Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

--- xro:camping_rope_tensioners [2023-08-25 17:59]
xro
+++ xro:camping_rope_tensioners [2023-09-05 01:06] (current)
xro
@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
-==== rope tensioners - the 4 types ====
+==== rope tensioners - the types tested ====
 {{:xro:tensioners_four_types.jpg?direct&700|}}
-The four types of tensioners I tested.
+The five types of tensioners I tested.
-  - classic 3 hole triangle (metallic)
   - modern 3 hole straight (black)
-  - thread-able-in-after-the-fact with 2 small and one big hole (red)
+  - classic 3 hole triangle (metallic)
   - minimalistic bent 2-hole (red)
+  - thread-able-in-after-the-fact with 2 small and one big hole (red)
+  - tauntline hitch knot
-The tensioners were rated according to performance in the following applications:
+The tensioners were rated according to performance in the following disciplines:
   - packing-size / space needed in your packed tent
@@ Line 23: / Line 24: @@
   - how good it looks
   - ease of slackening or tensioning the line
+==== TLDR ====
+  - get the classic 3 hole triangle spanner or stick with straight 3 hole spanner that came with your tent.
+  - if you need to have on of the nice metallic Chinese ones, get
+    - either the straight 3 hole version that imitates the (black) modern 3-hole tensioners, but with open holes.
+    - or the 2-hole version and use it with a Palstek as explained below
+  - optionally learn the tensioning-knot
+  - ignore the rest
 ==== rope tensioner - the classic 3 hole triangle ====
-TLDR: this is the best tensioner you can buy. The design is old but still the best.
+This is the best tensioner you can buy. The design is old but still the best.
 {{:xro:tensioners_triangle3hole_normal.jpg?direct&700|}}
@@ Line 34: / Line 44: @@
 |                **holding tension** | very very well |
 |                          **looks** | classic |
-|  **ease of slackening/tensioning** | very easy |
+|  **ease of slackening/tensioning** | easy |
+==== rope tensioner - the modern 3 hole straight version ====
+Can be seen in black plastic in top picture. This is what most tents ship with today.
+Works very well. Plastic could become brittle after many years of of sun.
+^                         discipline ^ verdict ^
+|                   **packing-size** | in plastic ab bit larger than triangle |
+|                **holding tension** | very well |
+|                          **looks** | good |
+|  **ease of slackening/tensioning** | easy but not as easy as with triangle version |
 ==== big Chinese aluminium tensioner with big hole ====
+This one looks very cool.
+It also has a very intriguing feature: You can thread it into the tensioned line between the tent and peg, after the fact.
+Having said that, these tensioners unfortunately **fail** in their core purpose. Once threaded in, you can barely move them to tension the line. You also can't thread them in without slackening the line, so threading them into a tensioned line does not work either. To really top things off, they easily slide away in the slackening direction once there is pull on the rope.
 {{:xro:tensioners_bighole_free1.jpg?direct&700|}}
 {{:xro:tensioners_bighole_free2.jpg?direct&700|}}
+{{:xro:tensioners_bighole_using_big_bend.jpg?direct&700|}}
 ^                         discipline ^ verdict ^
-|                   **packing-size** |  |
+|                   **packing-size** | unnecessarily big |
-|                **holding tension** |  |
+|                **holding tension** | bad |
-|                          **looks** |  |
+|                          **looks** | cool |
-|  **ease of slackening/tensioning** |  |
+|  **ease of slackening/tensioning** | bad |
+=== Fixing-Attempt Alternate Hole ===
-=== Recommended use, rope around big bend ===
+The two smaller holes are actually intended for two different diameters of rope. However, the size of the bend also influences friction. So to this the problem of not being able to tighten the line, we can just tie the thin rope into the middle-sized hole and thread it around the smaller bend.
-{{:xro:tensioners_bighole_using_big_bend.jpg?direct&700|}}
+While this improves things slightly, tightening the rope is a hard chore. On top of that, it now slackens even easier by itself under pull.
