Attaching rope light to a tent

teardropper · Post by **teardropper** » Mon May 09, 2011 10:37 pm

I'll be lighting my North Pole Shade with various LED rope lights, around the arched openings and around the top inside to provide muted illumination. But the hooking on part, I'm not not exactly sure how to do this. Surely not my most difficult task, but... Any ideas?

havoc · Post by **havoc** » Tue May 10, 2011 6:48 am

i take it there are no hooks or loops on the inside of the tent?

if there's any fabric to grab onto, you could try something like this: http://www.gothicarchgreenhouses.com/Shark-bite.htm. then use zip ties or carabiners to attach the lights.

you might also look into large, heavy duty safety pins: http://www.amazon.com/5-Piece-Set-Extra ... B001ECMXHG.

if you're serious about attaching lights like this on a regular basis, you could investigate what it would take to attach grommets. i guess it depends on how rough you're willing to get with your tent. :)

Post by **AntiM** » Tue May 10, 2011 6:57 am

Spring clamps/clips are your friend.

http://www.harborfreight.com/1-1-2-half ... 40894.html

Big enough to go around the rope, strong enough to hang onto the fabric. We have dozens of them in assorted sizes, tiny to huge. They're what we use to hold the camp together, put up the art, hang stuff up, and on and on. Most useful things ever.

The Hustler · Post by **The Hustler** » Tue May 10, 2011 7:11 am

teardropper wrote:I'll be lighting my North Pole Shade with various LED rope lights, around the arched openings and around the top inside to provide muted illumination. But the hooking on part, I'm not not exactly sure how to do this. Surely not my most difficult task, but... Any ideas?

I have a similar Kelty shade, but with no screen, and it has a D-ring in the middle of the ceiling like a tent and small fabric loops in the corners. If yours has something like that, use simple nylon cable ties or reuseable "hook and loop" cable ties. If you're attaching the lighting around the "doorway," you won't have any attachment points so my idea is moot.

Or, go with AntiM's plan and use spring clamps. They give you an added advantage of having a tool for a fast emergency repair of something more important should you need it. But, looking at the photo, it doesn't seem like there is anything to which you could clamp the lighting. I mean, no storm flaps or loose fabric.

I would avoid gromets or any other means of making a hole in the tent, since it can affect the structure and degrade the fabric.

Maybe you can use small strips of steel, like what one uses to secure conduit to a wall and attach with a magnet on the other side of the fabric. Some tent lights and fans work this way. I don't knwo if it will make the fabric rip after a week in constant wind.

If you're really slick and know what you're doing, you could sew fabric loops or some attachment point to the fabric, seam-sealing behind the stitching. That will allow you to have lights and whatever else the fabric will support hanging off of the tent. Keep in mind the integrity of the structure may rely on the fabric being intact, so sewing or modifying may allow a structural failure in a strong gust.

If you go the sewing route, slightly over-do it and tape the seams. If possible, set up the tent and lean on it or find a friendly neighborhood hurricane and go camping.

DragginLady · Post by **DragginLady** » Tue May 10, 2011 9:43 am

http://www.shelter-systems.com/grip-clips.html

C187 · Post by **C187** » Tue May 10, 2011 9:10 pm

Binder Clips could be used. Just bend the metal part, or use yarn.

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Tue May 10, 2011 11:05 pm

Yeah, binder clips, if you put some tape over the sharp edges.

Or 'clothespins'.

You know, those 'sustainable' things we used with 'clotheslines' once upon a time.

Post by **AntiM** » Wed May 11, 2011 1:15 am

Bob wrote:Yeah, binder clips, if you put some tape over the sharp edges.

Or 'clothespins'.

You know, those 'sustainable' things we used with 'clotheslines' once upon a time.

Modern clothespins are crap, good ones over-prices. Which is why I suggested spring clamps. No sharp edges, cheap and versatile.

Unless you can get Japanese clothes pole pins, a whole new world of clip. Mine are vintage now, I use them around the house like mad. Hard to find online, googling only turns up dirty pictures.

C.f.M. · Post by **C.f.M.** » Wed May 11, 2011 6:49 am

For that, zip ties.

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Wed May 11, 2011 7:13 am

I'd just hang a furious wad of lites at the top of the pole.

Post by **AntiM** » Wed May 11, 2011 7:22 am

"Furious Wad" would be a great username on eplaya.

Sail Man · Post by **Sail Man** » Wed May 11, 2011 7:37 am

AntiM wrote:"Furious Wad" would be a great username on eplaya.

Or what I call the christmas lights I pull out of my tote every season before I wander off in search of alcohol.

mudpuppy000 · Post by **mudpuppy000** » Wed May 11, 2011 8:29 am

I think the horizontal poles on the NPPT poke out right above the doorway so you can wrap stuff around that, and run them down to the ground on either side of the door. Those clips look like a good idea for other spots though, I need to get a few of those.

The Hustler · Post by **The Hustler** » Wed May 11, 2011 9:51 am

AntiM wrote:"Furious Wad" would be a great username on eplaya.

