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There’s a very good reason why Boy Scouts are known for being highly trained knot-tying masters: Cordage is one of our most foundational pieces of survival gear. It’s extremely useful, lightweight, easy to store, and can be produced in the wilderness without any equipment aside from a knife (and a bit of knowledge of the art).
The skill and mastery of knot-tying is the ability to maximize on the value of your cordage.
In other words, the better you know your knots, the more you can get out of your rope, 550 paracord, monofilament, or bankline. With this knowledge you can then use your cordage to make things like:
- Shelter
- Tumpline sacks
- Traps and trotlines
- Harnesses
- Ways to hang gear
- …and even an improvised hammock, if one were so inclined.
However, not all of us are masters of the knot, and it can seem a bit overwhelming when you first being to learn them. But that’s why I’ll be discussing three particular knots that all have one thing in common: If they were the only knots you knew, then you should be able to get by and further build upon your knot-knowledge from there.
Let’s get started…
Trucker’s Hitch
In my personal opinion, I believe the trucker’s hitch to be the second-most handy knot out of all three, especially since I find myself using it on a regular basis — even for daily life. I’ve used it for everything from securing cargo in a truck bed to setting up my camp hammock in the backwoods. Quite frankly, there’s just no substitute for a tautness-adjustable, quick-release, fast-tying beauty like ye olde trucker’s hitch.
Also, with this one, you get a bonus tutorial on the half-hitch.
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Double-Fisherman’s Knot
The primary reason why I’ve added the double-fisherman’s knot to this list is because of the reason that we learn knot-tying in the first place. To review, I said that the skill and mastery of knot-tying is the ability to maximize on the value of your cordage. Thus, the purpose of the double-fisherman’s knot is to create a sturdy fusion to combine two different sections into a single long piece.
I’m not really a fan of taking my knife to a roll of 550 paracord, because the shorter you make a section of cordage, the more potential uses it forfeits. However, the double-fisherman’s knot offers a pretty good solution for this issue, since it allows you to reconnect a section of rope or paracord that might have already been cut.
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In that moment when those two trees are six-feet apart, but your longest available piece of paracord is five and a half feet … that sounds like a job for the double-fisherman’s knot.
The Bowline
This has to be the most-used knot for campers, hikers, bushcrafters, soldiers, survivalists and sailors. Because you can create an incredibly strong loop in a rope with the bowline, there’s really no limit to what you can do with your rope once that knot’s in place. Hang lanterns, carabiners, add a trucker’s hitch, use it like a pulley system … the sheer usefulness of this knot is simply incredible.
And trust me: This might seem like an obvious statement, but if you’ve ever pitched camp in a place without a picnic table or a bench, then having the ability to hang stuff is truly a wonderful thing.
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These Knots Can Tie Just About Everything Together
If you’re knowledgeable on how to tie a bowline, a double-fisherman’s knot, and a trucker’s hitch, then you can basically use those options for just about anything that you might need on your typical day in the backwoods. Granted, you will most likely run into a situation or two when there might be a better knot option than these particular three; however, they should handle just about any knot-requiring task with relative ease, effectiveness and a little creative thinking.
However, I’d also like to hear from you on this one. Do you have any suggestions for newbie knot-tiers? If so, drop a line in the comments section below, and tell us the knot’s name and what solutions it might have to offer.
Aside from that, it looks like this post is all tied off! And THAT pun…
Was fully and unabashedly intended.
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