Tent ropes

Looking to get some rope/cord to have as spares for tents etc. Short of sourcing original ropes any suggestions on where to go? I've had a look on eBAD and Hemp rope seems about as close as you can get.

murph wrote:Looking to get some rope/cord to have as spares for tents etc. Short of sourcing original ropes any suggestions on where to go? I've had a look on eBAD and Hemp rope seems about as close as you can get.

I use the hemp based sash cord. Most hardware places do it. Its strong, good for a number of uses.

That's an idea, does it come in different grades/widths?

Murph, it depends which tent and which rope you're looking at getting spares for. Some ropes were cotton, and some were seizel NOT hemp! Obviously, the sizes were different too.

Regards,
Ben.

murph wrote:That's an idea, does it come in different grades/widths?

I can get you sone from our hardware store. They do it in different lengths, and as its for Sash windows, it'll be period correct.

Sash cord is only really any good if it's the white waxed varient, and even then only for the small footstop loops on Wall Tents and Pyramidals.

Cheers,
Ben.

I was thinking about my small wall tent as well as my pup tent. I don't need immediate spares as such I'm just interested to know where we source rope that either matches or as closely as possible in the modern age matches original ropes. Is it a case of buying original rope (if it's available) or as Paul has suggested sash cord. Ideas on a post card?

murph wrote:I was thinking about my small wall tent as well as my pup tent. I don't need immediate spares as such I'm just interested to know where we source rope that either matches or as closely as possible in the modern age matches original ropes. Is it a case of buying original rope (if it's available) or as Paul has suggested sash cord. Ideas on a post card?

Murph, i've recently bought a couple of replacement ropes for my pup tent from What Price Glory. Not bad at all at only £2-3 a rope i think? I ordered 3 and with postage was about £15 all in if i recall???

I've not seen anything better elsewhere...


Dan.

murph wrote:Is it a case of buying original rope (if it's available) or as Paul has suggested sash cord. Ideas on a post card?

Is this some kind of joke? I've already indicated that sash cord is only suitable for replacing the Foot Stops, in which case it needs to be the white waxed variant, and should be 1/4-inch in diameter. For the other lines on the tent, you will need:

10 lines 8-feet in length and 1/4-inch in diameter (these are the eave lines, and should have an eye spliced on one end - on original tents these were made from manila, but on Pathfinder reproductions they are made from sisal rope)
18 lines 2-feet 6-inches sewed both ends and 1/4-inch in diameter (these are the door fasteners and should be made from cotton rope)
2 lines 2-feet 6-inches sewed both ends and 1/4-inch in diameter (these are the door wall lines and again should be made from cotton rope)
18 lines 1/4-inch diameter (these are the Foot Stops - these would be suitable to make from the white sash cord Paul has suggested)

Most of this rope can be sourced from a good hardware store or ropemakers, or alternatively a marina. As Dan has said, WPG offer spare guy lines for the Shelter Tent.

Thanks,
Ben.

Benjamin - take a chill pill. I've used sash cord, which is period correct, for a number of uses, including emergency tentage repair , washing lines etc etc, and I think thats what Murph is enquirying about.

Credit me with a little bit of life experience and expert opinion when it comes to sash cord, please. I am a City and Guilds qualified cabinet maker after all!

Johnny_Costino wrote:Benjamin - take a chill pill. I've used sash cord, which is period correct, for a number of uses, including emergency tentage repair , washing lines etc etc, and I think thats what Murph is enquirying about.

I don't think it is, though?

murph wrote: I don't need immediate spares as such I'm just interested to know where we source rope that either matches or as closely as possible in the modern age matches original ropes.

Cheers,
Ben.

Johnny_Costino wrote:Benjamin - take a chill pill. I've used sash cord, which is period correct, for a number of uses, including emergency tentage repair , washing lines etc etc, and I think thats what Murph is enquirying about.

Credit me with a little bit of life experience and expert opinion when it comes to sash cord, please. I am a City and Guilds qualified cabinet maker after all!

Paul.
Nowhere has Murph asked about washing lines or emergency tentage repairs! But he has asked
h cord in any

murph wrote: I don't need immediate spares as such I'm just interested to know where we source rope that either matches or as closely as possible in the modern age matches original ropes.

Again no emergency repairs then!
How does Life experence and so called expert opinion on sash cord, make you an expert on WW2 tentage.
It's because of these half cocked / arrogant ideas, people are being missled and I have stopped visiting and posting on this forum so regularly. I think it may be you who needs to take a "chill pill". Some people do do the research and have found no mention of sash cord.
I will of course be at Beltring this week and think we all need a chat, as things are starting to boil over.

