Those was tie down lines. All the other tents had more of them for in case of wind. One of the places I hunt usually has high wind and I once had a tent destroyed by wind that is what I was concerned about. It is a really nice tent though with all the netting I would use it in warm weather and the Eureka in cold weather. It was a close call but I picked the Eureka as No 1 'cause it had more room, It is a very good tent, warmer in cold weather and costs less.