Trucker’s hitch knot – Awesome Video
I was thinking to myself that I should write an article about knots, after all, they’re an essential part of outdoor life and they cover a huge range of uses. So, this was going to be a ‘Top 10 Knots’ sort of article, but it’s changed into a ‘Trucker’s Hitch’ article, and after watching this great video you’ll see why.
Here’s some information about the Truckers hitch, just in case you’re wondered what it is, and then please take the time to watch the video and make sure you share this article with your friends. Not because writing about truckers Knots is anything new but I’m hoping that you’re going to laugh out loud when you watch the video, just like I did!
The Trucker’s Knot or Trucker’s Hitch is a knot that’s usually used for securing loads on trailer and trucks. By tying the knot in the right way you create a basic block and tackle arrangement that lets you create a lot of tension and thus you can tighten the rope on the load holding it down.
Geoffrey Budworth is the author of knots books and he claims that the knot can be traced back to when Carters and Hawkers used horse-drawn conveyances to move their wares from place to place.
Personally, I use it for securing Tarps (tarps are my usual shelter) when I’m out camping, and they’re great, generally easy to adjust and nice and secure while getting a good tension on the ropes.
The simple way of tying the Truckers Hitch is to tie one end of the rope to something, a tree will do for practice.
Then in the middle of the rope tie a slippery half hitch, or even a figure of eight if that’s easier for now, you just need a loop.
Then take the loose end around a stationary object, another tree will do, and then take the free end through the loop.
If you pull on that loose end it will tension up as it pulls on the loop, pull it as tight as you ned to and then secure the knot with two half hitches around on or both of the lines.
There are a number of knots that you should be familiar with as well as the truckers hitch, some of them are harder to tie than others, but they’re all useful to know, here’s a few of them:
Basic square knot
This is good for joining two pieces of cord together or for a fairly flat knot that can be used to secure packages or bandages in place.
Clove hitch
This knot is all about holding on to whatever you tie it to. It’s great for the start of lashings or if you need a secure knot for when the cord is under tension.
I’ve used it for shelter building, fishing rods, tripods and all sorts.
Bowline
The Bowline is a great knot and well worth knowing. This knot gives you a secure, non sliding loop that’s easy to tie and untie. It’s great for hooking onto things and for securing tarps, washing lines, dogs and all sorts.
Figure eight
This knot is used mostly in climbing and sailing because it’s a very secure knot that’s easy to untie even after it’s been put under a lot of tension.
There’s the straight figure eight and also the figure eight on a blight, which is useful for when you need a secure loop somewhere in the rope that’s not going to weaken it too much.
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