I was a proud member of the Boy Scouts way back when. And thanks to my father’s unwillingness to pay for any type of vacation involving a hotel room, I was also an avid camper. I had plenty of experience with rope growing up. Here’s the thing: if I had a nickel for every time a rope failed me, I could buy a bunch of cam straps.
In all seriousness, I am not opposed to rope as a tie-down option. I just think it doesn’t come close to a good cam strap. Cam straps were not around when I was in the Boy Scouts. They weren’t a thing when I was camping with my family back in the 1970s. But they are a thing today. And if I ever need to choose between cam straps and rope, I am going with the cam straps.
Tarps Collecting Water in the Rain
On both Scouting weekends and family camping trips, I and my brothers would set up our little pup tents in hopes of protecting ourselves from the elements. There was always a tarp involved. The tarp was strung over the top of the tent to protect against rain. It was secured to four trees using ropes.
Everything would be fine until it actually started raining. Inevitably, the tarp would begin to collect water. As it gained weight, the ropes would stretch. Every quarter inch of rain would make the tarp sag further until it finally gave up under its own weight, sending all that water crashing down onto the tent. So much for staying dry.
I wouldn’t have had that problem with ratchet straps. They don’t stretch in the rain. In fact, a good ratchet strap made from nylon or polyester will not even absorb water. Rain will run right off it as though it doesn’t even exist.
Losing My Load in the Mountains
I remember another occasion hiking with a full backpack in the mountains of Pennsylvania. I might have been 13 or 14 years old at the time. As I was wont to do, I secured my sleeping bag and bedding roll to the bottom of my backpack with two ropes. On top of my backpack were some cooking utensils, also secured with rope.
The cooking utensils were fine. But the constant up and down motion inherent to hiking eventually led to the ropes on the bottom of my backpack coming loose. I still remember being on a very steep portion of the trail when the ropes gave way, allowing my sleeping bag and bedding roll to take a trip down the hill.
Once again, I don’t think that would have happened had I used cam straps instead. They are held tightly with a mechanical buckle with embedded teeth that dig into the webbing material and hold it securely. It would take more than a simple trudge up a mountainside to cause them to fail.
I Still Use Them
I am now in my late 50s and a big fan of cam straps. Rollercam brand is my favorite brand. Nonetheless, I will always choose cam straps over ropes. I still use them for all sorts of household jobs – like hanging hoses in the shed and securing my patio furniture against the nasty storms we get here in Florida.
Do I still have rope around the house? Sure. But when push comes to shove, I have to admit to not using it much. If I had a nickel for every time a rope failed me, I would also have a lot more cam straps lying around.
