Chapter 4

PRACTICAL HITCHES

When you need to attach a rope to an object, the knot for this job is called a “hitch.” This is a common use for rope and you will find a variety of hitches in this chapter that will do a good job.

Hitches allow you to secure a rope to rings, rails, posts, hooks, other ropes, and other objects. Sometimes they are tied by forming the knot directly around the object, and sometimes by bringing the rope around the object and tying the running end to the standing part. If the shape of the object allows it, you can tie the hitch (or a loop) first, and then place it around the object. Some hitches, like the Rolling Hitch or Icicle Hitch, provide a friction grip to prevent them from sliding when strain is along the direction of the pole, rail, or rope.

You may want tension to remain in the rope after the hitch is tied. If you are frustrated by a little slack going into the rope as the hitch is tightened, you will find that making an extra wrap around the object, called “making a round turn,” will help hold tension as the knot is tied. An example of this is the Round Turn and Two Half Hitches. Another option is to tie a hitch that allows you to take out slack repeatedly without untying the hitch itself, as with the Guy Line Hitch. Tying ropes without slack in them is useful for many applications, like when you need to secure cargo.

Most hitches are tied by using Half Hitches in various combinations. When using more than one, Half Hitches can have a left or right orientation, and many hitches are tied by combining just two Half Hitches. Some hitches that seem different from each other are in fact made with the same exact combination of Half Hitches—the only difference may be that in one case, the hitch is tied directly onto an object, and in the other, it is tied around the standing part. An example is the difference between the Clove Hitch and the Round Turn and Two Half Hitches.

Some hitches allow you to put up to three times more strain on the rope than you are applying to tighten it. A Trucker’s Hitch pulls on the rope as if you were using a pair of pulleys, allowing you to make pulling tackle from a length of rope. The magnification factor at any point is determined by how many ropes under equal tension are connected to it. Don’t get confused by trying to think about which direction the rope is pulling. It helps to consider that a rope can only pull, not push.

Some hitches attach rope for pulling or hoisting large objects. The Timber Hitch is used on logs. The Barrel Sling can be used to hoist a barrel while holding it upright, and the Barrel Hitch is a sling that is tied like a Cow Hitch around an object. Its weight keeps the hitch snug.

It is rewarding to tie off a rope with the needed tension, and even be able to adjust it. Fastening ropes to objects can help with many jobs, and even more can be done when combined with other types of knots.

The more you work with hitches, the more you should have an idea of what they can do, and more importantly, what they can do for you. Fastening a rope to something is key to using rope for holding and moving objects, and it is best to learn more than one method. Also, the skills you obtain for fastening rope to objects will play an important part in how to use rope for bindings.

BARREL HITCH

If you want to lift a barrel or other short cylindrical object on its side, the Barrel Hitch can do the job of hoisting it.

Start with a strop or length of rope tied in a closed loop. Pass the end of the loop around the barrel and then through the other side of the loop. Spread the loops apart under the barrel for more stability.

BARREL SLING

The Barrel Sling will hoist a barrel while keeping it upright.

STEP 1 Stand the barrel upright on the middle of a short length of rope, and cross the ends together on top, making an Overhand Knot around the barrel.

STEP 2 Spread the crossed parts of the Overhand Knot over the sides of the barrel, then tie the ends together to serve as a hoisting sling. A Fisherman’s Knot (see Chapter 7) or Hunter’s Bend (see Chapter 2) will work well to complete a closed loop for hoisting.

Make sure that the sling is symmetrical on the barrel before lifting.

HALF HITCH

There are two basic ways of making a Half Hitch. It can be tied off with a running end, or it can be tied off with a bight, which makes it a Slipped Half Hitch.

STEP 1 Bring the running end around the ring and then around its standing part. Then, tuck the end inside the crossing turn, next to the ring.

STEP 2 Another option is to make a last tuck with a bight, making it a Slipped Half Hitch.

The Half Hitch makes a very quick and temporary tie-off. It is also tied as the first step of other more secure hitches. The slipped version unties completely with just one pull.

ROLLING HITCH

The Rolling Hitch can be tied to a pole or to another rope. It provides a friction grip to resist sliding if the pull is to the side with the round turn. It works best when the pole or rope it is being tied to is twice or more the diameter of the rope used to tie the hitch.

STEP 1 Start the hitch with a round turn.

STEP 2 Cross over and finish with a Half Hitch.

STEP 3 The knot should finish with both ends coming out together under the bight.

The Rolling Hitch is tied the same way as the Tautline Hitch.

ROUND TURN AND TWO HALF HITCHES

The instructions for tying the Round Turn and Two Half Hitches are built right into the name. It can also be thought of as tying a Clove Hitch (see Chapter 8) around its own standing part.

STEP 1 Use the running end to make a round turn over the object.

STEP 2 Tie a Half Hitch (see previous) around the standing part.

STEP 3 Next, tie a second Half Hitch.

The Round Turn and Two Half Hitches is the most common hitch used for tying off a rope when you know you won’t need to adjust it after tying. The most important feature of this knot is the round turn. If the rope you are tying is already under strain, the extra turn will help hold against it while making the Half Hitches and will continue to reduce the strain on the Half Hitches.

TAUTLINE HITCH

The Tautline Hitch is a very popular adjustable hitch and easy to remember if you know the Rolling Hitch (see previous). It allows you to adjust the size or tension in the rope after it is tied, making it very useful for securing cargo.

STEP 1 Bring the running end around the object to make a crossing turn, then back a distance and make two turns around the standing part.

STEP 2 Finish the Rolling Hitch around the standing part.

STEP 3 Tighten down the hitch.

This is an easy hitch to tie, but users beware: The Tautline Hitch is not meant for heavy hoisting or for safety lines.

TRUCKER’S HITCH

The Trucker’s Hitch is tied with a Slipped Figure Eight Knot, shown in Chapter 1.

Rope bound tightly will protect cargo from shifting, but it can also damage it. Pulling a rope too tight, especially with a leveraged hitch such as the Trucker’s Hitch, can crack a canoe or collapse a container. Rope can leave indentations in hardwood furniture. Use padding where the rope comes in contact with wood.

STEP 1 Start a Slipped Figure Eight Knot in the bight by making an extra twist to a crossing turn.

STEP 2 Finish the Slipped Figure Eight Knot by pulling a bight of the running end through it.

STEP 3 Treat the resulting loop as if it were a pulley by passing the running end around the anchor point and then back through the loop.

STEP 4 Bring the running end back up through the loop and pull it toward the anchor point to tighten the standing part.

STEP 5 Secure the knot with two Half Hitches (see previous).

Make the loop as far from the anchor point as needed to take out slack in the standing part. Other loop knots can be used instead of the Slipped Figure Eight Knot, such as the Directional Figure Eight or the Butterfly Loop (see Chapter 3 for both). The Slipped Figure Eight Knot is used most often, as it is quick to tie and untie, and has a strong lead that is not very damaging to rope.

WAGONER’S HITCH

The Wagoner’s Hitch is a leveraged hitch very similar to the Trucker’s Hitch. It needs tension on it to stay secure, and it comes undone with just a shake.

STEP 1 Make a crossing turn, then grab a bight in the running end just below it.

STEP 2 Pull the bight of the running end through the crossing turn. This forms a lower loop that the running end will pass through after it goes around an anchor point.

STEP 3 Pass the running end around the anchor and back up through the lower loop.