Guy line tensioners are those pesky little plastic pieces that are needed for staking out your tent to prevent it from blowing away in heavy wind or to just keep your rainfly from flapping wildly in the wind while you're trying to get some sleep.
There are a variety of different guy line tensioners available, from those simple tensioners that come with a purchased tent to fancy (and pricey) aftermarket tensioners.
Half of the challenge is knowing how to correctly use a tensioner for tightly tying out your guy lines. And we recommend practicing your skills at home so that when you are at camp pitching your tent, you can guy line like a pro.
Here are a few examples of guy line tensioners. The black tensioner on the left is the "Nite Ize Figure 9". The yellow tensioner on the right is a typical unit that is included with the purchase of a variety of tents.
There are a variety of different guy line tensioners available, from those simple tensioners that come with a purchased tent to fancy (and pricey) aftermarket tensioners.
Half of the challenge is knowing how to correctly use a tensioner for tightly tying out your guy lines. And we recommend practicing your skills at home so that when you are at camp pitching your tent, you can guy line like a pro.
Here are a few examples of guy line tensioners. The black tensioner on the left is the "Nite Ize Figure 9". The yellow tensioner on the right is a typical unit that is included with the purchase of a variety of tents.
You can see in the image below, the complexity of the Nite Ize tensioner. If you are not camping every other weekend and worried that you may forget how to guide your guy line in, out, over, and around this Nite Ize tensioner, then you may want to remain loyal to the traditional three-hole tensioner.
The traditional three-hole tensioner also seems to hold tightest during heavy winds, compared to other aftermarket options that might allow your guy line to slip loose.
The traditional three-hole tensioner also seems to hold tightest during heavy winds, compared to other aftermarket options that might allow your guy line to slip loose.
Aftermarket options are going to cost you more money, can be complex to use, and can potentially allow slack in your guy lines.
Overall, we like the simplicity of the traditional three-hole guy line tensioner that comes with most tents. They are easy to use, they are not an extra expense, and are effective at keeping your guy lines tight.
Overall, we like the simplicity of the traditional three-hole guy line tensioner that comes with most tents. They are easy to use, they are not an extra expense, and are effective at keeping your guy lines tight.