Camp structures and emergency shelters rely on lashings to tie poles together in various configurations. Such structures are often lashed with relatively light cord, and a lot of cordage is needed to make a lashing that will bear much weight and retain rigidity. The other knots in this section are specific to climbers, boaters, and anyone carrying cargo on top of a vehicle or on a trailer.
78.
Uses: binding poles at right angles
Pros: very secure
Cons: time-consuming to tie and untie; uses a lot of cordage
79.
Uses: binding diagonal braces
Pros: very secure
Cons: time-consuming to tie and untie; uses a lot of cordage
80.
Uses: lashing poles lengthwise; extending pole length
Pros: very strong and secure
Cons: time-consuming to tie and untie; uses a lot of cordage
81.
Uses: lashing poles for carrying
Pros: quick and secure
Cons: may require cutting short lengths of rope
82.
Uses: tying cargo on vehicles, securing tarps over stacked material
Pros: tight, secure, adjustable
Cons: uses a lot of rope; may be difficult to untie
83.
Uses: shortening a line; bypassing a worn section, slinging a ladder
Pros: strong, secure under constant load
Cons: insecure if subjected to movement
84.
Uses: tying boats; securing halyards, sail sheets, and boat fenders
Pros: easy to tie and untie; secure
Cons: none known
85.
Uses: moveable handholds, tie-offs, or clip-on points on climbing rope
Pros: quick, easy, fairly secure
Cons: only secure under load; can slip if wet or icy
86.
Uses: moveable handholds, tie-offs, or clip-on points on climbing rope
around the vertical pole, just beneath the horizontal one.
2. Pass the working end behind the horizontal pole at the 3:00 position, in front of the vertical pole at 12:00, then back behind the horizontal one at 9:00. When you pull the rope tight after passing it behind the horizontal pole the first time, the clove hitch may slip around the pole as shown: this is OK.
3. Continue wrapping the rope in the same counterclockwise direction around the crossing, going behind the horizontals and in front of the verticals. Wrap the rope next to, not over, the previous wrap, and pull it as tight as possible with each turn. Make three full wraps all the way around. (The starting Clove Hitch makes it appear that there are more than three wraps at the 6:00 position.)
4. Make a round turn behind the horizontal pole at the 3:00 position.
5. Working now in a clockwise direction, pass the rope behind the verticals and in front of the horizontals. Pulling the rope very tight with each of these frapping turns will further tighten the first set of wraps.
6. Make three full frapping turns.
7. After the last frapping turn, make a below the wraps on the vertical pole at 6:00.
8. Pass the rope around the vertical pole one more time and complete a final Clove Hitch.
Uses: binding poles at right angles
Pros: very secure
Cons: time-consuming to tie and untie; uses a lot of cordage
Untying: Undo the final Clove Hitch, then unwrap all the frapping turns and round turns around the poles, ending by untying the first Clove Hitch.
, add diagonal braces from corner to corner. Use Diagonal Lashings where the diagonals cross verticals and horizontals, and where the diagonals cross each other.
Instructions
1. Tie a vertically around both poles, with both ends finishing up on top of the pole closer to you and the long working end facing downward.
2. Make three round turns around both poles in the same direction, pulling each turn very tight. The round turns will go right over the Timber Hitch, but should not overlap each other.
3. Take the working end behind the pole that’s closer to you, working counterclockwise.
4. Pass the working end over the first set of round turns and horizontally across the crossing of the poles.
5. Make three full adjacent round turns around both poles in the same direction, pulling each turn very tight.
6. After the third horizontal round turn, shift the working end downward and begin making frapping turns counterclockwise between the two poles and over the two sets of round turns. Make three full frapping turns, pulling each one very tight.
7. Finish the lashing with a clove hitch around the back pole.
Uses: binding diagonal braces to each other and to horizontal and vertical members
Pros: very secure
Cons: time-consuming to tie and untie; uses a lot of cordage
Untying: Undo the final Clove Hitch, then unwrap all the frapping turns and round turns around the poles, ending by untying the Timber Hitch.
around both poles, leaving a very long working end.
2. Fold the short standing part between the two poles. Take the working end around both poles to hold the standing part in place.
3. Make a series of round turns around both poles, until the wrapping is twice as long as the combined diameters of the poles. Make the wraps snug but not so tight that you can’t sneak the rope between the poles for the next step.
