10 HMG vs 8.5x10 ZPacks), but it's .8oz DCF as opposed to .5oz so you'll see a significant increase in overall durability. The .5oz DCF of the ZPacks tarp is a bit like sleeping under tissue paper. Also, like you said the HMG has a bunch more tie outs which could be helpful depending on how creative you like to get with your pitches. To me, the extra $50 here seems reasonable given the more robust materials and more elaborate construction. Keep in mind though this will add to the overall bulk of the shelter in your pack. As far as the tieouts go, I do sometimes wish that I had a tieout somewhere on the ridgeline so that I could more easily raise the foot end of a low A frame. Also, additional tieouts on the short end would be handy to get a peak on a lean-to. With the former, you could buy come stick on webbing loops and it would work, but they'd probably come off at some point. If you aren't married to the idea of DCF, you could think about hitting up Jared at Simply Light Designs and having something made to your exact specifications out of silnylon or silpoly for significantly less money. Hope this helps

@@timbschwartz Thanks so much for the info. I have no clue if tarp camping is for me but I love the idea of taking it in addition to the tent. I'm a bit obsessed with rain of late. I love the idea of an instant shelter to just get out of the rain....and maybe transition to tarp camping. I didn't realize the dcf weight difference. I think zpacks will work better for my idea, maybe even the 7 x 9 just for bulk...never easy but always fun to shop. Cheers

Personally, I love my HMG tarp. I bought it during a Black Friday sale if I remember correctly. As per anything dyneema, it’s gonna be costly. Love Zpacks, as I use their duplex and Nero 38l pack, but the HMG tarp had more going for it, at an acceptable weight penalty. I haven’t fully embraced tarp camping yet, it’s still just something I play around with. Another reason I went with the heavier material….it’ll ultimately be more forgiving of abuse and mistakes. My biggest issue is finding the proper bug protection for use under the tarp, and I may have found it with the Borah Gear bivy I’ll be trying on the TMB this summer. Tick pressure back home is too harsh for me to risk getting alpha-gal by cowboy camping under the tarp.

Hi! Thanks for the comment. I wouldn't use this tarp in a configuration where it's being used as a groundsheet - it would quickly shred the .55 DCF

@@timbschwartz Hi, Thanks for reply, a great channel. Yep the zpack tarp is thin, not like the usual DCF groundsheet material. But I am only carrying the tarp as insurance for occasional use in case I can’t find accommodation and am marooned between my planned stays on an extended through hike. Hence I want this insurance to be as light as possible, avoiding the extra weight of a ground sheet. I find DCF to be a really good groundsheet material, it’s 100% watertight and so far no problem with shredding. Also if it is punctured it’s very easy to repair with a piece of tape. My duplex groundsheet is still going strong after years of use without a footprint. I agree DCF is not good with repeated abrasion, like when a tent edge flaps in the wind against a rock, or a rucksack base which drags on the ground, but for an occasional groundsheet think it’s ok even when thin. I have seen a pyramid pitch incorporating a fold under groundsheet using a 10x10 dd tarp but this is bigger and has more tie outs, I can do a C pitch but that’s more open. Guess I will just have to experiment.

Glad you found it useful! Thanks for the comment!

Thanks for the kind words! I'll be honest, I hunted around quite a bit to find good ground for the video... you don't see my first attempt where the tarp blew away because I couldn't get the stakes in far enough. Have a great week!

Hey Kevin! I haven't tried it, but I don't see why not. I normally just melt the ends, though.

Thanks for the comment, Andrew! The slip loop that starts the trucker's hitch will collapse unless both the loop and the standing end of the line are under load, so you'd want to use a different knot - maybe an overhand loop - if you were going to stake through it directly. That said, you'd lose the ability to easily tension the line which is part of the appeal of this system. I've tried using a larkshead as you've described, but I find that I have a hard time picking it apart in cold weather if I need to reposition the line, so I prefer something with a slip loop. The bowline has the added benefit of creating a loop that can be used for the truckers hitch (rather than tieing an additional slip loop) so it makes setup a breeze. Have a great week!

@@timbschwartz your point about taking apart knots in cold and/or wet conditions is spot on. It took me a stupid amount of time to find cordage that holds knots yet is easy to untie and doesn’t knot on itself. I have settled on the reflective guy like that Hammock Gear sells. 1.75 oz for 50 feet, so not the lightest option, but the performance I get from it is well with the extra weight, which in the end is less than an ounce when compared to other options I’ve tried anyway.

