Tie Your Own!

Activity: Tie Your Own Knots!

Using the videos and guides, you will learn step by step how to tie a bowline, a square knot and many more!

Bowline

The Bowline forms a secure loop that will not jam and is easy to tie and untie. The Bowline is most commonly used for forming a fixed loop, large or small at the end of a line. Even after severe tension is applied it is easy to untie. However, because it does untie so easily it should not be trusted in a life or death situation such as mountain climbing. It is said to retain 60% of the strength of the line in which it is tied.

Lay the rope across your left hand with the free end hanging down. Form a small loop in the line in your hand.
Bring the free end up to and pass through the eye from the underside (the rabbit comes out of the hole).
Wrap the line around the standing line and back down through the loop (around the tree and back down the hole).
Tighten the knot by pulling on free end while holding standing line

Square Knot

The Reef Knot or Square Knot is quick and easy to tie; it is a good knot for securing non-critical items. Not to be trusted to join two ropes together. This knot was used for centuries by sailors for reefing sails, hence the name Reef Knot, and tying things aboard ships. It is important that this knot should not be used as a bend (for tying two ropes together). It is unsafe and can come apart. Be sure to form the square knot and avoid tying a granny knot, by making sure that both parts of the rope, the standing line and the free end, exit the knot together.

Tie two overhand knots. First, right over left and twist. Then left over right and twist.
Make sure both parts of the rope exit the knot together!

Tautline Hitch

This knot can be slipped to tighten or loosen a line, then holds fast under load. Useful for lines that may need adjustment. The Tautline Hitch is essentially a Rolling Hitch tied on the standing part of a tight line after it has been secured around an object. Campers like to use this knot to secure tent guy lines because the hitch slides freely, yet jams under load, making adjustments to the line easy.

Make a turn around a post or other object several feet from the free end.
Coil the free end twice around the standing line working back toward the post.
Make one additional coil around the standing line on the outside of the coils just made.
Tighten the knot and slide it on the standing line to adjust tension.

Trucker's Hitch

Use the Trucker’s Hitch to cinch down a load. Probably the most useful hitch there is, the Trucker’s Hitch allows a line to be pulled tight as a guitar string and secured. It works well tying canoes and other objects to the tops of cars. Once the line is pulled to the desired tension using the pulley effect of the loop in the middle of the line, the knot is secured with a couple half hitches around one or both lines.

Tie one end of rope to a fixed object such as a car bumper. About mid way on the rope tie a slippery half hitch to form a loop in the middle of the line. Be sure the loop part is formed with the slack part of the rope or it will tighten down on itself under pressure.
Make a wrap around another fixed point opposite the tie-in point and feed the free end through the loop.
Using the loop as a pulley, pull down with the free end as tight as you can and secure the knot with two half hitches around one or both lines.

Make a turn around a post or other object several feet from the free end.
Coil the free end twice around the standing line working back toward the post.
Make one additional coil around the standing line on the outside of the coils just made.
Tighten the knot and slide it on the standing line to adjust tension.

Clove Hitch

A simple all-purpose hitch. Easy to tie and untie. A useful and easy to tie knot, the Clove Hitch is a good binding knot. However, as a hitch it should be used with caution because it can slip or come undone if the object it is tied to rotates or if constant pressure is not maintained on the line.

Wrap the free end of a rope around a post.
Crossover itself and around the post again.
Slip working end under last wrap.
Pull tight.

Constrictor Knot

A useful knot to tie up loose materials or the ends of bags. Simple to tie, it grips itself and will not work loose. Also known as the Miller’s Knot this knot is useful for securing the end of a sack or bundles of items. The knot stays tied and grips itself so well that it is often impossible to untie.

Starting in front of the objects, make one wrap from right to left around the object(s) to be bound and cross over in the front.
Wrap around the object again.
Feed the working end back under the two wraps making sure you first cross over the standing line.
Pull both ends to tighten up the knot.

Half Hitch

Although the half hitch is knot in its own right, it is rarely used alone as it is unsafe when used alone. Two half hitches can be used to tie a rope to a tree, boat or any object. It is often used in a supporting role, for example to increase the security of a primary knot.

Pass the end of a rope around the object and tie an overhand knot.
For the Two Half Hitches, repeat with a second overhand knot in the same direction.

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