Hahahaha!

Sitting here in the office trying not to laugh out loud at that is making it so much funnier. Laughing at things narrow-minded people don't understand is never good when out numbered.

Hahahaha!

teardropper · Post by **teardropper** » Wed May 11, 2011 7:04 pm

C187 wrote:

Binder Clips could be used. Just bend the metal part, or use yarn.

I guess this must have been a legitimate question...

Thank you, C187...

MyDearFriend · Post by **MyDearFriend** » Wed May 11, 2011 7:22 pm

teardropper wrote:
C187 wrote:

Binder Clips could be used. Just bend the metal part, or use yarn.
I guess this must have been a legitimate question...

Thank you, C187...

Binder clips can be lethal weapons.

This, BTW, is a great site. Please check out their FAQs.

teardropper · Post by **teardropper** » Wed May 11, 2011 9:03 pm

mudpuppy000 wrote:I think the horizontal poles on the NPPT poke out right above the doorway so you can wrap stuff around that, and run them down to the ground on either side of the door. Those clips look like a good idea for other spots though, I need to get a few of those.

My yard, both front and back, is too small to put it up. I'll probably take it to Rendezvous with the Friends of Black Rock Desert/High Rock Canyon and take a close look at it. I mentioned sewing and partner reacted. Not well. (What's she know about tents?) Don't need the lights at Rendezvous. But I might bring a couple of things, including needle and thread, and see what works. I wouldn't think a couple of needle holes would be so bad...

teardropper · Post by **teardropper** » Thu May 12, 2011 7:03 am

C.f.M. wrote:zip ties.

Wouldn't be without 'em...

DragginLady · Post by **DragginLady** » Thu May 12, 2011 7:42 am

I am wondering about needle holes in shelters.... Not a good idea if it rains. The grip clips I mentioned before are expensive, but really really good. Those are what we used on that arch in front of center camp cafe last year to hold material together. The small size is ok for holding the lights, but I think the medium size is easiere to use, especially if your material is thick.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Thu May 12, 2011 8:44 am

You can always waterproof again with that repair goo.

mudpuppy000 · Post by **mudpuppy000** » Thu May 12, 2011 10:46 am

teardropper wrote:
mudpuppy000 wrote:I think the horizontal poles on the NPPT poke out right above the doorway so you can wrap stuff around that, and run them down to the ground on either side of the door. Those clips look like a good idea for other spots though, I need to get a few of those.
My yard, both front and back, is too small to put it up. I'll probably take it to Rendezvous with the Friends of Black Rock Desert/High Rock Canyon and take a close look at it. I mentioned sewing and partner reacted. Not well. (What's she know about tents?) Don't need the lights at Rendezvous. But I might bring a couple of things, including needle and thread, and see what works. I wouldn't think a couple of needle holes would be so bad...

I set mine up in a park last year pre-playa to see how easy it was to set up. It was funny having all the kids walk by asking what I was doing. I'll experiment with some attachment methods at Lightning in a Bottle in a couple weeks and see how they work. I guess a needle/thread would be ok, but I wouldn't do anything that makes significant holes in the fabric, or it could be a place for some nasty tears to start when the wind blows.

International Incident · Post by **International Incident** » Sat May 21, 2011 1:52 am

This is how I am going to approach the type of problem you are having.

In a place where there is a seam, or where the zip is, just add some D rings (dressmaking shops have them really cheap).

If you put a needle hole through the actual fabric put the needle and thread through some backing (velcro works well). This â€œshouldâ€

ibdave · Post by **ibdave** » Sat May 21, 2011 8:17 am

C187 wrote:

Binder Clips could be used. Just bend the metal part, or use yarn.

+100 Love these clips everything from chipbag clips to holding wet ski gloves open to dry.

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Mon May 23, 2011 7:30 pm

Not sure if you have Clear Pole Access (they used to open up for Furious Wad) at all points, but my New Best Friend in the toolbox is my roll of double-sided Velcro...(Harbor Freight, coupla bucks, two sizes available).

I've even taken to using my TV Downtime for cutting 2-6" sections of The Hooky Goodness to use for...well, EVERYTHING.

teardropper · Post by **teardropper** » Mon May 23, 2011 9:24 pm

robotland wrote:... TV Downtime...

TV downtime... ?

teardropper · Post by **teardropper** » Wed Jun 01, 2011 8:49 pm

Put it up on the playa at Rendezvous, such as it was. Found a couple of tabs eith D rings in them. Wanting to light the door and the ceiling. Tried spring clips, gorilla tape, zip ties and... well I think that was what I had. For each job, each worked. Blue LED rope light eerily lit the playa. Only up for a brief time due to the extreme weather -- cold, high and constant winds, rain. Broke just a bit by Sunday afternoon so the few who were left could party Sunday night to a great little band. But the whiskey held out and fun was had by a sparse few.

Attaching rope light to a tent

Attaching rope light to a tent

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