Author Topic: Best tie down method yet-  (Read 6910 times)

SupTrip

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Best tie down method yet-
« on: July 22, 2014, 09:46:12 AM »
Ive played with several different ways of quickly securing my board to my rack, this has been my favorite so far, mostly because it is fast but what makes it distinctly different from other straps etc. is the lack of any "hard" component to dent your board, truck, or your own head when tossing straps over the board.

Basically its 1/2" shock cord with a loop racked & seized on one end, this allows you to tie it off to the rack on one end. Then i've used a loop of rope to make a prusik knot around the bungee. For the cleanest & overly strong approach i used a "hollow block" (available on amazon), which is a just 20" sewn loop of hollow kevlar braid.

Pictures may explain better....

Again, the benefit is you can toss it over and not smash anything, then secure the loop, tug on the bungee until its as tight as you want it, and your good to go. The prusik wont creep at all, in my experience at least, and ive tested it well in excess of typical highway speeds.
« Last Edit: July 22, 2014, 09:49:31 AM by SupTrip »

Wetstuff

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Re: Best tie down method yet-
« Reply #1 on: July 23, 2014, 11:33:12 AM »
Tripper,  I had to look up Prusik Knot.  Looks easy enough..

http://www.netknots.com/rope_knots/prusik-knot/

... so this acts as a sliding-choker on the 1/2" bungie, ja?   I don't have any 1/2" but typical bungie thins under pressure.  Maybe the 1/2" is strong enough when you crank on it too retain most of its diameter.  .25 wants to become .18 as you stretch it. 

It sounds like a good idea, but 1" webbing and alligator clips are so commonly available... and a 'round' has the potential of making a pressure dent more easily than a 'flat'. 

I use two: 1" straps up front and a .25 bungie at the rear.  Fins forward for maximum pretentiousness.

Jim
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supdiscobay

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Re: Best tie down method yet-
« Reply #2 on: July 23, 2014, 12:04:53 PM »
About 30 years ago I had to use two prussick loops to inch my way up a rope, when we had equipment failure, while climbing Half dome in Yosemite.  Didn't make it but had a great experience.
Prussicks work very well and are easily placed anywhere on a round rope and are very adjustable. I would trust that set up for a short trip, but not sure for a two hour freeway drive. Mainly due to the bungie.
I like straps. They work.
Yah, I have chips/dents in the top of my burb from the clamp, but hell my burb is taller than most people, so who sees it.
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Tecpartner

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Re: Best tie down method yet-
« Reply #3 on: July 23, 2014, 12:33:11 PM »
Someone on the Zone reccommended Shockles a few years ago.  I bought a pair, and have been using them ever since.  I can secure a board on my trailer in seconds.  1/2 bungie, one half 1" flat strap, with clips on the ends. I boaught a second set for spares, but my first set have held up fine.   Love em. 

SupTrip

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Re: Best tie down method yet-
« Reply #4 on: July 23, 2014, 01:43:09 PM »
I was using these sweet straps from "bison designs" that were basically 8' motorcycle tiedowns, but with clip hooks / carabiners/ on both ends when i was laying my board in the truck bed on strips of minicell, they were great, but had those heavy hook/ clip ends.

Ive only got a carli leveling kit and 35" tires on the f250 in the picture, but at 5'10" ive still got to get on my tip toes to set the board on the rack. With the amp bed step, and the bungee / prussik combo i can strap the board down without having to get in the bed. Mostly because i can sling it over the board without fear of striking anything. And to clarify the prussik stays on the cord, you dont have to re tie it everytime, like wetstuff said its a sliding choker.

Ive got the thule express straps as well but they arent long enough to flip over the board and then tighten from outside the truck, plus they've got a small metal hook on them as well.

I think shock cord does a better job of securing the board than flat straps and with less tension. At least the 1/2" cord does. If your rack pad foam compresses some more the shock picks up the slack stays tight, if a flat strap wiggles a little from where you had it lashed down then all of a sudden its flappin in the breeze.

This is an insane amount of effort to dedicate to such a small time saving improvement, but i love anything that makes it even a tiny bit easier to load and unload my board. If youve got a tall rack etc., and you like to save yourself a little hassle, then give it a shot.

As far as changing shock cord diameter, that wont affect the prussik. With regard to compression dents, i think ill add a sleeve of 1" tubular webbing over the portion that crosses the board. Tinker, tinker, tinker....

Also, If i was going for a two hour trip id add a flat strap or tie off to the leash plug just for peace of mind.

Wetstuff

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Re: Best tie down method yet-
« Reply #5 on: July 24, 2014, 06:38:23 AM »
Tirpper,   I needed to order some .25"  ...so I got a roll of .50 also.  I have some firehose.  I'll report back.  Thanks for  posting/advancing the idea. 

