Stowing "figure 9's"

[Two Speed]

Recently bought some "figure 9's (http://www.rei.com/product/756442)" to use on the corner tie outs on a tarp I'm playing with. Nice once the tarp is stretched out, but they get into one truly unholy mess when I put the tarp in the stuff sack. Get all tangled and hung up, and I'm beginning to think any time saved setting the tarp up is lost untangling the figure 9's from the tie-outs.

Any ideas out there on how to stow them neatly? Looking for a "no muss, no fuss" solution, if it exists.

[kayak karl]

Recently bought some "figure 9's (http://www.rei.com/product/756442)" to use on the corner tie outs on a tarp I'm playing with. Nice once the tarp is stretched out, but they get into one truly unholy mess when I put the tarp in the stuff sack. Get all tangled and hung up, and I'm beginning to think any time saved setting the tarp up is lost untangling the figure 9's from the tie-outs.

Any ideas out there on how to stow them neatly? Looking for a "no muss, no fuss" solution, if it exists.
cut up a plastic gallon milk container. a 3 by 6 rectangle with notches on short sides and wrap the tieouts around it. no extra weight, but easy to unravel.:-?

[4eyedbuzzard]

I was wondering if that(tangles) would happen and if they were worth the extra weight vs tying knots and such. I like idea behind the 9's and the carabiner clip, but have been hesitant to try them, plus they're heavier than these nylon tensioners http://www.rei.com/product/358151 that I use - they're no better than knots but less hassle in bad weather, dark, etc.

I'm thinking that you might be able to either just put all the figure nines in a small baggie and twist tie or rubber band them to keep them away from all the guy lines, or make some little sleeves to put over them made out of duct tape or something. I usually just stuff my tarp if it's dry or fold it and leave it in the beavertail on the pack if it's wet after twisty tying the guylines. Don't know how you pack your tarp as to whether or not bundling all the 9's together would work or not.

[kayak karl]

I was wondering if that(tangles) would happen and if they were worth the extra weight vs tying knots and such. I like idea behind the 9's and the carabiner clip, but have been hesitant to try them, plus they're heavier than these nylon tensioners http://www.rei.com/product/358151 that I use - they're no better than knots but less hassle in bad weather, dark, etc.

I'm thinking that you might be able to either just put all the figure nines in a small baggie and twist tie or rubber band them to keep them away from all the guy lines, or make some little sleeves to put over them made out of duct tape or something. I usually just stuff my tarp if it's dry or fold it and leave it in the beavertail on the pack if it's wet after twisty tying the guylines. Don't know how you pack your tarp as to whether or not bundling all the 9's together would work or not.
use small F-9 without carabiner clip. home depot sells them. but your right so easy to seperate and reattach.

[Flush2wice]

learn some knots

[Tin Man]

learn some knots

yeah, really. a taut-line hitch is just as simple and quick as any gadget you can buy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taut-line_hitch

[Two Speed]

I was wondering if that(tangles) would happen and if they were worth the extra weight vs tying knots and such.That's exactly the place I'm at. They may be a little quicker once everything's spread out but I'm not enjoying getting everything spread out. Was trying a new tarp this weekend, so the weather was great, but if the weather had been rough I don't think I'd have wanted to spend the time futzing around untangling devices that look like they're designed to snag cord.
they're no better than knots but less hassle in bad weather, dark, etc.I'm not sold on that yet.
I'm thinking that you might be able to either just put all the figure nines in a small baggie and twist tie or rubber band them to keep them away from all the guy lines, or make some little sleeves to put over them made out of duct tape or something.Really want to keep them rigged; if I stow them in a baggie then I gotta keep up with a baggie.
I usually just stuff my tarp if it's dry or fold it and leave it in the beavertail on the pack if it's wet after twisty tying the guylines. Don't know how you pack your tarp as to whether or not bundling all the 9's together would work or not.Do things the same way, pretty much. Really don't like a wet shelter inside my pack. Looks like the act of stuffing the tarp back in the sack and getting it out again is all it takes to get a good ol' snarl going.
yeah, really. a taut-line hitch is just as simple and quick as any gadget you can buy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taut-line_hitch

learn some knotsYou mean like the one Tin Man provided a link too?

