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The tautline hitch is, after the square knot, probably my most-used knot outdoors. It's just versatile and adjustable. I know people say there are usually bette

The tautline hitch is, after the square knot, probably my most-used knot outdoors. It's just versatile and adjustable. I know people say there are usually better knots for various jobs where you can employ it, but throughout all of Boy Scouts and beyond, it was always at least good enough. Plus, it's really satisfying the way you can slide and adjust it. There's something so wonderful about getting sophisticated mechanics from things made purely of rope or cord.

dhimes 4y ago
I quite often use the tautline in combination with the truckers: Use the purchase of the truckers to reduce the load that tautline has to hold, but the adjustability of the tautline lets me cinch things tight. Super handy on sailboats. Great example is from the video linked above with the airplane. At the end he's complaining about the tautline. In that instance, I would use (if not the knot he's showing) a truckers to the plane, and the tautline to set the length.
kqr 4y ago
Do you know about the prusik knot, and the corresponding practise of prusiking? Works on the same principle as the taut-line hitch. You can hang your weight in the knot on a vertical rope indefinitely. If you can then find a way to unload the knot, you can slide it up the rope and then put your weight on it again, slightly higher up than before. So how do you unload the knot? By loading another of the same knots! So you alternate between loading and sliding the two knots, making your way up the rope with comparatively little effort and comparatively high security. It's quite amazing!
- cudgy 4y ago
  Prusik knot is great. Used it for attaching a tarp over the cockpit of a sailboat for some shade by attaching to the shrouds and stays. Holds extremely well in high winds too. Some use it as described by above post to climb the mast.
- MikeBVaughn 4y ago
  That's incredible! I'm going to give that a look later this weekend! Thanks!
- ubadair 4y ago
  Klemheist knot is a useful related one. It's easier to slide than prussik and works with webbing or rope.
  - kqr 4y ago
    IIRC it's also easier to accidentally slide, even when loaded. But I could be confusing it with some other friction hitch!

dhimes 4y ago

I quite often use the tautline in combination with the truckers: Use the purchase of the truckers to reduce the load that tautline has to hold, but the adjustability of the tautline lets me cinch things tight. Super handy on sailboats. Great example is from the video linked above with the airplane. At the end he's complaining about the tautline. In that instance, I would use (if not the knot he's showing) a truckers to the plane, and the tautline to set the length.

kqr 4y ago

Do you know about the prusik knot, and the corresponding practise of prusiking? Works on the same principle as the taut-line hitch. You can hang your weight in the knot on a vertical rope indefinitely. If you can then find a way to unload the knot, you can slide it up the rope and then put your weight on it again, slightly higher up than before. So how do you unload the knot? By loading another of the same knots! So you alternate between loading and sliding the two knots, making your way up the rope with comparatively little effort and comparatively high security. It's quite amazing!

cudgy 4y ago
Prusik knot is great. Used it for attaching a tarp over the cockpit of a sailboat for some shade by attaching to the shrouds and stays. Holds extremely well in high winds too. Some use it as described by above post to climb the mast.
MikeBVaughn 4y ago
That's incredible! I'm going to give that a look later this weekend! Thanks!
ubadair 4y ago
Klemheist knot is a useful related one. It's easier to slide than prussik and works with webbing or rope.
- kqr 4y ago
  IIRC it's also easier to accidentally slide, even when loaded. But I could be confusing it with some other friction hitch!