-=== Recommended use, rope around small bend ===
 {{:xro:tensioners_bighole_using_small_bend.jpg?direct&700|}}
-=== used like a triangle 3 hole ===
+^                         discipline ^ verdict ^
+|                   **packing-size** | unnecessarily big |
+|                **holding tension** | worse |
+|                          **looks** | cool |
+|  **ease of slackening/tensioning** | still bad |
+=== Fixing-Attempt: used like a triangle 3 hole ===
+Since the cool looking tensioners have 3 holes, we can use them like the 3-hole-triangles. That works reasonable well.
+However, the original 3-hole-triangles still work better and use less space, so there is no reason to use the big-hole tensioners this way when I can just buy the original triangle version.
 {{:xro:tensioners_bighole_used_like_triangle3hole.jpg?direct&700|}}
+^                         discipline ^ verdict ^
+|                   **packing-size** | unnecessarily big |
+|                **holding tension** | ok |
+|                          **looks** | cool |
+|  **ease of slackening/tensioning** | ok |
 === Alternate use as winch ===
+What remains is their cool ability to be threaded into an already existing line.
+That still makes them ideal to install looks into an existing line.  e.g. to
+  - hang things or span additional perpendicular lines.
+  - use them in a pulley system for e.g. hammocks
+Photo-Example of threading them into existing line and then using them as winch in a pulley system to really tighten the line.
 {{:xro:tensioners_bighole_winch1.jpg?direct&700|}}
@@ Line 75: / Line 126: @@
 ==== Chinese aluminium tensioner with 2 holes and bent shape ====
-- very much depends on being around small bend. Wont work as well around trees or lamp posts, etc
+Their working principle is that under tension, the rope will be tensioned by the bend and the single hole will exert enough friction for the line to hold. However this very much depends on the rope running around a peg with a tiny radius. For starters it wont as work as well when the line goes around a tree, lamp posts or something slightly thicker. Even so, the rope tends to **slide through** when there is a strong pull on the line. If you don't expect a lot of tension though, then they are easy as butter to adjust. (But then what did we buy rope that can hold 1500-2500 Newton for? :-) )
+{{:xro:tensioners_bent2hole_normal1.jpg?direct&700|}}
+{{:xro:tensioners_bent2hole_normal1_under_tension.jpg?direct&700|}}
+In size, they are about between the classic 3-hole-triangle and the modern 3-hole-straight tensioners. Definitely smaller than the Chinese big-hole version, but not as small as one would expect.
+{{:xro:tensioners_bent2hole_next_to_triangle3hole.jpg?direct&700|}}
+^                         discipline ^ verdict ^
+|                   **packing-size** | small |
+|                **holding tension** | ok-ish, but slides off under strong pull |
+|                          **looks** | nice |
+|  **ease of slackening/tensioning** | almost too easy |
+=== Improvement-Attemt: more angle ===
+Well, let's not give up. These fancy new Chinese tensioners can't all be shit. Maybe we can improve the friction be threading in the end of the rope from the other side. Thus when the line is tensioned there is more angle and more friction.
+{{:xro:tensioners_bent2hole_normal2_slightly_better.jpg?direct&700|}}
+This does actually improve things, but not in a significant way. So same rating as before.
+^                         discipline ^ verdict ^
+|                   **packing-size** | small |
+|                **holding tension** | ok-ish, but slides off under strong pull |
+|                          **looks** | nice |
+|  **ease of slackening/tensioning** | almost too easy |
+=== Improvement-Attemt: with Palstek ===
+I played around a bit more and finally came up with a way to make them work perfectly. Instead of using a knot in the second hole, we can use a Palstek-loop through the hole and round the line. Once tensioned, the loop will a) hold the line down over the whole surface and bend of the tensioner and b) the loop itself will pull the line into the hole and create additional friction.
