What is your favorite way to fasten lines when staking out your tarp/tent?

Thinking about it, there are two knots I use for guylines 99% of the time: Taught-line hitch and Marlin spike hitch.

I have 6 and 8 foot lines (zing-it) on the corners of my tarp that I leave there. When I wrap up the tarp in the skins I just roll up the loose line in the tarp. Any sort of metal/plastic line tensioner/figure9 device/etc just gets all tangled up and can potentially put a hole in the tarp. And they get lost. Clean, naked lines are simple, and they don't tangle. And they are lighter.

Marlin Spike Hitch (at 5:30)

PROS:
Fastest way to tie/untie a line around a wire stake. Performed on the center of the rope and does not need to pass/loop the end at all. Can be tied/released one handed if yer good. Also useful in hauling loads/hanging food, and in hammock suspension.
CONS:
Not adjustable. Can only tie around a stake or a cylinder, not through an eye or through a loop.

Taught-Line Hitch

PROS:
Slides to adjust length while still maintaining tension. Can be tied around anything: stake, loop, branch, tree trunk. Very useful for many things (tying canoe down to the car).
CONS:
Need access to the end of the rope: difficult to tie/untie long ropes. Slower to tie/untie.

I use the Marlin Spike Hitch for joining my tree straps to my Whoopie Slings. I used an old hollow aluminum tent stake with a loop in the end for removal.

That's about all the knots I tie on my hammock. All other ropes including the tarp I use NiteIze figure 9 rope tighteners. They are a hassle free, fast way to tighten your ropes in the morning after the cords have stretched overnight. They act as a locking and unlocking truckers hitch. I will use 10 of the NitIze figure 9 on my hammock and tarp setup.

Trucker hitch looped for quick release.
CB

Prusik on a continuous ridgeline

I use NiteIze Figure 9s on all my tents and my tarp for the hammock. Quick and easy to use in my opinion.

quote BenSki: "I use NiteIze Figure 9s on all my tents and my tarp for the hammock. Quick and easy to use in my opinion."

I was half-hoping that you would watch the video on the taught-line hitch and have a life-changing epiphany :) .

For an eagle scout who loves knots...taught-line hitch. That's what it's for. I do also have a handful of the figure 9's for tarp lines...super easy. I use a marlin spike for my hammock straps and like Scout64, prusiks on my ridge line.

quote muddyfeet: "

quote BenSki: "I use NiteIze Figure 9s on all my tents and my tarp for the hammock. Quick and easy to use in my opinion."

I was half-hoping that you would watch the video on the taught-line hitch and have a life-changing epiphany :) .
"

Hey, I love the video. Van Husen, I've seen him before. But yes! I watched the video and had the epiphany you speak of. Cool, man! I've already practiced making this knot and I love it! I can see where this knot should be used on tent guy lines on the stake end for easy adjustments. No need for a quick release on my tent, but I am starting to see where this is a great way to adjust the ridgeline. Thanks!

I just keep loops at each tie out point. Then I use a prussic knot at that point so I can adjust the guy line from under the tarp. I have spliced eye loops at the end of each guy line and that just goes on the stake.
You can see the set up at 1:42 of this video.

Prussics are awesome. I love friction knots! They are used a ton in climbing and rigging. I like your setup- how you can adjust tension from under the tarp. At one point I had thought about doing that by adding linelocs to the tarp corners.
Your prussic loop system could be much more versatile, though!

quote jcavenagh: "I just keep loops at each tie out point. Then I use a prussic knot at that point so I can adjust the guy li9ne from under the tarp. I have spliced eye loops at the end of each guy line and that just goes on the stake.
You can see the set up at 1:42 of this video. "

Great idea!

Not my idea...I picked up that tip somewhere on some forum...Hammock Forums, I think. Every idea I have about this stuff I stole from someone... <:-o

Well, I'm about to steal it from you. :)

Note: A benefit of this configuration is that the ridge line is outside the tarp. This reduces the potential for water running in and falling into the hammie.

I use a continuous ridgeline with prussic on the tarp, clove hitches on the tie outs going to the tent stakes. I like the clove hitch because it's easily adjustable and when you're done you always just have an un-knotted length of cord.

quote bposteve: "I use a continuous ridgeline with prussic on the tarp, clove hitches on the tie outs going to the tent stakes. I like the clove hitch because it's easily adjustable and when you're done you always just have an un-knotted length of cord."

Nice! I hadn't thought of a clove hitch but I'll bet that works well. I used to do a lot of rock climbing and would use the clove hitch for equalizing anchors that would hold many times body weight. It's super adjustable and if you flip it around you can even belay off of it Munter hitch style.

That's the downside to a marlin spike hitch: once tied it is not adjustable.