Chris.

murph wrote:Looking to get some rope/cord to have as spares for tents etc.

Has it come to this? Really??? That it is deemed so necessary to post so intently on a thread about frigging rope!???????

Playing the qouting game, note the word "etc" above, which to me means tent or otherwise, so innocently posted a response in respect of what I felt he could use.

I suggest nothing more is posted on this thread, and no doubt we can have a meaningful chat face to face. As has been suggested before numerous times, this forum was never set up as is a platform for airing grievances with each other. As one of the founding fathers of the group I can state that the forum was designed to bring the group together not to tear it apart.

Guys

As per the above about a face to face chat, I do think it would be a good idea so that we can get this thread back on track to its original intentions. Can I therefore ask that any further comments are left off the forum and resolved in person.

With regards to pup tent spare rope, I believe Service of Supply also do spares and they tend to be reasonable plus their kit in general is very good.

There must be an equivalent supply here in the UK, it’s just a case of keeping an eye out whilst being out and about. Even if it comes un-waxed I’m sure we could wax it ourselves???

Cheers

Sam

I will post since it's my thread, all I asked for is some advice and guidance and instead we end up with this, it is supposed to be a forum for discussion

Ok, I've been doing a little bit of research, results of which are posted. There appears to be a decent supply of manila and cotton rope/sash cord on the web with relatively reasonable prices. I already have a tent repair sewing kit so I will probably buy some of the above as well to have as a stock item. Perhaps if someone has an old tent/shelter half that is falling apart they could keep hold of it for me and we could use it for spares. Below is an article on whip stitching I have copied form a website called Duck Works for amateur boat builders but it does address that common problem of frayed ends or 'Irish Pennants'...

'Left to its own devices, both laid and braided rope will start to unravel from the ends at an alarming rate. A number of means exist to prevent this, but the best, and also oldest, is "whipping," wherein small thin line is wrapped around and secured to the end of a larger line.
The term whipping comes from the compound word whipcord, a thin tough hemp strand used in finishing off the ends of whips. References as far back as the 1300s show that whipcord was also used to tightly bind things subject to rough service, like the ends of rope, the fastening of fish
hooks to line, the marking of a church's bell ropes, or around an archer's bow string.
Today though, whipping's most important use is to prevent the lines on your boat from falling apart. This condition of shaggy-ended rope has been variously known as cowtails,
deadmen, or by the British as either Saxon flags, Dutch pennants, or Irish pennants (depending on whom they were feeling superior to at the time).

Placement of the whipping on the line is very important. Usually, about 3/8 inch is good on lines whose ends have been melted, and closer to the end on natural fiber lines that have to be passed through blocks. The length of the whipping itself should be equal to the diameter of the rope. Traditionally, whippings have been applied against the lay, that is in a direction opposite to those of the strands. This makes sense because the fibers, yarns, and strands of a rope are twisted in opposite directions, so any tendency of one to loosen simultaneously tightens the others. But in practice, a whipping can often be put on tighter when it follows the lay of the rope. And the first goal of a whipping is to be as tight as possible. I suggest you try both and go with whichever feels right. Braided line has no lay to worry about.

You should also whip towards the end of the rope, rather than working from the end inwards. This tends to force any stray kinks or loose fibers out towards the end.
There are infinite varieties of whippings. The two I'll show here are the most practical and easiest to tie. They are good whippings, and if done right could last the life of a line. But they should not be thought of as permanent. The only way to achieve this is by stitching the whipping to the line, which I will explain how to do in the next "Ropelocker."


Common Whipping
This is just what it says: the most popular, and generally most useful, of all whippings.
Make a bight in a length of thread. Lay it against the line to be whipped.
Wrap the thread as tightly as possible over the bight, working towards the rope's end.
After you have made a sufficient number of turns around the rope) tuck the working end through the bight.
Pull firmly on the standing end to trap the working end midway beneath the turns of the whipping. Trim the exposed ends as short as possible.
One of the problems with this kind of whipping is that if you make the turns too tight, you may not be able to pull the bight through without breaking the line. If you make the turns too loose though, the whole thing falls apart. When in doubt, opt for the taut, and take your chances.'

I like it, good find Ian and knowledge that could always come in handy.

Thats good that! I might have a little dabble later!!

Nice find Murph ! will have to try these knots and see if they actually stay on and protect the extremities of the rope !

Good luck for your reseach for ropes !

Cheers

PX Pat