Bushcraft skills
5 Most Useful Knots
Five knots that cover almost every job: a loop that won't slip, a quick hitch to a pole, an adjustable guyline, a way to join two ropes, and a hitch for tying loads down tight, including water on a wagon or cart.
Jump to: Bowline · Clove hitch · Taut-line hitch · Sheet bend (and the square knot's limits) · Trucker's hitch
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How to read the diagrams: a solid line is rope in front; a dashed line is rope passing behind. Practice each knot at home with real rope until you can tie it without looking. Hands-on step-by-step animations: Animated Knots.
Bowline
What it's for: A fixed loop at the end of a rope that won't slip or tighten under load, and unties easily afterward. Use it to tie a rope around a tree or post, make a hauling loop, or tie a line to a bag or a water jug handle.
How to tie it
- Make a small overhand loop in the rope, with the part toward the end lying on top. Leave a long tail for the main loop.
- Bring the end up through the small loop from underneath.
- Pass the end around behind the standing part.
- Bring the end back down through the small loop, beside itself. Hold the end and the loop, then pull the standing part to tighten.
Check it: The end should sit inside the main loop, and the small loop should grip both strands snugly. Load it and look again: it should not creep. Leave a tail at least 10 times the rope's thickness.
When not to use it: Don't use it for climbing or lifting a person unless you're trained; it can loosen when it isn't loaded and flaps around. Add a stopper knot in the tail for anything important.
Clove hitch
What it's for: A quick hitch to tie a rope to a pole, post, or tree, for example to start a tarp ridgeline, tie off a fence or tomato stake, or hold a line while you work.
How to tie it
- Bring the end across the front of the pole and around the back.
- Cross over the first wrap diagonally and go around the back again, below it.
- Tuck the end up under the second wrap so it comes out between the two wraps, pointing the opposite way from the standing part. Pull both ends to tighten.
Check it: On the front you should see two diagonal turns side by side, and the two ends should leave between the turns in opposite directions.
When not to use it: It can slip or roll off when the pull keeps changing direction or the pole can turn. For anything that matters, add two half hitches with the end, or use a different knot.
Taut-line hitch
What it's for: An adjustable loop you can slide to tighten a line and it holds under tension. It's ideal for tent and tarp guylines, a clothesline, or snugging a load line.
How to tie it
- Pass the end around a stake or post and bring it back alongside the standing part.
- Make two wraps around the standing part, working back toward the stake, inside the loop.
- Make one more wrap on the far side of the first two, away from the stake, and tuck the end under it. Slide the knot to adjust the tension.
Check it: Pull the standing part hard: the knot should hold. Then slide it along by hand and it should move. If it slips, add an extra inside wrap, especially with slick synthetic cord.
When not to use it: Not for lifting or life-safety loads. It can slip on very slick or stiff rope.
Sheet bend (and the square knot's limits)
What it's for: Joins two ropes, even of different thickness or material, more securely than a square knot. Use it to lengthen a line or join cord to a strap or tarp corner.
How to tie it
- Fold the thicker rope into a U (a bight).
- Bring the thinner rope up through the U from behind, then wrap it around behind both legs of the U.
- Tuck the thin end under itself, but over the U. Pull all four ends to tighten.
Check it: Both short ends should come out on the same side. Load it gradually and make sure the thin rope stays seated around the U.
When not to use it: Can loosen when it isn't under load; for slippery rope use a double sheet bend (two wraps). The square (reef) knot only works as a binding knot, such as tying a bandage or a bundle. Never use it to join two ropes that will hold weight: it can slip or spill, especially with different ropes.
Trucker's hitch
What it's for: Pulls a line very tight and locks it, using the rope as a simple pulley. Use it to tie a load down onto a cart, wagon, or roof rack, or to tension a ridgeline.
How to tie it
- Tie a fixed loop in the standing part, about two-thirds of the way toward the anchor.
- Pass the end around the anchor or tie-down point and bring it back up through the loop.
- Pull the end down hard to tighten. The loop works like a pulley and gives extra pulling power.
- Pinch the line to keep the tension, then lock it below the loop with two half hitches.
Check it: Pluck the line: it should feel tight like a guitar string. The half hitches should sit snugly against the line, and the loop shouldn't be sliding.
When not to use it: The pulley loop wears rope where it rubs; don't use it on a worn or thin line for heavy loads. Use rated straps or ratchet straps, not rope, to secure heavy loads on vehicles at speed.
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