I need a clothesline

[Diane “Piper” Soini]

I just bought a Twinn tarp. It comes seam sealed and there is a loop at both ends to hang a bug bivy or whatever inside. I would like to hang a clothesline but it’s a super loooong distance between each loop. I don’t need that long a clothesline. The seam sealer means I can’t just sew on my own loops in other places on the ridgeline.

Is there some kind of solution for being able to put my socks up to dry each night? Have you figured out a good way to hang a clothesline in a catenary cut tarp like this? Part of the problem is that it’s just really hard to reach from one end to the other. Hard to reach the foot end when I’m under the tarp, hard to crawl under at the foot end to try to reach the line if I try to toss it to the other side. I tried adding a permanent line but then it turns into a tangled mess when I go to put the tarp away because it’s so long.

[James Marco]

Try Lawson line. It is fairly stiff and doesn’t tangle. https://lawsonequipment.com/Guywire-Accessory-Cord-p1131.html

[Bonzo]

Could you use a travel-style clothesline made from surgical tubing?

Edit: like this.

https://store.ricksteves.com/shop/p/travel-clothesline

[SIMULACRA]

I use elastic cord stretched out so it rebounds(1/8″ I think) in between tie loops for my tent. Works well

[Ratatosk]

If you didn’t want to just throw your socks in the bottom of your bag, why couldn’t you just leave a thin line tied on your loops? There’s no reason to remove it or mess with it. My ridgeline ends up being gear storage, clothesline, and I bungee the bug net on my bivy to it all the time.

[Diane “Piper” Soini]

I tried putting a thin line tied permanently but then the next time I took the tarp out to set it up all the lines were tangled up in it.

Seems to me that being able to hang your socks up at night would be a useful feature for a tarp to have.

[Ratatosk]

I think the point of a tarp is that it’s as bells-and-whistles-free as you can get. I compulsively manage cordage, so every time my tarp comes down the guys get wrapped. If a permament line won’t work, how about a cord tied in a loop to one of your bug net tie-outs?

[Christopher S]

It cant be that long of a distance between the two internal tie outs can it? I would just bring a short lawson 2mm or 2.5mm line and quickly tie as needed.

Or have you considered running a line from the internal tie out to your trekking pole? I do that all the time with my gatewood cape

I suppose you could also bring an extra very lightweight stake and tie an internal line down to that – might be too vertical but who knows.

 

Or just tie a larger loop of line on the internal point and hang your socks from that

[Rex Sanders]

Completely spitballing here …

Glue two small Velcro hook tabs inside the tarp at a convenient location. IME, fuzzy-ish socks love to stick to the spiny part of Velcro without further assistance.

Velcro loop tabs glued inside tarp. Hook tabs attached to tiny clips for hanging socks.

Small loops glued inside tarp. Tuck socks into loops, or tie short clothesline across. Like:
https://zpacks.com/products/stick-on-loop-clear-white

Mitten hooks glued inside tarp. Attach socks or short line. Like:
https://zpacks.com/products/stick-on-mitten-hook-clear-white

— Rex

[Matthew / BPL]

How about a small loop of 1/16” shockcord with a tiny cordlock threaded through loop at the head end of the tarp? It would only weigh a gram or two. You wouldn’t be able to dry your socks well in rainy weather but it would help on dryer days. In wet weather you could drape them over your pack or a water bottle or something to get a little airflow. It’s not a perfect solution but it would be extremely simple.

[Matthew / BPL]

The Twinn is silnylon? Maybe you could use one of these to make something like what Rex was suggesting? I’ve never used this product and don’t know how well they adhere. You wouldn’t need much to hang a pair of socks.

[BlackHatGuy]

You seem to be focusing on getting a line to run the length of the tarp. If you’re only hanging socks, then you can use the stick-on things that Rex recommends, but run the line across the tarp at an appropriate point instead of along the tarp. That way you can reach both ends of the line with ease.

[Matthew / BPL]

ZPacks says their stick-on loops don’t work with Silnylon though.

[BlackHatGuy]

“ZPacks says their stick-on loops don’t work with Silnylon though.”

You can glue them on if it’s something that seems worthwhile…

[Rex Sanders]

You might find suitable loops and hooks on sticky patches from other sources. During my middle-of-the-night brainstorm I recalled that Zpacks made sticky hooks. MLD has a DCF loop superkit with comparable warnings.

Or scroll through RipStopByTheRoll, DutchWare, and similar sources for inspiration and materials that could work on your shelter.

Like this:
https://dutchwaregear.com/product/clip-on-tarp-pull-outs/

My suggestion was to place the new clothesline hooks or loops or Velcro in a “convenient location”, probably not running end-to-end in this case. Maybe try the DutchWare clip-ons first to figure out the best spots, then replace with glue-on if desired.

A custom mod to fit your needs!

— Rex

PS – Yes, DutchWare says don’t use those clip-ons with DCF. RTFM and comments!

I don’t know why you people seem to think this is magic. It’s just this little chromium switch here.

[Kevin Babione]

Since you already have one loop at each end, you only need one other loop at some point in the ridgeline at whatever length you want for your clothesline.  The loop won’t have to support much weight – why don’t you use a needle and strong fishing line (or similar) and put a loop through the ridgeline seam at whatever point you want.  Use a tiny bead on the top to keep the line from pulling through and then a dot of sealer on both sides to restore the tarp to full seam-sealedness.

[Matthew / BPL]

I like that advice^

[Russ W]

Use a silnylon repair patch and small diameter cord to create a solution similar to the Zpacks dcf solutuon that Rex pointed out. Use  Permatex or whatever you sealed the tarp with to affix the loop anywhere you wish.

[Russ W]

Just noted Kevin’s suggestion and like Matthew K. I think it’s a winner.

[Matthew / BPL]

Ok I just reread Kevin’s suggestion and missed the bead the first time. That’s an interesting solution that I haven’t heard of before.

[Kevin Babione]

The tiny bead would allow you to use a really thin line (which wouldn’t make much of a knot) and will keep it from pulling through.  The first whoopie sling I bought for my hammock had a bead in the loop to keep me from pulling the loop into the sling (i.e. no whoopie) and the idea stuck.

[Author]

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