Jim
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PonoBill

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Re: Best tie down method yet-
« Reply #6 on: July 24, 2014, 06:53:28 AM »
I like your approach, and I'm a longtime fan of prussic knots though they have an unfortunate habit of slipping slightly. They're probably best used as a substitute for climbers. I favor rope tied permanently in the center of the rack, an approach I stole from Dave Kalama after ridiculing it initially. It's quick to toss the lines across the boards and secure. My friends all give me shit about the end result, but I find it more secure than straps and less likely to damage rails.

the issue of damaging rails is not the the greater area provided by the straps over rope but rather the lack of stretch in straps and the ease of over-tightening with the mechanical advantage of the clamping device. You can herk on a rope almost as much as you like, but the single purchase and stretchy rope limit the pressure. the boards might shift a little (as they should) and make covesurfer as nervous as a cat, but I consider that one of the benefits.
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Board Stiff

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Re: Best tie down method yet-
« Reply #7 on: July 24, 2014, 07:50:05 PM »
SupTrip, that's a nice setup you've got going. I use a very simple alternative that is quick to tie down and has been very secure, even for highway travel and with multiple boards.

I use 2 lengths of this 6 mm cord, each cut about twice the width of my car in length. I leave one end of each tied in an overhand looop, with the short end of the rope sticking out of the loop tied off in 2 half hitches.

When I'm ready to secure my board, I pass each length of rope under a roof rack rail in the middle of the car, toss both ends over the board, pass the loose end under the end of the roof rack rail on the other side, through the loop on the opposite end of the rope, then pull back away from the looped end to crank down on the board and tie the loose end off to the end of the rack rail with 2 half hitches.

It's basically a trucker's hitch, except instead of tying the hitch end to one rail and the yanking end to the opposite one, the whole rope makes a loop around the board and both rails and only has to be tied to one end of the rail. I can apply both tiedowns in under 30 seconds, which is handy on a windy day!  :)

stoneaxe

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Re: Best tie down method yet-
« Reply #8 on: July 24, 2014, 08:16:53 PM »
SupTrip, that's a nice setup you've got going. I use a very simple alternative that is quick to tie down and has been very secure, even for highway travel and with multiple boards.

I use 2 lengths of this 6 mm cord, each cut about twice the width of my car in length. I leave one end of each tied in an overhand looop, with the short end of the rope sticking out of the loop tied off in 2 half hitches.

When I'm ready to secure my board, I pass each length of rope under a roof rack rail in the middle of the car, toss both ends over the board, pass the loose end under the end of the roof rack rail on the other side, through the loop on the opposite end of the rope, then pull back away from the looped end to crank down on the board and tie the loose end off to the end of the rack rail with 2 half hitches.

It's basically a trucker's hitch, except instead of tying the hitch end to one rail and the yanking end to the opposite one, the whole rope makes a loop around the board and both rails and only has to be tied to one end of the rail. I can apply both tiedowns in under 30 seconds, which is handy on a windy day!  :)

We need some pictures... :D
Bob

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juandoe

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Re: Best tie down method yet-
« Reply #9 on: July 24, 2014, 09:36:52 PM »
Someone on the Zone reccommended Shockles a few years ago.  I bought a pair, and have been using them ever since.  I can secure a board on my trailer in seconds.  1/2 bungie, one half 1" flat strap, with clips on the ends. I boaught a second set for spares, but my first set have held up fine.   Love em.

Unfortunately, the shockles company got bought out and the new guys are discontinuing the straps.  I bought some of the leftover stock but the carabiners were changed out for some tiny clips.  I have to buy some carabiners now.

Stand Up Pittsburgh

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Re: Best tie down method yet-
« Reply #10 on: July 25, 2014, 08:08:00 AM »
I like your approach, and I'm a longtime fan of prussic knots though they have an unfortunate habit of slipping slightly. They're probably best used as a substitute for climbers. I favor rope tied permanently in the center of the rack, an approach I stole from Dave Kalama after ridiculing it initially. It's quick to toss the lines across the boards and secure. My friends all give me shit about the end result, but I find it more secure than straps and less likely to damage rails.

the issue of damaging rails is not the the greater area provided by the straps over rope but rather the lack of stretch in straps and the ease of over-tightening with the mechanical advantage of the clamping device. You can herk on a rope almost as much as you like, but the single purchase and stretchy rope limit the pressure. the boards might shift a little (as they should) and make covesurfer as nervous as a cat, but I consider that one of the benefits.

Pono Bill - Can you take some pictures of your tie down setup on your rack.

Board Stiff

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Re: Best tie down method yet-
« Reply #11 on: July 25, 2014, 04:49:29 PM »
We need some pictures... :D

Sorry, too dark for pictures last night. Here you go...

Length of rope with loop left tied at one end:


Close-up of the loop:


Pass rope under rail and toss both ends over board:


View from other side of car:


Pass loose end of rope under rail end and through the loop on the other end of the rope:


Pull the unlooped side of the rope coming across the board so it pulls the looped end back up a ways, taking up some of the extra rope and giving you leverage to pull against:


Pull the loose end taut, cinching down on the board as tight as you want, then passing it under the rail end and tying it off with two half hitches:


I leave the loops tied in my ropes, so it takes about 30 seconds total to tie down the front and back of my board this way, and 10 seconds to untie and remove ropes.

 


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