Camping entails setting up all kinds of lines, tarps, and other stuff. You need a covered area for firewood, tie a swing from a tree, hang a hammock, and maybe even use a bandage in case of an injury. With all these activities, you’ll have to possess enough skill in tying knots.
Read on to know some basic backpacking and camping knots you should learn!
Why You Need to Know the Knots
When you know a few basic knots for camping, it will be easy to build things up or fix broken materials. It will enable you to secure tarps and shelters, fasten guy lines on tents, tie some gear to the car, and fix up lines for drying your clothes or hanging lanterns.
Tying knots will also equip you with the skill to mend things, like a snapped tent pole, guy lines that need securing, and a broken arm that needs bandaging.
Lastly, you can improvise your own stuff when you know how to tie a knot. For instance, you can create a tripod for a washing up bowl or a drying rack for your camping cookers.
Types of Rope for Camping
- You need different types of cordage for camping. Here are some of them:
- Twisted rope or laid rope – impervious to water, sinks so it’s great for rescue purposes, very visible
- Braided ropes – offers strength and abrasion resistance.
- Climbing ropes – for tying gear to a truck rack, rappelling.
- Parachute cord – has a minimum breaking strength of 550 pounds.
- Guyline cord – for lengthening a tent or a tarp guyline, for creating loops in the dark for your GPS unit, fishing pliers, flashlights, etc.
Essential Camping Knots
Here are some knots you need to learn for camping.
Square Knot
Also known as reef knot, the square knot is used to tie two ends of a rope together for combining a bundle of wood, extending the length of a washing line through two ropes, and tying a bandage.
To do this, simply remember right over left then left over right. Tighten the knot by pulling both running ends at the same time.
Sheet Bend
The sheet bend is done for tying two ropes of different sizes or thicknesses together. In camp, it is used to lengthen a guy line by adding a spare rope or string, and by fixing snapped boot laces with any cord.
To tie a sheet bend, form a bight in the thicker or bigger rope and hold it in hand. Pass the thinner rope through the bight and behind the tail and standing ends in that order. Lastly, tuck a smaller rope under itself to finish the knot.
Round Turn and Two Half Hitches
If you’re planning to tie a rope to a tree, or a load to the roof of your car, this is the perfect knot. It’s a strong all-round hitch that doesn’t slip and is easy to untie!
Bowline Knot
The bowline knot is used to tie a loop at the end of a line for hanging ropes, and securing a load on the car. It doesn’t slip when it’s loaded but will untie easily when not loaded.
To do this, simply 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. Wrap the line around the standing line and back down through the loop. Then tighten it by pulling on the free end while holding the standing line.
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