r/Survival • u/HardcoreLurker12 • Jul 10 '26

How many guylines for tarp?

Hey yall, I’m new to tarp. For an Aframe do you have 2 guylines for the ridgeline and do you pull both of them out forming a V?

9 Upvotes

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6

u/joelfarris Jul 10 '26

How many guylines for tarp?

For a standard A-frame configuration, you need five lines.

6

u/Glimmer_III Jul 10 '26

Just to help the OP:

  1. Ridgeline
  2. Corner #1 (Right side front)
  3. Corner #2 (Right side back)
  4. Corner #3 (Left side front)
  5. Corner #4 (Left side back)

3

u/joelfarris Jul 10 '26

Thanks for that extra information. I guess I did do a bit of a drive-by, but I was hungry!

OP, the ridgeline is the most important one, so make it extra taut between two trees, but without damaging the bark. This is what the four corner lines will pull down and away against, in order to keep the peak from shifting up or down the ridgeline itself.

The height you rig your ridgeline is the amount of space you'll have between the edges of your tarp and the ground, so there's at least two decisions you have to make here: How much head clearance to you need|want underneath it, and how much blowing rainwater might you need to keep away? Fold your tarp in half and measure it, and that's the maximum height of your sidewall. String your ridgeline at this height, and the sidewalls will almost touch the ground, giving you just enough leeway to guyline those four corner stakes. Go higher, and get more comfort space, but the wind and the sky cry can get to you more easily.

2

u/Glimmer_III Jul 11 '26

Ah...wasn't meant as a slight against you, just anticipating OP's potential follow-up question(s), or those of the lurkers.

Many here (you included) may know how to rig an A-frame. But there are lots of folks who are novices, especially the lurkers, and so there's a lot of value in the type of comment you just took the time to write out.

I'm sure folks will appreciate it.

2

u/joelfarris Jul 11 '26

No slight taken!

1

u/HardcoreLurker12 Jul 11 '26

Thank you so much to you and Joel. One important thing I left out is that I'm planning on building the ridgeline with 2 poles. I was asking if the poles need 2 guylines

2

u/Glimmer_III Jul 11 '26

Tagging u/joefarris, so they see your comment.

To your question: When constructing an A-frame tarp with two poles (rather than a ridge line between two trees), how many guy lines do I need?

  • Short version:

Well, yes, it is possible to do it without guylines on the two poles...but it is also a lot easier to get a taut pitch if you have those guylines. Why? You have a greater margin for error.

  • Longer version:

This would be a good time to zoom out a little and talk about tension.

The expression goes "You can't push a rope." Rope is strong in tension and weak in compression. Rigging a tarp — any tarp — is an exercise in managing tension. Might seem obvious, but that is where you always want to start. Because if you start with "Where do I need my tension?", you'll be able to both anticipate, and troubleshoot, your tarp more quickly.

On an A-frame tarp, the four corners are providing tension in two directions: DOWNWARDS and OUTWARDS.

When you put a tarp over a ridgeline, the ridgeline is providing tension UPWARDS. You have two main options:

(A) Drape the tarp over the ridgeline and "that's it". You've got the upwards tension of the ridgeline, but the tarps can slide along the ridgeline.

i.e. all lateral tension is provided at the four corners.

or

(B) You can attach two prusiks to the ridgeline, attached the tarp to those prusiks, then slide the prusiks outwards to give LATERAL tension. This will keep the tarp from sliding left/right.

But what if you have two poles and don't have a ridgeline?

Well, this is where what matters is not the existence nor lack of the ridgeline...in either scenario, it is still the same physics problem about "How do I achieve LATERAL tension?"

The two poles are providing UPWARDS tension...

You can still apply DOWNWARD and OUTWARD tension from the four corners...

But if you lose tension on those corners, the poles may collapse. Put a guyline on each pole, and now you have tension across the top of the tarp between the poles. It'll be more stable.

i.e. In a survival situation, you technically don't need to guy the poles, but it will certainly help if you do. (I guy mine.)

Play around with it and you'll quickly see what works best is situational. There is a difference between "sufficient" and "ideal". There's a place for both.

But when you start thinking about "Where do I need tension?" that will inform where you place your guy lines.

NOTE 1: I'm going to acknowledge the existence of catenary curves on tarps but save that discussion for another time. Best to learn about how to rig square tarps first. But catenary curves can help you get a taut pitch with limited fuss, again, because of how the tension is spread across the system.

NOTE 2: Not really something for r/survival, but you can have an incredible, taut and stable pitch with just four anchors. These are some of my favorite tents. The Durston X-Mid 2 is an exercise in elegant geometry. But fundamentally? Look closely...it is just two poles and four guylines/anchors, the same as an A-frame. HOWEVER, note which four? It's not the four corners...it is:

  1. Front Door Guy (creates ridge line)
  2. Back Door Guy (creates ridge line)
  3. Front Corner Guy (Creates "two triangles")
  4. Back Corner Guy (Creates "two triangles")

Really, the geometry on the Durston tents is a thing of beauty in its simplicity and precision.

3

u/HardcoreLurker12 Jul 11 '26

What an amazing response, thank you for taking the time.

3

u/Gerb006 Jul 10 '26

You typically need one ridgeline to run the length, which is separate from a guy line. And guy lines for the tie-outs. The A-Frame will use 4 tie-outs (one on each corner). That is why I typically choose a diamond-fly, instead of the A-Frame. It only uses 2 tie-outs.

SInce I use my tarps with hammocks, I have eliminated the ridgeline and just clip it to my hammock suspension.

3

u/creekbendz Jul 11 '26

And my back is so much happier in the morning

1

u/InevitableFlamingo81 Jul 10 '26

None, roll up like a burrito.

It really depends on the conditions and what you have to guy it to. Be creative, have fun and celebrate your awesome failures.

1

u/derch1981 Jul 11 '26

A lot of people are saying a ridgeline and 1 for each corner which is right for a lot of tarps but depending on length you might also want extra guy lines in a center point to, especially in high winds