[pct-l] Beaks (on tarps, not birds)

[Brett Tucker" <blisterfree@earthlink.net (Brett Tucker)]

What is a "beak" anyway? We've seen this term flying around.

Here's a description from GoLite's website, referring to the "Ray-way" tarp
(developed by Ray Jardine and licensed exclusively to GoLite):

FEATURES
Cave shelters combine the versatility and ventilation of tarps with the
weather protection of tents. Their Variable Geometry BeaksT (patent pending)
accomplish this by automatically changing their angle with the height of
your pitch. You can pitch them near horizontally for maximum ventilation,
vertically to shut out an end entirely, or any angle in between. In the
worst storms, you can pitch both sides to the ground, the rear closed off
vertically, and the front up and ventilating - something you cannot do with
any other shelter. Twin equalized lifter lines create a dome shape
maximizing room and shedding weather well.


Here's an explanation of the beak's innovation, from Beyond Backpacking:

Variable geometry aerodynamics

In my most recent tarp design I added a very useful feature. Both ends of
the tarp are drooped. I call these drooped ends "beaks." The lower you pitch
the tarp, the wider you spread the two halves apart at their base, and the
more the beaks point downward. In so doing they partially close off the ends
of the tarp, and help block both wind and rain. Once the tarp is pitched,
the position of the beaks is fixed. But while pitching the tarp, you can
point the beaks nearly horizontally (by pitching the tarp high, and angling
the walls steeply), or you can point the beaks straight down vertically (by
pitching the tarp very low, and spreading the edges wide). Or you can pitch
the tarp so that the beaks are anywhere in between those two positions.

The tip of each beak is fitted with a short guyline. This is tied to the
nearby support pole or tree, but only tight enough to support the beak,
since this line does not support the main tarp body.