When you’re exploring in the great outdoors, you may need to create a basic knot with rope in order to carry firewood or secure rope to a tree. So it will come in handy to know a few basic camping knots before you head out into the wild. Here are six basic camping knots that are good for every outdoor explorer to know how to tie. Which knot you use will depend on what you need it for.
Fireman’s Coil
The Fireman’s Coil is a great knot to use to keep coiled rope neat and untangled. This makes it portable so you can take it back and forth from the campsite to your boat or wherever you may need. It’s quick and easy to undo.
Step 1: Work the majority of the rope into a coil using circles.
Step 2: Use the end of the rope and make a loop in the middle at the top of the coils.
Step 3: Bring the end through the middle of the coil and up around the back.
Step 4: Create a loop with the end of the rope and then bring it through the loop that you made in front of the coil.
Double Overhand Stopper Knot
Use the Double Overhand Stopper Knot as a stopper at the end of your rope. Do you have a hooded sweatshirt where the drawstring slips into the holes? Use this knot to keep that from happening.
Step 1: Tie a standard overhand knot at the end of the rope, but don’t pull it tight.
Step 2: Bring the end of the rope down, behind, and back up through the overhand knot.
Step 3: Making sure to position the knot where you need it, tighten the knot.
Knute Hitch
The Knute Hitch is great to use if you have tools on hand and want to make sure you aren’t going to lose them. You can also use this to secure your keys to something for the same reason.
Step 1: Make a figure 8 knot in the end of the rope.
Step 2: Make a bight (curved section or slack part between two ends of the rope) and bring it through the hole in the tool you’re attaching it to.
Step 3: Bring your figure 8 up through the bight and pull it tight.
Better Bow Knot
Instead of double knotting your hiking boots or bikini and then worrying about them coming undone, try this Better Bow Knot instead. It’s much more secure than a regular bow knot and you don’t have to fight with a double knot when you want to undo it.
Step 1: Begin like you are tying your shoes.
Step 2: When you get to the point of wrapping your lace around the loop you made, wrap it twice, but make sure your finger is in it to create some space.
Step 3: Make a loop like you would for tying your shoes normally, but bring it down through the area you made with your finger. Then just pull it tight like normal!
Double Fisherman’s Knot
The Double Fisherman’s Knot is a great knot to use when hooking two pieces of rope together. We like the double instead of the standard fisherman’s knot just because it’s a bit more secure. Here’s how to do it:
Step 1: Lay out the ends of your ropes so they are parallel to one another.
Step 2: Wrap the end of one of the ropes around the other one twice.
Step 3: Bring the end of the rope that you wrapped up through the coils you made when wrapping it and pull it tight. Make sure that the end is pointing in the direction of the long end of the rope you’re wrapping it around.
Step 4: Repeat these steps with the end of the other rope.
Step 5: Pull the long ends of each rope away from one another to bring the two knots together.
Bowline
The bowline puts a fixed knot at the end of a rope. This one is good for when you want to tie up a boat, if you happen to go mountain climbing, or need to hoist someone up a cliff if they’ve fallen.
Step 1: Lay the rope out and form a loop with the end pointing down.
Step 2: Bring the end of the rope up through the loop you made and behind the long end.
Step 3: Bring the short end back down though the same loop and pull it tight.
These basic knots will come in handy when you’re in the great outdoors and experiencing the beauty of America. If you enjoy learning how to tie and use these knots, research other types of knots and learn how to tie them as well. Knowing how to tie multiple types of knots will be a great skill to have as a camper.
