Taut-Line Hitch , adjusting the lines when camping | SouthernPaddler.com

Taut-Line Hitch , adjusting the lines when camping

oldsparkey

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
10,479
123
Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
Here is how to do a Taut-Line Hitch if you don't know or have forgotten.

It is one useful knot for boats bow and stern lines when being car topped or better yet when hanging a rain fly for your hammock or a tarp. :lol: :lol: :lol: Especially the rain fly for a hammock since it does need adjusting at times.... just slide the knot to adjust the tension of the line.
It is almost better then some Vienna's and Ritz Crackers with a cold beer in the campsite , I said almost. :roll:

http://www.netknots.com/html/tautline_hitch.html

Plus if you have a Clarke Jungle Hammock this is the easy way to tie it off , it's adjustable just like the above knot. Easy and adjust.... Ya tube video....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4398dPTy7w

I don't know about you guy's but when I set up the rain fly for hammock or the tent an it's rain fly then have it just right, later in the darkness when I hit the sack it is droopy and have to readjust everything (especially a tent ) it is a pain , this stops all that by just adjusting ( the lines ). No more pulling the ground stakes or retying to get things back like I wanted them. :D

Chuck.
 

Kayak Jack

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
13,976
171
86
Okemos / East Lansing Michigan
Only a few knots will serve us well in the outback; takes only a few.

Square knot, also called the reef knot. Fastens two ends of like sized rope together. If you tie it wrong it becomes the infamous Granny knot.

Bowline, easy to tie AND to untie, a fixed loop

Taughtline hitch, an adjustable loop. (On slippery ropes like nylon, I start by throwing THREE turns inside the loop instead of just two. Holds a bit better.)

Trucker's hitch, and adjustable loop with a mechanical advantage.

Clove hitch, fastens a line to a post, or another line.

If you tie each of these knots as a slipped version they untie faster and easier. On the last step, fold the rope double and insert a shot loop of rope instead of the entire end. Similar to tying your shoes.
 

oldsparkey

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
10,479
123
Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
Jack....

Ya have the old timers time on your hands , furnish a link to all of the suggestions , Dang ya know these younger folks working for a living don't have the time to look all of them up. They need a quick , on the spot , reference to each one. :wink:

Besides we have some Lawyers on here and if they want to look up a Granny Knot then when they get to looking for it they will copy down the Grandfather Knot , That is not a nice thing to have happen. We have to keep it in the K.I.S.S. idea , or do things for them like the guide dog does for the physical impaired. :wink:

Chuck.
Guy's ... don't thank me for saying that ... I'm getting lazy also since this is the links section , besides ole pups is napping right now so he can't direct me where to look for that information . :lol:
 

Kayak Jack

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
13,976
171
86
Okemos / East Lansing Michigan
Kayak Jack said:
Only a few knots will serve us well in the outback; takes only a few. http://www.animatedknots.com/

Square knot, also called the reef knot. Fastens two ends of like sized rope together. http://www.animatedknots.com/reef/index ... dknots.com If you tie it wrong it becomes the infamous Granny knot.

Bowline, easy to tie AND to untie, a fixed loop http://www.animatedknots.com/bowlineboa ... dknots.com

Taughtline hitch, an adjustable loop. http://www.netknots.com/html/tautline_hitch.html (On slippery ropes like nylon, I start by throwing THREE turns inside the loop instead of just two. Holds a bit better.)

Trucker's hitch, and adjustable loop with a mechanical advantage. http://www.animatedknots.com/truckers/i ... dknots.com

Clove hitch, fastens a line to a post, or another line. http://www.animatedknots.com/cloveboati ... dknots.com

If you tie each of these knots as a slipped version they untie faster and easier. On the last step, fold the rope double and insert a shot loop of rope instead of the entire end. Similar to tying your shoes.
 

oldsparkey

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
10,479
123
Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
Thank's Jack , that makes it a lot simpler for us simple minded , grit eating , :roll: folks. It is a blessing when someone wants to help the Elderly and handicapped .... or everyone else on here. :D

Chuck.
My Hat is off to you and your consideration. :D :D
 
Love knots and the feel of the line in your hand BEFORE you make it into a knot.

What I tell my (many) grandchildren to start is, "You only really NEED two knots"

The Bowline and the Clove Hitch (AKA Two Half Hitches).

  • Tie any two lines of ANY size together? Make interlocking Bowlines.
    • Need a "slip knot"? That's just a Bowline with the line brought back through.
  • Tie a Clove Hitch around any object.
    • Need it really secure? Continue with another Clove Hitch around the line
  • Need to have an adjustable line tightener? Just bring the end around and tie a Clove Hitch around the line. Then cheat and add an extra turn inside the lower side. Aka Taut Line Hitch.
In the last 80 years I've learned how to tie a Bowline On A Bight at least 5 times. Never can do it when I need it :)
 

Kayak Jack

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
13,976
171
86
Okemos / East Lansing Michigan
When we were teaching Scouts to tie knots, we often used a hank about 2’-3’ long.. use a red magic marker to color one end, for half the length of the hank. When you tie the knot, have the center of the rope in the center of the knot. Now, anatomy of the knot is fully disclosed.

Watching the kid’s face, that look of “Oh! I can see it now!” beams out. Try it.
 

oldsparkey

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
10,479
123
Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
I still use the Taut Line Hitch on the ground lines from the tarp. Been tying lines all my life and now I'm getting lazy. The ridge line and rest for the rain fly and tarp I like the Loopalien from Hammock Gear. ( The titanium RCA one )

 

oldbuffpilot

Well-Known Member
May 13, 2014
629
34
80
Central Kansas and Central Texas
Love knots and the feel of the line in your hand BEFORE you make it into a knot.

What I tell my (many) grandchildren to start is, "You only really NEED two knots"

The Bowline and the Clove Hitch (AKA Two Half Hitches).

  • Tie any two lines of ANY size together? Make interlocking Bowlines.
    • Need a "slip knot"? That's just a Bowline with the line brought back through.
  • Tie a Clove Hitch around any object.
    • Need it really secure? Continue with another Clove Hitch around the line
  • Need to have an adjustable line tightener? Just bring the end around and tie a Clove Hitch around the line. Then cheat and add an extra turn inside the lower side. Aka Taut Line Hitch.
In the last 80 years I've learned how to tie a Bowline On A Bight at least 5 times. Never can do it when I need it :)
Welcome aboard Terry. Keeping it simple works good for kids and old folks both
 
Those grandkids don’t tie their own shoes? That would be their third knot. ;-)
Jack! At (Oh, how much I used to Hate That Phrase!) "Our Age" .. we have no actual requirement to be still Able To Count.. That's what Excel is for..

MANY years ago (um, say 1973) I discovered computers at SUNY. I was trying to design Active Filters for broadcasting. LOTsa math. One small mistake and ItDon'tWork. When I found out that computers didn't make Dumb Math Mistakes (like me) , and that if you got it right once, it was always right, I decided I LIKED that. So today my spreadsheet got all the dimensions right for the UncleJonBoat and even figured out how many PUMPS of West 105 Epoxy are left in the can.

Um... but yeah, I did recently show one grandchild that if they made that knot the right way around it was a SQUARE NOT, not a crooked Granny Knot. And the laces were right across. But usually I am totally defeated in little kids shoes by Frickin' VELCRO.
 

Kayak Jack

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
13,976
171
86
Okemos / East Lansing Michigan
We Grandparents are amused and gratified by our Grandkids. We can play with them until (1) we get tired, (2) they get tired, or (3) they get dirty. Then we send them home, walk back in the house, and take a nap.