Basic Scout Knots
These are the eight basic knots that all scouts should be able to tie without even thinking twice.
Click any image for an animation of the knot
Midspan Sheet Bend Imagine if you have nothing but two parallel ropes each a mile long, and you're at the midspan of them. The point is, you don't have access to any of the four ends. How do you join the two ropes at the midspan without using a lot of rope in some big, bulky, tangled mess?
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Feel free to offer other solutions, but one solution is to tie them together similar to the "landlubber" way to tie a sheet bend. Back to the problem. Take the thicker* of the two parallel ropes, if one exists, and shape it into a "U" shape. Take the other line and make a long bight (double-up the rope) and treat it like the end of a rope and form the "p" or "q" part of the sheet bend. If you did it right, you should have the two ropes joined at midspan with a little loop at the knot from the bight of the smaller line you were treating like a single rope end. Now you can pull at any combination of the four ends of the rope.
*If the difference of diameter between the two ropes is too great, this knot will flip into a different form when the larger rope sees tension. If this happens, double up the smaller rope as shown for the Midspan Sheet Bend, but hitch it to the larger rope with a Sailor's Hitch instead, treating the larger rope as a passive object.
If you want to loop a rope without end-access onto a rail without end-access, you can again use the midspan sheet bend to close off a loop around the endless rail. However, since it's almost always better to hitch to an object if practical, you might just try doubling up the rope and treat it as the end of a rope to tie a timber hitch around the endless rail. |
Zeppelin Bend
Also known as the Rosendahl Bend, it's perhaps the best way to connect two ropes that there is. It's absolutely secure and jerk-resistant in all materials and is perfectly symmetric. It's also remarkably easy to untie after use, even when wet.
If you're trying to learn it, think "b" and "q" with reference to the starting shapes of the ropes.
No bend works properly when joining ropes of significantly different diameters. You'll often notice this when the bend doesn't draw up neatly. In such cases, you should consider joining the ropes with a hitch like the Sailor's Hitch treating the larger rope as a passive object.
Midshipman's Hitch or Tautline Hitch
This hitch is really just an adjustable loop used for non-critical applications where you need to adjust the size of a loop to apply tension to guy lines, like on your tent. After you tie it, grab the bulk of the knot and slide it where you'd like. Once you release it, the loop will hold how you've sized it. There are two common ways to tie this knot, and both serve the purpose.
The knot must be drawn up very snugly to work, and may not work at all on expecially stiff or slippery rope. Don't expect too much from it. It's not a very secure loop. If you tie down a load on the back of a truck with this, you're likely to find that your lines have gone slack after a few miles. A Versatackle is a better choice there.
This is a convenient hitch when you have access to the end of the post. If you need a more secure hitch, you can make it a Double Pile Hitch by spiraling down the post an extra 360 degrees with the bight of rope before throwing the bight loop over the top of the post.
The way this hitch is made also makes it an ideal hitch for hitching at the middle of a rope.
Draws up without having to work the hitch snug to form a strong, secure hitch that will not jam. It may be used as a way to tie a smaller rope to a very large rope.
(The smaller rope should pull left when tied as shown here.)
Push a bight through the final tuck to form a Slipped Sailor's Hitch.
As an interesting exercise, you might try tying this hitch as a loop knot and see what happens. Just loop around the rope and hitch the rope to itself. The loop would form to the left when tied as shown here.
This hitch is a modification of the Sailor's Hitch that allows a lengthwise pull on smooth spar, even if tapered. This hitch even outperforms the Icicle Hitch in this regard. Ensure that the hitch is tight before applying the lengthwise pull.
(The pull should be steady.)
Slipped Buntline Hitch
Although a standard buntline hitch has a terrible tendency to jam up, the slipped form of the buntline hitch helps alleviate this problem and thereby makes it more useful. As shown, just push a bight of rope through the final tuck of what would have been a buntline hitch.
Use the slipped buntline where you need to hitch to a very large object where the usual choice of a slipped sailor’s hitch for a quick-release hitch would prove unwieldy. The slipped buntline is superior to the mooring hitch, which is prone to capsize into a jammed form.
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This is one of the few classical hitches that is truly useful and reliable. Its security is admirable and it always casts off without trouble after use. Just remember that a true Timber Hitch must have at least three tucks contacting against the object.
Beware of using this hitch around a very large object that might keep the tucks from being clamped down securely.
The one bad thing about this hitch is that it is so simple, that some don't take the time to really study and memorize it, and will sometimes wrap the rope around the wrong leg, which will not result in anything but junk. Remember to wrap the rope back around the leg from where it just came (left side as shown above). If you did, it should form an eye for the standing part to run through.
Lark's Loop
Double Lark's Loop
An easy-to-remember end loop that can be tied around or through an object. It appears more secure than a bowline in slippery rope. It's easier to tie than re-threading a figure-8 loop as required for an end loop and won't jam up like a figure-8 loop sometimes can.
As with most knots, this must be drawn up snug before using.
Note that loop's working part makes what appears to be a tighter turn after entering the knot compared to some other loop knots, which may affect the breaking strength of the loop, but I haven't tested this yet.
***This loop is under evaluation***
(Let me know if you've seen it before)
Butterfly Loop or Lineman's Loop
This is my favorite loop knot tied in the bight. It's secure, strong, approximately symmetrical, easy to tie, and never jams, even when wet.
There are actually two good ways to tie it, and the easier way is shown here. The other way works better when you don't have as much slack to work with. You should use this loop often, so learn both methods.
This loop is also the starting point to one of the best double loops around.
Slippery 8 Loop
This adjustable loop was described to me by Dave Poston and probably was discovered by him. It has surprising security for an adjustable loop and has the unique feature that the loop cannot possibly contract under tension should extraordinary circumstances cause it to slip.
One extraordinary circumstance to avoid is having the legs of the loop at a 90 degree angle or greater when under tension. Having the legs at an angle greater than 90 degrees puts the Slippery 8 into its adjustable mode. This knot depends on having the end of the rope "turn the corner" for its security, so don't sabotage it.
Thanks, Dave, and let us know the formal name of your creation when you decide upon it.