What is the preferred method for tying/staking down a tarptent? Do you just tie a simple loop around the tie-down loops with the guyline and then a taught-line hitch around the stake? Is there anyone out there with some close-up pics of the knots they use to tie down their tarptent?

Would it work if I tied a simple loop through the eyelet of my stakes (I use the MSR groundhogs), then looping the guyline through the tarp pullouts with a taughtline hitch? That way, I could keep the guylines and stakes together. Opinions? Pictures?

Justin, the simplest way is like you've described; put a loop on the stake end of your line and run a taut line hitch for the tarp end of your line. If you want to get fancy and add a marginal amount of weight, you might consider the lineloc buckles found on MLD and GG tarps. My first tarp is almost complete and I've put linelocs on all the tie outs. This is overkill, but they came w/ the kit from Quest and I figured I might as well use them. Supposedly you can adjust them from under the tarp, saving getting wet. In your tent application this wouldn't be an option though.