Hey all: I just ordered a hex solo plus and am wondering about using linelocs. Is the cord that comes with the tarp too small to use with line-locs? What do you Hex tarp users using. Just tie a knot?
FWIW: This will be my first venture into tarp setup. Have been camping for 50 years so have the knots figured out.
Thanks, Charlie

Joe sends some spectra cord that you cut. The instructions tell you how many pieces to cut certain lengths and at which corner/tie out to use them. You don't need line locks or even need to tie knots when pitching the tent. Just tie loops in the ends and stake out the loops. Cuben won't sag so no retensioning is needed. It is pretty awesome.

Thanks so much for your quick response. I was going to email Joe but figured he was very busy as his "wait" time is 5-6 weeks. Thanks again, Charlie

Joe ALWAYS has a wait time and ALWAYS is more than responsive to email.

FWIW, my line was precut and tied for me.

I agree, Joe's always responded to my emails within a few hours. Heck, he even got back to me while his shop was closed for Christmas. Definitely top notch customer service (which is one reason I have so much of his gear! The other reason is because his gear is awesome.)

I have found the addition of line locs to be very helpful. The area the hexamid requires for set up, considering guy-line deployment at their recommended lengths, is significant. Many times there is an obstacle in the way and the line locks allow effortless adjustment. Of course, Joe hiked the entire CDT without them. For me it was a grams versus convenience argument. I choose to add the few extra grams.

using taught-line hitches instead can actually save an ounce or so of wt on many shelters by eliminating the line locs. Still easily adjustable. Not sure why so many use the line locs, they are a significant amount of wt for what they do.

Thanks everyone. I was thinking about hitches to solve this problem, glad to hear you state this as well.

I too have receive immediate responses from Joe but didn't want him to have to answer a new tarp users simple Qs. I knew you folks could do it.
And you did, thanks again, Charlie

"Joe sends some spectra cord that you cut. The instructions tell you how many pieces to cut certain lengths and at which corner/tie out to use them. You don't need line locks or even need to tie knots when pitching the tent. Just tie loops in the ends and stake out the loops. Cuben won't sag so no retensioning is needed. It is pretty awesome."

This is how I do it. Never had problems with a site I could not set it up, part of the site selection process.

I use line locs on mine because I set up in rocky areas most of the time. Having the locs enables me to place the tent and adjust my lines to be able to get a stake in the ground.

Tautline hitches or prusicks don't hold very well on the 1.25mm spectra, if you can even get that delicate knot done in the first place on that super thin cord, I was testing that recently. Works fine on his 1.5mm cord, and really well with 2mm cord like lawson (mountainfitter) sells, but 2mm weighs almost 2x as much as the 1.5 mm zpacks sells. These are all the spectra/dyneema cored, dacron sheathed variety both sell.

To me the difference between using knots and linelocs is whether you are pushing or pulling the cord to tighten it. It's easier to pull it to me. Which makes the lineloc a bit easier, the knot is fine but just not quite as easy to adjust.

If you weigh a lineloc and the required 1.25 mm cord, vs the 1.5 mm cord with knots, I think you'll find there's probably no significant difference in weight between the two.

I did manage to get prusicks knotted to 1.25 mm cord, but it was not consistent, and there's no way I could get it done with cold hands or other miserable conditions, and I wasn't able to do it consistently, nor did the knot hold consistently either, the cord is just too thin. Fine with linelocs though.

I think joe ships 1.25mm cord with his hexamids, not sure.

Edited by hhope on 03/07/2012 19:58:48 MST.