Campcraft Notes
Eight Basic Knots
Name: Thumb/overhand knot (Overhand
Knot) Type: Stopper
Knot
How to tie:
1. Form a bight
(1)
2. Put the working
end through the bight (2)
Functions and Uses:
1. It is commonly
used to temporary “stop” the end of a fraying rope.
2. It is used as a
handhold and stopper. For instance, it is tied at regular intervals of lifelines
to prevent the rope from slipping through the hands.
Additional Information:
1. It is the
simplest knot of all.
2. Once tied and
put under strain, it is difficult to untie due to strain acting on one
point.
3. The Thumb knot
jams easily so it is far better to use a Figure of Eight Knot to stop the end of
the fraying rope.
Name: Figure of
eight Type:
Stopper Knot
1. For a bight
(1)
2. Bring the working end under
the standing end (2)
3. put the working end through
the bight from the top (3)
Functions and Uses:
1. It is commonly
used to temporary “stop” the end of a fraying rope.
2. It is used as a
handhold and stopper. For instance, it is tied at regular intervals of lifelines
to prevent the rope from slipping through the hands.
Additional Information:
1. The Figure of Eight knot is
useful to temporary stop the ends of a rope from fraying, before it is
whipped.
2. It is superior to using a
Thumb Knot as it does not jams so easily.
Name: Reef
knot
Type: Bends
How to
tie:
1. Holding one end of each rope
in each hand, pass the right rope over the left (1) and tuck under.
(2)
2. Then pass the same rope, now
in the left hand, over the right rope, (3) and tuck under
(4)
3. It is common to chant “Left
over Right and Under, Right over Left and Under” when tying the knot. (This can
also be performed as “Right over Left and Under, Left over Right and
Under”.)
Functions and Uses:
1. Tying two pieces of string or
twine together.
2. Used for parcel tying as well
as first aid bandaging because it is flat and easy to
tie.
3. Used in most first aid work
(bandages)
4. For joining two ropes of
equal thickness. (Not recommended, it unties under heavy
stress)
Name: Sheet bend Type: Bends
How to
tie:
1. The ticker rope of the two is
used to form a bight. (1)
2. And the thinner rope is
passed up through the bight. (2)
3. And then tucked under itself
(3)
Functions and Uses:
1. For joining ropes especially
ropes of unequal thickness.
Additional information:
1. If you have done the knot
correctly, the two ends should be on the same
side.
2. Ending the working ends at
alternate sides would weaken the knot
severely.
3. It can be further secured by
making an additional turn, forming double sheet
bend.
How to tie:
1.
Tie a Thumb knot, in the running end of the first rope around the
second rope (2)
2.
Tie a Thumb knot in the second rope, around the first rope.
(3)
3.
Pull the two ends. (3)
Functions and Uses:
1.
For joining ropes of small and equal diameters of ropes made of
smooth or wet materials.
Additional information:
1.
It is made of two sliding Thumb knots, which will lock with each
other when strain is applied
2.
It is also known as anchor bend.
Name: Clove
hitch Type:
Hitch
How to tie:
1.
Make a turn (1)
2.
Bring the working end above the turn made earlier
(2)
3.
Make another turn (3)
4.
Put the working end through the centre of the two turns
(4)
Functions and Uses:
1.
Use to attach rope to a pole, this knot provide quick and secure
result.
2.
Often used to start and finish
lashings
Additional information:
1.
There are other methods to tying clove hitch, however, many of them
cannot be used when the rope is under strain.
2.
It rarely jams, but might suffer from the hitch unrolling under
tension if the pole can turn.
How to tie:
1. Form a small loop (1) [the
direction is important]
2. pass the working end of the
knot up through the loop, (2)
3. behind the standing end of
the rope,
4. back down through the loop.
(3)
Functions and Uses:
1. A commonly used knot to tie a
loop in the end of the rope.
Additional information:
1. A chant which can be used to
remember this knot is “The rabbit comes out of the hole, round the tree, and
back into the hole again.”, where the hole is the small loop, and the rabbit is
the running end of the rope.
2. It has the advantage of not
jamming, compared to some other loop forming knots (for example when using a
thumb knot on a large bight to form a loop.)
3. For added security, finish
the knot with a stopper knot such as Figure of Eight knot to remove any
possibility of the Bowline slipping.
4. If you are using this knot in
a man carrying situation – perhaps a rescue where a harness is unavailable –
then you must use a stopper knot as mentioned
above.
5. This is also the knot used to
attach twine to sleeve rings of tent, as the loop will not adjust when strain is
applied to it. Thus reducing damage to the sleeve
rings.
Name:
Sheepshank Type:
Shortening Formations
How to tie:
Method 1:
1.
Coil up the amount of rope to be shortened in a ‘S’ shape
(1)
2.
Tie a half-hitch on both ends (3)
Method 2
1.
Make three turns that cross over themselves all of them in the same
direction.
2.
Put your hand through the back of the right hand turn and pull the
centre through the right hand turn.
3.
Put your hand through the left hand turn and pull the centre through
the left hand turn.
4.
The rope that you pulled though either end now forms two loops. Pull
these loops gently to adjust it.
5.
Tighten the knot and make sure it holds on two standing
ends.
Functions and Uses:
1.
Shortens ropes without cutting them.
2.
Used to bypass worn section in the centre of the knot, it will, thus
not be under strain.
Additional Information:
1.
The advantage of method 1 is that the rope can be of any amount;
while method 2 is a faster method of tying.
2.
The knot is really very secure only under tension; it will fall apart
when slacked.
3.
Always ensure that the knot is tight before use or else it will
slip.