FWIW we used to call a taut line hitch a riding knot when I was on line crew.

Anyway, short version is I think I'm gonna re-rig that sucker, and do away with at least two of the figure 9's I was using. Might do away with all of them.

[bigcranky]

I use very light Spectra line for my tarps. Knots are great -- until you want to untie them in that very thin line. So I use the little triangular tensioners available from Backpackinglight, and I also just picked up a couple of Fig-9's. Used them in the field for the first time this weekend, and they seemed to work just fine.

One advantage of the Spectra line is its stiffness, so it doesn't tangle very easily. (Unlike other, softer line, like mason's twine.) To store my guylines while still attached to the tarp, I wrap the line tightly around my fingers in a little bundle, then pull it off and wrap the last foot of line around the bundle. It stays put just fine.

Another option would be to add guy line pockets to the corners of your tarp. A square of silnylon sewn down on three sides, with a bit of Velcro on the fourth side -- stuff the guy lines in the pocket when stowing the tarp.

I have nothing against knots. I was a combat engineer -- I know a *lot* of knots. But I kinda like the Fig-9's, especially for hanging a tarp over a hammock. It's pretty easy to re-center and re-tighten the tarp any time.

[FishBone]

On my hammock tarp I:
1. use Speer spectra line to minimize tangles;
2. slide the Figure9 down the line close to the tarp for storage purposes, adjust as needed for tree spacing when in use;
3. for storage, coil the lines in a figure 8 pattern between my fingers and add a few turns to finish to keep the whole thing from coming apart;
4. store the lines and Figure9's, along with the stakes for the tarp, in a small stuff sack I sewed on the foot end of the snake skins the tarp goes into. (The lines and Figure9's at both ends of the snake skins go in the stuff sack forming a big loop out of the skinned tarp when the stuff sack is cinched down. I do this to keep the sharp ends of the Figure9's from putting holes in anything.) This keeps everything together and ready to go when needed.

This works for me for a very quick deployment. YMMV.

[peanuts]

well, fishbone bit me to it..wrap the lines around the f9's. thats what i've always done! it works:)

[Bob S]

As with any item, some people will not want to use them. This is OK as you can always tie a knot to get what you need. But I love the connivance of the Figure 9s I bought several with the spring clip and so far they have worked out well. The ones I have, have a 50 pound limit so they would not be great for a hammock unless you wrapped the rope around a tree a few times to take the stress off the carabineer.(sp?)



To keep any rope or line (I use 550 cord) from being tangled I wrap each line around a piece of plastic made from discarded plastic packaging material. I cut the plastic in the shape of the letter “H” only it comes to a point on the insides. These are very light and easy to make and work great. You could also use the plastic from a milk carton, but it may be too thin for a heaver rope or line.

[Doctari]

I don't have a solution, never had the problem. Not saying mine don't tangle, just that when they do, it takes about 0.01 seconds to shake them free. Much much longer than the set up time I save using the F9s. Mine are tied directly to the tarp, the loops that fasten them are less than 3" long. Then the cords that attach the tarp to the stakes is tied to the tent stakes. Perhaps that is why I don't get the bad tangling, I for sure am not careful when I pack, the tarp gets STUFFED into the stuff sack.

[Shadowmoss]

I noticed that nest (cerberus on hammock forums) and Lost have the figure 9's attached to the stakes. That made sense to me. I may do that myself. Then just wrap the tie-outs around the figure 9's on the stakes. The small loop attaching them to the stakes didn't seem to tangle.

[Two Speed]

OK, that's an idea I can live with; usually carry my stakes in a mesh pocket anyway, so no more tangling the lines on the tarp.

Still gonna see if I can adjust the rig a little to wax two of those things, anyway. Appears I'm suffering from an attack of the dreaded "gram weenies." ;)