I hate tangled guylines. When it’s time to pack my tarp, I take special care to wrap each guyline so it is ready to deploy. One advantage of coiling up guyline is that it helps avoid tangles in the line and unintentional knotting. In some wind storms, I’ve had my guyline tie itself into knots thanks to the constant whipping and curling as it is blown around. In these conditions, I wrap the extra guyline when the tarp is pitched.

I basically use two wrapping techniques for my guyline: the figure-8 and the hand wrap. Both work well, but the figure-8 wrap is nearly 100% effective in eliminating tangles, no matter what line you choose. These wrapping techniques are also handy with full-length ridge lines. A popular line used for ridge lines (and even some guylines) is 1.75mm Zing-It. This Dyneema line is very strong for its size, but prone to knotting and it tangles easily. The figure-8 wrap is very effective in making this line just open up when it’s time to deploy.

The other line I often use is braided mason line. I like this line because it is inexpensive, easy to knot, lightweight, and packs down small. I also like the visible neon colors. I most often use a palm wrap for this line and it works great.

Some tarps, notably the Hennessy Hammock models, have pockets on the corners near the guy points. These pockets are a handy place to store your guyline, but I still recommend wrapping your line first otherwise you wind up with a rat’s nest that becomes a nightmare to untangle.