green, I had to look up what a jumar is -- it is a mechanical device that does the same thing as a prusik knot, only better. But I have no climbing equipment, so I will make do with the sliding knot.
I am not sure that tent poles could withstand the lateral force of the weight of the tarp. I plan to "guy out" the PVC poles to counteract the pull of the rope at the vertex, probably with two guy ropes tied to two stakes in the ground.
The other minor problem with tent poles is that they are not long enough, I think. I am trying to get the whole tarp pretty far off the ground, so that the sheltered area underneath would be more useful.
I know for sure that a big tarp will fit into a duffle bag, so that is how I will transport it.
But all of this assumes that we are going to get to take a trip sometime soon -- right now, we are stuck at home due to family obligations (very elderly and infirm relatives).