 {{:xro:tensioners_bent2hole_improved_with_palstek_1.jpg?direct&700|}}
 {{:xro:tensioners_bent2hole_improved_with_palstek_2.jpg?direct&700|}}
 {{:xro:tensioners_bent2hole_improved_with_palstek_3.jpg?direct&700|}}
-{{:xro:tensioners_bent2hole_next_to_triangle3hole.jpg?direct&700|}}
-{{:xro:tensioners_bent2hole_normal1.jpg?direct&700|}}
-{{:xro:tensioners_bent2hole_normal1_under_tension.jpg?direct&700|}}
-{{:xro:tensioners_bent2hole_normal2_slightly_better.jpg?direct&700|}}
+This works **really well**. The line does not move even a millimeter under strong pull and is still very easy to adjust.
 ^                         discipline ^ verdict ^
-|                   **packing-size** |  |
+|                   **packing-size** | small |
-|                **holding tension** |  |
+|                **holding tension** | very good |
-|                          **looks** |  |
+|                          **looks** | nice |
-|  **ease of slackening/tensioning** |  |
+|  **ease of slackening/tensioning** | very easy |
+==== tautline hitch - tensioning rope with rope ====
-==== tensioning rope with rope ====
+search YouTube for "tensioning knots" , e.g. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fE24OX-eJLg|this link]]
-TODO
+This knot is really handy to know and dispenses away with your need for an extra tensioner.
 ^                         discipline ^ verdict ^
 |                   **packing-size** | unbeatable as you have only rope |
-|                **holding tension** |  |
+|                **holding tension** | ok |
-|                          **looks** |  |
+|                          **looks** | like rope. demonstrates your knot-foo |
-|  **ease of slackening/tensioning** |  |
+|  **ease of slackening/tensioning** | good |
+==== Aluminium Ring Tensioner ====
+{{:xro:tensioners_ring.jpg?direct&400|}}
+  - not tested
+  - looks as if it would work similar but less good as classic triangle 3 hole tensioner. Might even be as bad as the 2-hole version but without a way to fix it.
+  - looks bigger and clunkier than a triangle tensioner
+  - looks very cool
+==== small DIY wodden board ====
+by m.hupf:
+Contribution and interjection of m.hupf from medieval tent and yurt construction experience:
+For thicker cotton ropes or hemp ropes and larger setups, you can also just cut and drill a 1cm thick wooden board (usually 2.5cm x 7cm x 1cm) with two holes. The holes should ideally have only 1mm more diameter than the rope cross-section. Due to the rough wooden edge, the grip is excellent with rough thick ropes under tension.
+Re-tensioning is simple, but requires some experience: Pull the pull side to the peg and pull opposite side away from the peg. Easiest if done from above. To adjust larger distances, just remove tension from the rope.
+When the hole's edges have become rounded after prolonged use, one can turn the board around, i.e. run the rope out and the other way in. Four different should theoretically be possible. After that, one can recycle the board thermally in a camp fire.
@@ Line 110: / Line 212: @@
 My new Quechua tent shipped with tent-rope that had oval toggle-buttons (oblong buttons; Knebelknöpfe) on one end.
-The idea being that the rope is easy to remove fr
+The idea being that the rope is easy to remove from the loops mounted on the tent.
-^                         discipline ^ verdict ^
-|                   **packing-size** |  |
-|                **holding tension** |  |
-|                          **looks** |  |
-|  **ease of slackening/tensioning** |  |
-om the loops mounted on the tent.
 {{:xro:fix_rope_to_tent_with_toggle_button.jpg?direct&700|}}
@@ Line 122: / Line 218: @@
 I liked the idea and imitated it by buying some of these toggle-buttons online. I think they introduced it because
-  - they can market it as more easy, as people don't have to tie a know
+  - it ties into their marketing the tent as "easy", since people don't have to tie a knot
   - makes the tent better packable, as ropes don't get entangled during the folding process
-  - when tying down the tent is optional, the lines are also optional
+  - since tying down the tent is optional, have the lines permanently attached would not look good so the lines are also optional
 In hindsight however, I prefer the rope that is permanently tied to the tent (e.g. with a Palstek), because

realraum Graz, Brockmanngasse 15, 8010 Graz, realraum - Verein für Technik in Kultur und Gesellschaft