I'm looking for a source for the small line tighteners. The item I'm looking for is either plastic or aluminum, about an inch long, maybe 1/16th thick with two or three holes; the ones I've seen have rounded ends. The larger ones (2 inches or soi) seem to be readily available anywhere, but the little ones are proving elusive. I've tried REI, EMS, MEC, Wally's, Campmor, Canadian Tire, Gander Mountain and Seattle Fabrics. Most of them carried the larger one, but no luck on the small one. Need something that will work with line the size of Triptease or smaller. Any ideas?

Mountain Laurel Designs or Backpacking Light.

taught line hitch
Jim

You took the words right out of my mouth. First thing I usually do with a tent is ditch those little tighteners and tie hitches instead. Less fiddly, and hold better.

I' third the taught line hitch. Here's a link for those who need it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taut-line_hitch

BTW, I've never seen line tighteners small enough for Triptease.

JPete, the MLD and BPL line tighteners are made for very thin line, possibly thinner than Triptease. (I did some googling, and nowhere, even on the Kelty website, could I find out the thickness of Kelty Triptease!) Both firms sell the tighteners only with their own cord, though. It might be that if you asked Ron Bell of MLD, he would sell the tighteners alone, and he could tell you if they'd work for Triptease. MLD sells their own reflective cord which is red, hence even easier to see than Triptease. It's 1.5 mm thick. I have some Gossamer Gear EZC2 line, also reflective and red, 2 mm thick, which appears (to my somewhat poor closeup vision) the same thickness as Triptease, but GG doesn't sell line tighteners.

I agree with Jim, Glenn and Eric: the taut line hitch is simpler, lighter and $0 cost!

The other advantage to the Rolling Hitch is that you can put it at the tent and not out in the tall wet grass - if you know what I mean.

Not sure if this is the kind that could work for JPete but they work with the types of lines that don't hold the rolling hitch
for example spectra guylines :
http://www.clamcleat.com/cleats/cleats.asp?menuid=7
or maybe this
http://www.itwnexus.com/catalog/index.php/dw/op/a/10/c/0/p/114
available from (bottom of the page)
http://www.questoutfitters.com/tent_poles.htm#TENT%20GUY%20LINE%20ADJUSTER
you need to sew this one to the fly/tarp , this works with Triptease (as in the Tarptents) but not suited to the more slippery types.
Franco

How about these?

http://www.ultralightdesigns.com/products/shelter/microLoc.html

I also found these at Campmor under tent accessories...sub catagory ropes and guylines. They have other styles as well.

http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___15466

Heheheh....Everyone beat to the taut line hitch. In fact, I was teaching my boy scouts how to tie it just the other day. I had to teach them four knots, the half hitch, taut line, clove, and good ol' square knot.

I've had good luck using the plastic beads that kite flyers use for the strings on kites. Kite cord is plenty strong for most tent and tarp applications.

Nice thing about the plastic cord tensioners is that they stay put. Once adjusted they stay that way until you readjust them. So when I take the tent or tarp out of the stuff sack I know they are the way I adjusted them last time I used them.

I see this link also has a small aluminum cord tightener. Looks good but I haven't tried it.
http://www.kitebuilder.com/catalog/index.php/cPath/25_42?osCsid=eebd4eec967a20811e83ee474d078a8c

PS I forgot to add that the plastic tensioning bead is kind of difficult to put on the cord. It is something you would want to do at home and then leave it alone.

“I also found these at Campmor under tent accessories...sub catagory ropes and guylines. They have other styles as well.

http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___15466 ”

ditto; I use these with Triptease and they perform very well. It makes for less wear and tear on the rope vs knot tying. And they’re easier to adjust than using knots in all weather situations.

-Barry

I'd throw in a bowline.

I'm a taughtline/rolling hitch user myself but I have heard of folks using two hole buttons as tighteners. You can drill your own holes if you like to get the spacing right. Some hardwood dowel rod cut to your custom length and drilled to your guy line size would work fine too.

My thought...why add hardware to an already simple system? Learn one knot.

Ahh that was the other one. I was trying to remember what the other knot was that I was teaching. The bowline is the easiest to tie as well.

fme

I think you don't want to know how many Americans cannot even tie their shoelace and get a square knot right. My European climbing friends always laughed that Americans need all of the pieces of aluminum climbing gear cause we can't tie knots. I learned to tie a onehanded bowline around myself while hanging onto a rope with my teeth. Its a good trick to know, sometimes...
Oh yes - teach em a figure 8, it can be used as a hitch, knot, bend etc.
Jim

I was one of those Americans who was tying my shoelaces incorrectly.
Wasn't until last year someone on this forum showed me the correct way and since then have passed it on.

I find all those knots too hard to work with on thin guyline such as Triptease and the like.

leadfoot
you mean right over left, left over right?
or left over right, right over left?
Jim

I like right over left as my mantra. Still use it when I tie my shoes.

My favorite knot is the bowline.

Funny you mention that. One of the boys tried to tie a square knot and tied a granny knot. So, I showed him again. He tied the granny again. Then I said "let me see your shoelaces". Sure enough, granny knot. I asked him if his shoelaces come undone a lot..."Sure do". I will quiz him again later and see if he remembers.

I am surprised that BSA doesn't make the figure eight a requirement. I think it is more important than any other knot. If you want to put your body weight on the rope and dangle over a cliff, you better use only figure eights.

Wow, what an education in a short time, and fun to boot. Never thought that question could provoke two pages of discussion, clear down to the shoelace level. Jimshaw, Glenn, Eric, Rick, finallyME and Dryer. You're all certainly right about the taughtline hitch. Been using it since I learned it about 1950 -- and frankly, I think I sorta sneered at people who put hardware on lines. Also tied in with a girth hitch on loops or rings (learned that one working cattle on horseback in the late 1940s) and I use a bowline on grommets (and a whole lot of other things). Had just one tent with tighteners, a scottish one, and they were the exact thing on the kite site, DJ2. Wish I'd thoughta kites.

But with age, and weight reduction (so I can keep doing it)the eyes, the dexterity, the patience and the size of the lines involved have all dropped, plus, as Barry notes, the hitches get fussy in bad weather.

But the real irony is that the lines I want to tighten are Ron Bell's (MLD) lines. I mentioned Triptease simply because I figured everyone would recognize the size. Thanks for all your research, Oregon Mouse. I obviously haven't looked at Ron's website for way too long. The ones at ULD and BPL appear to be the same as Ron's and Francos suggestion appears to be the ultimate source. Couple of you suggested Campmor 15466 -- These are the large ones. I bought a package because the specs were limited. Thanks everybody, time to call Ron.

He sells the mini line-loc's but with the guyline. You just might be able to get them without the guyline...but one can never have enough guyline.

I'm guilty of using a Trucker's Hitch for almost everything. You can cinch something down as tight as you want it, pinch it with your fingers, and throw a half hitch loop for quick release or adjustment.

Rick,

The Rolling Hitch is a common marine hitch but the Tautline Hitch is the same Rolling Hitch with a few more initial turns before the final "over the top" trurn. This gives more friction for thin lines like Triptease.

Eric
BTW, I REALLY like the line tensioners Henry Shires uses with his TarpTents. Light, simple and reliable.

The four most usefull knots to tie, for sure. I couldn't figure out how to use the little line tighteners that came with my tent and went to the taught line. Next weekend, I'll be tying knots when I'm pier fishin.

Franco,

The Nexus Line Loc 3 is the one Henry Shires uses and I think they are the best holding and easiest to use small line tensioners I've ever come across. I have several others in my "equipment bin" and none work as well as the Nexus style in your link.

Eric