richard_dixon•19d agoProlific Poster

Shoutout to the guy at Lost Maples who showed me how to pitch a tarp in 90 seconds

Last spring I was struggling with my tarp at Lost Maples State Park, wind was picking up and I was about to give up. This older fella walks over, doesn't say a word, just grabs my ridgeline and shows me this trucker's hitch knot I'd never seen before. He had the whole thing taught and staked in under two minutes. Told me he learned it in the Marines and has used it ever since. Has anyone else run into random strangers who taught you something you still use every trip?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_joseph19d ago

Man, that's a solid story. It's amazing how a quick lesson from a stranger can stick with you forever, makes you appreciate the community out there. Have you found yourself passing that same trick on to someone else since then?

caleb_thomas9319d ago

Wait, no way, he just grabbed your ridgeline without even asking first? I would have been so confused if some random dude walked up and started messing with my gear like that, but I guess it worked out. That trucker's hitch is a game changer though, I learned it from a YouTube video last year and it's wild how much torque you can get. Did he actually show you how to tie it once or did he just do it for you and walk off? I feel like I'd need to see it at least twice before my brain would remember the steps for next time.