4. Make a turn (not a round turn) around one of the poles and pass the working end between them.
5. Bring the working end down to the opposite end of the wraps and pull it back between the two poles. Pull this frapping turn tight.
6. Make a second frapping turn and pull it tight.
7. Tie a around the pole opposite the one that took a turn before the frapping turns began.
8. Bring the working end around the same pole and complete a Clove Hitch.
9. Complete the lashing by tucking the working end between the poles one more time.
Uses: lashing poles lengthwise; extending pole length
Pros: very strong and secure
Cons: time-consuming to tie and untie; uses a lot of cordage
A-frame Lashing
The Sheer Lashing is also the basis for building a sturdy fork or A-frame for a shelter gable, a bucking horse, a teepee frame, or similar structure. Place two equal-length poles side by side and tie a Sheer Lashing, but leave the frapping turns and wrappings relatively loose. The bottoms of the poles can then be spread out so that the poles form an X, the top angle of which can support a horizontal pole. It can also be used as a two-man lifting device to raise a mast or a beam.
Untying: Undo the final Clove Hitch, then unwrap the frapping turns and round turns around the poles, ending by untying the first Clove Hitch.
. Tie a lashing at each end of a bundle of canoe or kayak paddles, tent poles, skis and ski poles, long sticks of firewood, or poles for shelters.
Instructions
1. Working on the ground next to the poles that will be lashed, arrange short lengths of rope into two bights facing opposite directions. It doesn’t matter if the ropes form S or Z shapes, as shown at the right and left.
2. Lay the poles over the ropes so that an end and a bight are accessible on each side. Take one rope end and pass it through the bight on the opposite side of the poles.
3. Take the other rope end and pass it through the other bight.
4. Pull the ends firmly down and away from each other. This will shift the bights toward the bottom of the bundle.
5. Tie a with the two ends.
6. Tie another Half Knot in the opposite direction to complete a Square Knot.
7. The completed lashing.
8. Completed Pole Lashings at both ends of the bundle.
Uses: lashing poles for carrying
Pros: secure
Cons: may require cutting short lengths of rope
Untying: Untie the Square Knot by pulling the working ends through the top Half Knot.
. The rope has then been thrown over the load and we’re about to tie down on this side. Begin with an overhand crossing turn.
2. Make a bight just below the crossing turn and pass it through from back to front.
3. Pull down on the bight to complete a . This provides purchase—a point where mechanical advantage can be exerted, much like on a pulley.
Uses: tying gear to roof racks or trailers; securing tarps over stacked material
Pros: tight, secure, adjustable
Cons: uses a lot of rope; slip knot may be difficult to untie
Untying: Slide the Taut Line Hitch up to create slack, then undo the final to free the working end and unravel the rest of it. Pull the working end through the loop knot, remove it from the second tie-off point, then pull it sharply to remove the loop from the Slipped Overhand Knot.
4. Bring the working end around the attachment point on the near side of the vehicle, then thread it through the drawloop of the Slipped Overhand Knot.
5. Haul down hard on the working end, then tie it to itself between the Slipped Overhand Knot and the attachment point using a .
A Bowline (shown) is a good knot to begin the tie-down process. A Slip Knot Trucker’s Hitch secures the canoe to the roof rack crossbar on the other side of the car. Similar knot combinations should be used on both crossbars, and from the bow and stern of the canoe to the front and rear bumpers or tow hooks on the vehicle.
Boats and Roof Racks
At highway speeds, the wind can exert hundreds of pounds of force against a boat on a vehicle’s roof rack. Add in the jolting that is likely to occur along the typical access road to the put-in, and the need for a really secure tie-down system becomes clear. Canoes, sea kayaks, and rowboats should have a minimum of three tie-downs: one across the boat at each end of the roof rack, and a third from the bow of the boat to the front bumper, a tie-off point under the hood, or a towing loop beneath the front of the vehicle. A fourth line, from the boat’s stern to a suitable point on the back of the vehicle, is also advisable. All should be high-quality rope that holds knots securely (not cheap clothesline or hollow-braid polypropylene). Shoving against a properly secured boat should rock the vehicle on its suspension without shifting the boat on the rack. Beware, however, of pulling the lines so tight as to damage the boat or the vehicle. Protect the car’s finish by padding bow and stern lines with a rag or a piece of foam pipe insulation where they press against the bodywork.
. It’s also a good way to bypass a weak or worn section of rope if you don’t want to cut it out.
