Tying a Taut Line Hitch

Video Transcript

"The main disadvantage to the half hitch knots that we have discussed so far is that, you know, as we saw before, when I pulled on it, it slips through the rope and so there is a knot that's called a taut line hitch because it can be used to tie a taut line. It's often used to tie tent poles or like your rain flap to something. Anything that you need to have any sort of tension on or a larger load that you might want an adjustable half hitch type knot on. It starts very similar to the half hitch, but the difference is you go through twice like so. I'll do that again a little slower. Just like the half hitch and then through that same loop you go a second time and then you finish it off with a regular half hitch. Then you tighten it and you get this sort of a knot going on. It's actually a lot easier to tie if you have some tension on the rope because it tightens a lot easier, but when you tie it right it doesn't slip under strain and you can adjust it to wherever you want, and that's the taut line hitch."