Ground level guyline length

Great question.  I am going to have to replace the guylines on my tent and I am planning on using a 3 foot length of line secured to the corner with a larger bowline knot.  This allows me to use the bowline like a traditional loop (I toss the line under the tent or wrap it up) but if I need a longer line I have it available.

My stake preference is the MSR groundhog and I’ve found I can just wrap my line around it and secure with a slippery half-hitch.  I know this is for a hammock tarp but Brandon from Warbonnet has a good visual of what I mean at 4:20 in his “Basic Tarp Setup” video at https://www.warbonnetoutdoors.com/videos/

Hope this helps.  Will be interested to see other answers.

Don

I too use about 3′ of line with a loop or 2 in it. I just move the titanium stake to adjust the line length. i like the Zline from Zpacks; it is SO lightweight and it is easy to untie. The red vinyl on the stakes is easy to see. It is good practice to count your stakes when taking down the tent.

Where I camp, there are often a lot of rocks in the ground so I can’t used fixed guylines.  I need to put the stake in where I can get it in, and then tighten the guyline.

And when I set up the tent, I put all stakes in an initial position, and then tighten the guylines to make the tent taut.  Although if I was able to put a stake in anywhere it would be easy enough to pull the stake and then move it out.

The length also depends on the flatness of the ground.  Occasionally, a spot will be very unflat and if I can have a longer guyline it can make the tent taut better.

Tautline hitch or line loc isn’t a big deal.

If you want fixed length, the length of guylines depends on the tent.  Make them long.  The first time you set up the tent, adjust the length.

In my opinion : )

Most of my hiking is in the Sierra.  I definitely need longer lines because of the rocky conditions and tree roots. Longer lines allow me the flexibility to quickly install the stake where I can drive it in.

The LineLoc 3’s are much easier to use than LineLoc’s.  LineLoc’s require more line length for the same guying length as opposed to a Lineloc 3 because of the loop required, plus LineLoc 3’s give you adjustment over the entire length of the line which you can’t do with the LineLoc’s.

On my mid I’m with Jerry & Kenneth. Lineloc 3s, please.

On my hammock tarps (and the Grace Duo I have been thinking about purchasing) I like Don’s suggestion of a generous bowline at the tarp for ground level staking however I have found bowlines sometimes loosen because of the tail in the center of the loop. I’ve reverted to an overhand on a bight which doesn’t seem to ever untie itself.

I’ve tried linelocs but prefer tautline hitch

It is possible to make a lineloc adjust over the entire length of the guyline, but not following the instructions

I think my tent lines are around 6′.  I have some old, generic lineloc equivalents.  If I need to go shorter than 3′, I put a larks head around my Y stakes to take out some slack, and then still use the linelocs to tension.

Here’s a link to a bunch of guy line info.

I spent some time looking for small (1cm?), light(!) metal rings to form a ring buckle to function like a LineLoc3, but haven’t found anything I liked.  My reasoning is this is more durable and reliable than a plastic widget, and less picky about the cord.

I use a shorter section of a 2mm line about 12″ long. This avoids most things between the ground cover and the ground, itself. I also carry 4 – 3′ sections that I can add to the ground loops as needed. Once in a great while I will need something more, but this is fine in 95-98% of setups. Line locks I never use, especially at ground level.
Staking:
1) Tarp/Tent loops
2) At the lop-to-loop junction giving me about 3″-5″ of movement for the stake
3) 1′ in an arc of about 40 degrees when on a stump or rocks, about 7-10″ of movement
4) 3′ usually for tying off to a tree or rock.
I don’t care for slack under a tent, I keep this as tight as possible. For a tarp, any looseness is for “ventilation.”
The 1′ sections are a little messy looking, but they do not tangle. I leave these on and can connect longer lines as needed. I usually carry several pieces of line, often light 50# braided fishing line. Some of the spectra is VERY strong. I disconnect these in the morning.

“I don’t care for slack under a tent”

You mean a gap between the edge of the tent and the ground?

Same here.

Sometimes I’ll put a big rock on top of the guy line, right at the edge of the tent.  That keeps the gap minimal.  Also helps keep the stake from pulling out.