Instructions
1. Make three underhand counterclockwise crossing turns.
2. Reach through the back of the left crossing turn and grab the left leg of the middle crossing turn.
3. Reach through the front of the right crossing turn and grab the right leg of the middle crossing turn.
Uses: shortening a line; bypassing a worn section; loop knot with two fixed loops
Pros: very strong; secure under constant load
Cons: insecure if subjected to movement or irregular loading
Untying: With load off the rope, pull the part of the original middle crossing turn that runs directly between the left and right crossing turns, so that the loops are drawn through the crossing turns.
4. Pulling outward with both hands, pull both legs of the middle crossing turn through the left and right crossing turns.
5. Continue pulling on the expanded middle crossing turn until the outer crossing turns tighten down around it.
6. Pull both ends of the rope to finish tightening the knot.
7. The finished Sheepshank.
Sheepshank refinements: If the Sheepshank is being used to bypass a weak section of rope, the weak section should be at the top of the middle crossing turn in Step 1. When the knot is tightened, the weak section will run directly between the tightened crossing turns to the right and left and will not be a part of either of them. The size of the crossing turns can be varied to take up more length of rope (make the middle crossing turn larger) or to make a pair of larger loops (make the right and left crossing turns larger).
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6. The finished knot consists of two underhand crossing turns. The working end is parallel and adjacent to the underhand leg of the crossing turn on the near horn. The overhand leg of the near crossing turn holds down the working end. For additional security, another underhand crossing turn may be added to the near horn. This is especially important if the cleat is mounted vertically and the second overhand crossing turn is around the bottom horn of the cleat.
Uses: tying boats in slips and at docks; securing halyards, sheets and fenders; flag halyards
Pros: easy to tie and untie; secure
Cons: none known
Untying: Pull the working end through the Single Hitch, then unwrap it from the horns of the cleat.
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2. Grab the sling at the opposite end from the bight and form it into a second bight.
3. Pass the new bight between the main rope and the crossing part of the Cow Hitch.
4. Pull the new bight through so that the sling makes two round turns around the main rope both above and below the bight.
5. Pull the bight tight to close up the round turns around the main rope. Pulling down on the free part of the sling will cause it to grip the main rope. With load off the sling, the round turns can be slid up or down the main rope.
Uses: climbing; handholds, tie-offs or clip-on points; whitewater rescue; purchase on an anchor rope
Pros: quick, easy; secure in most situations
Cons: only secure under load; can slip if wet or icy
Untying: With load off, pull the bight through the crossing part, pull it around the anchoring rope or pole, then pull it through a second time.
86. Klemheist Knot
The Klemheist Knot is known as a “Prusiking knot,” because it slides and grips like a Prusik (opposite). It works well with a sling that is made of rope at least half the diameter of the main rope, or with tubular tape, and is said to be more secure than a Prusik Knot.
Instructions
1. Make a bight in the sling and pass it behind the main rope.
2. Wrap the bight up the main rope, making four or five round turns and leaving a short loop.
3. Make a bight in the other end of the sling and pass it through the bottom of the loop.
4. Pull down on the second bight to lock the sling onto the main rope. The knot can be easily slid up or down the main rope when it is unloaded.
Uses: climbing; moveable handholds or clip-on points on climbing rope
Pros: more secure than Prusik Knot
Cons: none known
Untying: Pull the second bight out of the first bight, then pull to unwind the sling from the main rope.
87. Italian Hitch
Also known as: Sliding Ring Hitch, Munter Friction Hitch
This knot pays out slack in a controlled manner through a carabiner to the loaded leg, and readily locks up when tension is applied to the other end. It’s useful as a safety rope for descending, where the climber himself or an assistant can control the braking end of the line. It can be used for rappelling, but it’s very hard on rope and should only be used in a pinch. It can also be used to lower heavy loads where a pulley is not available.
Instructions
1. Make two crossing turns in the bight of the rope, with an underhand cross on the left and an overhand cross on the right.
2. Fold the crossing turns back to back.
3. Once they are folded together, the left crossing turn becomes a bight.
4. Keeping them side by side, place the bight, then the remaining crossing turn, on the carabiner.
5. Both ends pulled tight. The leg of the crossing turn bears the load; the leg of the bight is the braking or control leg. Pulling the braking leg tightens the crossing turn around the loaded leg and prevents it from feeding out slack.
