A handful of reliable knots makes camp life easier. You can pitch a tarp tight, tension guylines, hang a clothesline, tie gear to a roof rack and hang a food bag. You don’t need to learn dozens, just a few that you can tie quickly, even with cold hands. In the video below, The Bear Essentials demonstrates a favorite easy, adjustable knot and shows how he uses it to anchor a tarp ridgeline to a tree, tie off tent and tarp pegs and hang pots over a fire. Here are seven basic knots worth practicing.
A few terms first
- Working end: the end of the rope you’re tying with.
- Standing part: the rest of the rope.
- Bight: a U-shaped bend in the rope.
- Hitch: a knot that ties a rope to something else, like a tree, pole or stake.
1. Bowline
What it does: makes a fixed loop that won’t slip or tighten under load, and is easy to untie afterward.
Use it for: tying a line around a tree, making a loop at the end of a guyline or ridgeline, or tying a rope to a bag.
How: make a small overhand loop in the standing part. Pass the working end up through the loop, around behind the standing part and back down through the loop. Hold the working end against the loop and pull the standing part to tighten. The old memory aid is “the rabbit comes out of the hole, runs around the tree and goes back down the hole.”
2. Taut-line hitch
What it does: creates an adjustable loop that holds under tension but slides when you want to tighten or loosen it.
Use it for: tent and tarp guylines that need retensioning as the fabric stretches or the weather changes.
How: pass the rope around the stake or anchor. Wrap the working end twice around the standing part, inside the loop. Then make one more wrap around the standing part outside the first two wraps and pull snug. Slide the knot to adjust the tension.
3. Clove hitch
What it does: quickly ties a rope to a pole, post or branch.
Use it for: starting a lashing, or temporarily tying off to a tent pole or tree.
How: wrap the rope around the post, cross over the first wrap, wrap around again and tuck the working end under the second wrap. A clove hitch can loosen if the load shifts, so add a half hitch or two when it matters.
4. Two half hitches
What it does: secures a rope to a ring, tree or post, and is easy to tie and untie.
Use it for: tying off a clothesline, securing a boat or tarp line, and finishing other knots.
How: pass the rope around the object, then tie a half hitch around the standing part. Tie a second half hitch the same way and snug both together.
5. Trucker’s hitch
What it does: uses a loop in the line as a simple pulley, so you can pull a line much tighter than by hand.
Use it for: tensioning a tarp ridgeline or tying down gear on a roof rack or trailer.
How: tie one end to an anchor. Partway along the line, make a fixed loop (a slipped overhand or an alpine butterfly). Pass the working end around the second anchor and back through that loop, pull it tight, then lock it off with two half hitches.
6. Sheet bend
What it does: joins two ropes, including ropes of different thickness.
Use it for: extending a line that’s too short, or tying a cord to the corner of a tarp.
How: make a bight in the thicker rope. Pass the thinner rope up through the bight, around behind both legs of the bight, and then tuck it under itself. Pull all ends tight. If the ropes are slippery, a double sheet bend (one extra wrap) holds better.
7. Figure-eight stopper knot
What it does: creates a bulky knot at the end of a rope so it won’t pull through a grommet, pulley or loop.
Use it for: the end of a guyline, a drawstring or any line running through an eyelet.
How: make a loop, pass the working end around the standing part, then back down through the loop so the knot forms a figure eight. Pull tight.
Tips for learning knots
- Practice at home with a short piece of cord until you can tie each knot without looking.
- Use rope or cord rated for the job. Paracord or similar cord works well for guylines and clotheslines.
- Leave a tail of a few inches beyond each knot.
- Check knots before you load them, and retie anything that looks wrong.
- Never rely on improvised knots for climbing or other life-safety uses without proper training.
Put your knots to use with our guides to backpack camping in the rain and choosing a camp canopy or screen shelter.
FAQ
What is the most useful camping knot?
Many campers would pick the bowline for fixed loops and the taut-line hitch for adjustable guylines.
What knot should I use for a tarp ridgeline?
A bowline or two half hitches at one tree and a trucker’s hitch at the other lets you pull the line tight.
How do I join two ropes together?
Use a sheet bend. It works even when the two ropes are different thicknesses.
How do I stop a rope from slipping through a grommet?
Tie a figure-eight stopper knot at the end.