Below are some knots that you will want to learn to tie, if, of course, you determine that hammock camping is something that you want to do and do well. You will not HAVE to learn to tie them. I mean it’s still a free country, right, and you can do whatever suits you best, but …
- Learning to tie them is fun.
- Once you learn to tie them, you will enjoy, and be proud of, knowing how to tie them.
- Knowing how to tie them will make your hammocking experience a lot easier and nicer.
- It’s just a way cool thing to be able to do, sort of like being able to play the piano at a party.
Let me give you a fun example. At a recent arts and crafts festival, I was helping to man a booth for a nonprofit outfit. They had the normal 10′ x 10′ canopy and wanted to tie a large banner between two of the legs.
I accomplished that, or more accurately helped to accomplish that, by using Bowline Knots (see immediately below) to tie the ropes to the banner corners and Prusik Knots (see farther below) to tie those ropes to the canopy legs so that they could be easily adjustable up and down for both position and tension yet would hold and not slip.
It was fun and cool to be able to do that, so see what I mean? This is an oversimplified version, I know, but you get the picture and will understand better once you read about the knots below.
Note: Don’t try to visualize the uses mentioned in this article, especially if you are a beginner, as that will just confuse and frustrate you. And don’t try to learn to tie the knots from these descriptions. All will be made crystal clear, using many photos and videos, as you continue your journey here. I promise!
The Bowline Knot
This is a very useful knot with a long history that goes way back. The first recorded mention of the knot was in 1691 by Capt. John Smith, who called it the “boling knot”, but we can assume that its history goes back even much farther.
The knot was originally applied to some line on the bow of a sailing ship, so you would think that the the “b-o-w” in bowline would be pronounced to rhyme with “wow”, right? As sailors and military people frequently do, however, the pronunciation of the “bow” in bowline was changed for whatever reason to rhyme with “doe”. Go figure.
General information:
- Used to tie a fixed loop at the end of a line that will be strong and not slip.
- Has been much used for rescue purposes to tie around a person who needs to be lifted by rope.
- Quick and easy to tie.
- Relatively easy to untie, even after having been under considerable tension.
- Ancient sailing knot first mentioned by John Smith in 1691 as the “Boling Knot”.
- Called “The King of Knots” so deserves to be mentioned first.
How used in hammock camping
- Any place where we need a fixed loop at the end of a line, especially where it is important to be able to easily untie the knot after it has been under tension.
How to tie the Bowline Knot
The Bowline Knot at Scout Library
The Fisherman’s Knot
This knot was originally intended to join two lines together, like when a fishing line has broken and needs to be rejoined, but, as you will see, it is also very useful in making continuous loops, which are used a lot by hammock campers.
Once you get to this configuration, then you just pull the two knots together to complete the process.
General information
- Also called Angler’s Knot, English Knot, Englishman’s Bend, Halibut Knot, True Lover’s Bend, Waterman’s Knot, and Water Knot.
- Used to tie two ropes together or the two ends of one rope together to make a continuous loop.
Just so you know, the proper term is “continuous” loop and not “continual” loop. According to the dictionary, “continual” means ongoing in spite of interruptions, while “continuous” means ongoing and uninterrupted. So it is “continuous” loop.
How used in hammock camping
- Used to make continuous loops for use in various places where great strength is not necessary, like in a tarp suspension system.
- You will be making continuous loops for various reasons, one of which will be to make Prusik Knots (next knot below).
How to tie:
Easiest knot of all to tie. So easy, we don’t even need a video. You have a piece of rope with two ends that you want to join together to make a continuous loop. Take End 1 and tie a simple knot around End 2. Then take End 2 and tie a simple knot around End 1. Tighten both knots individually, and then pull them together. Simple, quick, and easy. There are stronger versions available, like the Double Fisherman’s Knot and the Triple Fisherman’s Knot, but these are not necessary for low-strength uses.
To repeat, once the two knots are tied and tightened individually, then just pull them tightly together to complete the continuous loop. See, I told you it was easy!
The Fisherman’s Knot at Scout Library
The Prusik Knot
This knot was named for Dr. Karl Prusik, an Austrian mountaineer. Prusik was born in 1896 and died in 1961. Sometime along the way he invented the very useful knot that bears his name.
General information
- A “slip and grip” knot.
- Used to tie an adjustable position loop onto the middle of a rope (or a rod).
- When the loop is pulled, it cinches on the rope (or rod) and does not slip.