@@timbschwartz I get that the slip loop will collapse. Let it collapse with a stake through it - the stake will stop the collapse. Then put the stake in the ground. In the morning, you just pull the stake out of the loop and pull the guy line on both ends, collapsing the loop entirely. Because you’re using a Dyneema tarp, you’re not going to have to adjust the stake position once it’s set. On something like Silnylon, I either move a few stakes further out for more tension, or I pitch the tarp with my trekking pole at a slight angle, and straighten the trekking poll a bit before I go to sleep. If I move the stakes out, I still use the initial loop I created. Straightening the pole gives more lift to the tarp and tightens out any sag that occurred in the fabric since the initial pitch. I never find I have to adjust a SilNylon pitch more than once. It seems like the material only stretches once.

The knot described sounds like the marlin spike hitch.

@@hanelyp1 I think you’re correct, at least it’s very similar, looking at pictures of that knot using Google. I don’t know knot names. I discovered my own knots, and know them through muscle memory. If I’m holding a cord horizontally in front of me with two ends hanging down, I’d bring the right side over the center, making a letter P, with the bottom straight part of the better P being the right end of the cord hanging down. The left end of the cord runs into the P, under the loop part of the P. Next I fold the loop part of the P towards the left, with two or three fingers of my right hand in the loop, and with my left hand holding the two loose ends of the cord, grab the cord that was left of the P, and pull it through the loop. I put my stake through this loop.

Thanks for the comment! I made a video going into detail on this topic - check it out when you get a sec: kzfaq.infoeddu4NQfyps

@@timbschwartz good points. Thanks for taking the time to reply.

Thanks for the comment, Mark! Would have to disagree here, though - a taught line hitch doesn't give the same mechanical advantage for pulling the shelter drum tight, and it can only adjust the half the length of cord before you need to retie it, which makes it a pain for when you want to stake our shelter low but still have it be adjustable.

Adjustable guy line hitch with a slip loop should be plenty! Try using some slightly thicker cord for more friction to hold your friction knots in place

@@dancreed I see Samson also makes the same line in 2.2mm vs the 1.75mm at the link in the description. Is that a better diameter for improved friction and holding power?

@@wanttogo1958 I have just clicked the link and read the description… “A special slick coating allows Zing-It to easily glide over the roughest bark.” There’s the issue right there

I don't think it's complicated...IMO

Hi! I actually find that I can get greater adjustability from a trucker's hitch. I put together a short on this topic that you can check out when you have a moment kzfaq.infoeddu4NQfyps

Thanks for the feedback! I've toned it down quite a bit in more recent videos haha

Thanks for the comment! Never had much luck with either a taught line or stretchier line, but to each their own, of course. For the knots, I don't feel like I can get the same amount of tension as with a truckers hitch, and if I decide I want to go from a high pitch to very low, but not staked directly to the ground, I need to retie the taught line since it can only tighten until the point the knot hits the webbing on the tarp, where as the truckers hitch is more or less infinitely adjustable. Also I find I get too much sag with stretchier line, and my concern would be a pole kicking out in the wind when the line stretches. Have a great week!

Hey! I grew up in PA with lots of rattlesnakes, but wasn't a tarp camper then. We don't have poisonous snakes where I live now. My instinct says that they have no desire to bother you while you're sleeping, but please don't take my advice on it - see if you can find someone local to your area that can offer some guidance, or reach out to a ranger station.

Great point, David!

Thanks for the comment, Logan! I use either a bug bivy or a net in those cases, but there's only a couple months out of the year where its an issue here. I'm currently editing another video where I discuss this in more detail and it will be up this week.

@@timbschwartz Awesome! I eagerly await your video on the subject.

He said this is for ultralight backpacking. The gear you’re talking about is anything but.

@@captyonah1378 ultra light is just a marketing gimmick to sell overpriced junk.

Haha! Yep, nothing but luxury over here. Thanks for the comment, John!

Thanks for the comment, Eric! I appreciate the feedback and I'm glad you find the rest of the video informative.

Which one are you stuck on! It only looks easy-ish when I do it because I've practiced them hundreds of times and I can re-record when I mess it up haha. They do take a bit of practice, but they work well when muscle memory finally takes over.

Thanks for the feedback, Jason! Been working on the sound mixing quite a bit for that reason. Feel free to check out some of my more recent videos - I think it's gotten better.

It's those Cascade winters! The more clearance, the better :)

Thanks for the feedback, Jim!

Thanks for your feedback, Angie!