- Position along the rope (or rod) can be easily adjusted by relieving tension on the loop and then pushing the knot, not pulling the loop, in one direction or another.
According to WikiBooks: The Prusik Knot “is a friction hitch used in climbing, canyoneering, caving, rope rescue and by arborists to grab a rope (sometimes referred to as a rope-grab). The term Prusik is used both for the knot, for the loops of cord, and for the action (to prusik).”
How used in hammock camping
- In too many ways to mention.
- You’ll be glad you learned this one, and you will never forget how to tie it.
How to tie:
Before tying the Prusik Knot, you must first acquire, or make, a continuous loop. See the Fisherman’s Knot above.
Per WikiBooks:
The Prusik Knot is tied by wrapping the prusik loop” (or what we will refer to as a “continuous loop”) “around the rope a number of times (depending on the materials, but usually 3-5 times), and then back through itself, forming a barrel around the rope, with a tail hanging out the middle.
“When the tail is weighted the turns tighten around the main rope and grab. When weight is removed the loop can be slid along the rope by placing a hand directly on the barrel and pushing. The trick is, if it grabs well, then it is hard to slide along the rope.
“Breaking the Prusik free from the rope after it has been weighted can be difficult, and is easiest done by pushing the bow, being the loop of cord which runs from the top wrap, over the knot to the bottom wrap, along the tail a little. This loosens the grip of the hitch and makes movement easier.”
Tying the Prusik Knot, courtesy of WikiBooks
 Step 1 |
 Step 2 |
 Step 3 |
 Step 4 |
 Locked while holding tension. |
 Slides readily without tension. |
The Taut-line Hitch
This knot, or hitch, is used a lot by arborists. According to Wikipedia:
“The taut-line hitch is an adjustable loop knot for use on lines under tension. It is useful when the length of a line will need to be periodically adjusted in order to maintain tension. It is made by tying a rolling hitch around the standing part after passing around an anchor object. Tension is maintained by sliding the hitch to adjust size of the loop, thus changing the effective length of the standing part without retying the knot.
It is typically used for securing tent lines in outdoor activities involving camping, by arborists when climbing trees,[1] for tying down aircraft,[2] for creating adjustable moorings in tidal areas,[3] and to secure loads on vehicles. A versatile knot, the taut-line hitch was even used by astronauts during STS-82, the second Space Shuttle mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope.[4]“
General information:
- Another “slip and grip” knot or “friction hitch”.
- Used to tie a loop at the end of a rope that will not slip under tension yet can be easily adjusted as to length.
How used in hammock camping
- We’re going to use one on our tarp suspension.
How to tie
The Marlin Spike Hitch
The great advantages of this knot are its quickness and ease of tying and its quickness and ease of releasing.
General information
- A temporary knot used to attach a rod (like a tarp stake) to a line or rope (or to attach a line to a rod).
How used in hammock camping
- Can be used to attach tarp guyline to stake if no tension adjuster is available.
[note: show both examples on same tarp side – with shock cord and line tensioner and shock cord only
How to tie
The Slippery (Half) Hitch
If you have tied shoelaces using loops, then you have used the Slippery Half-Hitch and know how useful it can be.
General information
- A slippery hitch is a knot used to attach a line to a rod or bar in such a way that it can both be quickly tied and quickly released.
- It is not particularly strong, so you would use it when it is strong enough for your application.
How used in hammock camping
- To secure tarp suspension line or other line that you may want to be able to later adjust quickly.
- The Slippery Half Hitch is not particularly strong but can be made very strong without much sacrifice in convenience.
- We will be using the Slippery Half Hitch version to perhaps tie off the tarp ridge line adjuster line. Or, we may not. 😉
How to tie
The Lark’s Head Knot
Image courtesy of Wikipedia
This knot is used to attach a rope to an object. It is basically two half-hitches tied in opposite directions. The knot can be tied in several different ways, and most of us have used it many times without knowing what it was properly called.
General information
According to WikiBooks: “Also called a cow hitch, it comprises two half-hitches tied in opposing directions. The cow hitch is often used to connect loop-ended lanyards to handheld electronic equipment, since it can be tied without access to the ends of the fastening loop.”
I guess it’s supposed to resemble a certain kind of bird’s head. You be the judge …
How used in hammock camping:
- Can be used to tie the tension adjusters and shock cord to the tarp tie-out loops.
How to tie
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How to tie