Essential Bushcraft Knots: 16 Knots and Lashings for Camp

Which knots do you need for bushcraft?

Sailors, climbers and scouts know hundreds of knots, but bushcraft needs surprisingly few. What matters is covering every job: making a loop, tying to a tree or pole, putting tension on a line, adjusting it later, joining two ropes, gripping a line and binding poles together. A good bushcraft knot has four qualities: it is easy to tie (also with cold, wet hands in the dark), it holds under load, it does not damage your cord, and it unties easily afterwards.

If you are new, learn the five marked "core" first — they cover a standard tarp shelter setup from start to finish. Add the others as your projects grow.

Knot terms explained: working end, bight, hitch and bend

Instructions only make sense once you know a few terms.

Reading the drawings: the standing part takes the load (grey arrow), the working end finishes in a round cap, a strand drawn on top passes over, and orange arrows show the next movement.

One rule applies to every knot here: leave a tail of at least ten times the rope diameter (4 cm on 4 mm cord) and dress the knot before you load it.

Which knot for which job? The knot-for-task table

Think in tasks, not in knots. The table below is the same logic used in our interactive Knot Finder: pick the job, check whether the knot must release quickly (for example with cold hands in the morning), and use the first choice. The alternatives also work and are worth knowing when the first choice does not suit your cord or anchor.

Loop knots: bowline, figure-eight loop and alpine butterfly

Bowline — the king of loops

Use: a fixed loop at the end of a rope that does not slip or jam — around a tree to start a ridgeline, through a tarp grommet, around a food bag, or to create an anchor loop for a trucker's hitch. The bowline's great strength is that it unties easily even after a heavy load. Security: good under steady load, but it can shake loose when repeatedly loaded and unloaded, especially in stiff or slippery cord such as Dyneema. Back it up with a stopper knot (a double overhand around the loop leg) or a Yosemite finish when it matters. Commonly quoted retained strength is in the region of 60–75 % of the rope, depending on the test.

Figure-eight loop — the secure loop

Use: when security matters more than easy untying — a loop you cannot afford to lose, a clip-in point, or a loop on slippery cord. It is easy to inspect because a correctly tied figure eight shows two neat parallel strands throughout. Security: very high; commonly quoted retained strength is around 75–80 %. Downside: after a heavy load, it can jam hard, which is annoying on thin cord.

How to tie it (on a bight): fold the rope into a bight about 30 cm long. Cross the bight over the doubled standing part to form a loop, pass it around behind the standing parts, and feed it down through that loop — the doubled rope now forms an "8". Dress all strands so they lie parallel without crossing, then pull each of the four strands tight. To tie it around a tree or through a ring, tie a loose figure eight in a single strand, pass the end around the object and retrace the eight exactly, parallel to the first pass (the "figure-eight follow-through").

Alpine butterfly — the mid-line loop

Use: a fixed loop in the middle of a line that can be loaded along the rope, towards the loop, or both. In bushcraft, it gives you a hook point on a ridgeline for gear or a lantern, a fixed tie-out point on a long guyline, or an anchor for a trucker's hitch that unties easily. It also isolates a damaged section of rope. Security: excellent, and it does not jam as badly as the figure eight.

How to tie it (twist method): make a bight and give it two full twists in the same direction so the rope forms a figure-eight shape with a small lower opening and a larger upper loop. Fold the upper loop down over the twists and feed it through the lower opening. Pull the new loop and both ends in opposite directions to set it. Practise with a diagram at hand the first few times.

Hitches for trees and poles: clove, round turn, timber, Siberian, marlinspike

Clove hitch — fast and adjustable

Use: a quick hitch to a pole, branch or stake, and the standard start and finish for square and tripod lashings. It is easy to adjust by feeding rope through, and it can be tied in the hand and dropped over a post. Security: moderate — under changing loads or on a rotating pole it can roll and slip. Secure it with one or two half hitches around the standing part when it must hold for a long time.

Round turn and two half hitches — the reliable anchor

Use: a secure, simple anchor to trees, poles, rings or a bag handle; a good ridgeline start when quick release is not needed, and a safe finish for many lines. The round turn takes most of the load through friction, so you can hold a heavy pull with one hand while tying with the other. Security: very good, and easy to untie.

How to tie it: wrap the working end twice around the anchor (a full round turn). Take the end around the standing part and back through the gap to make a half hitch. Make a second half hitch in the same direction below the first — together they form a clove hitch around the standing part. Slide the hitches snug against the round turn. For quick release, make the last half hitch slipped.

Timber hitch — grips under load

Use: attaching a rope to a log, tree or bundle of poles. It holds as long as the load is steady and falls apart almost by itself once the tension is released, which makes it perfect for starting a ridgeline on a big tree or beginning a diagonal lashing. Combined with a half hitch further along (the killick hitch), it is used to drag logs. Security: good under constant tension, poor when the load goes slack.

How to tie it: pass the rope around the tree. Take the working end around the standing part once, then twist it around its own part (the part encircling the tree) three to four times — five or more on smooth bark or slippery cord. Pull the standing part so the wraps bite against the tree.

Siberian hitch (Evenk hitch) — the fast ridgeline start

Use: a fixed start for a ridgeline that you can tie in a few seconds and release with a single pull on the slipped tail — ideal on cold mornings. It is widely taught for tarp pitching and is also the first choice in our Knot Finder when quick release is needed. Security: good under load; put a small stick through the bight as a toggle if you want it extra secure.

Marlinspike hitch — handles, toggles and rungs

Use: a temporary hitch that holds a stick crosswise on a line — a handle for pulling a line tight, a toggle to attach a bag, or rungs of a rope ladder. Remove the stick and the hitch falls apart.

How to tie it: form a small loop in the line and fold it back over the standing part, so that one strand of the standing part lies across the middle of the loop. Push your stick over the edges of the loop and under that strand. Pull the line — the loop tightens around the stick.

Tensioning knots: trucker's hitch and taut-line hitch

Trucker's hitch — the drum-tight ridgeline

Use: pulling a line really tight — ridgelines, bear-bag lines, loads on a pack or a sledge, a clothesline in camp. It works like a simple pulley: a loop in the standing part acts as a pulley wheel, giving you a theoretical 3:1 advantage (friction reduces it in practice). Security: excellent once tied off with two half hitches; slip the last one for a quick release. Tip: on synthetic cord the friction in the loop can glaze the fibres if you saw back and forth; pull steadily.

Taut-line hitch — the adjustable guyline

Use: adjustable guylines. Tied around the standing part after passing the line around a stake, it can be slid to tighten or loosen the line but holds under load. Tarps stretch as they get wet or cold, so being able to re-tension guylines without untying is valuable. The Tarp Pitch & Cordage Planner tells you how many guylines and how much cord a pitch needs. Security: good on nylon, polyester and paracord; it tends to slip on very slippery, low-stretch cord such as Dyneema — use a mechanical line tensioner or a trucker's hitch there.

Friction hitch: the prusik knot

Use: a closed loop of thinner cord wrapped around a thicker line. When loaded, it grips; when unloaded, you can slide it by hand. On a tarp ridgeline, two prusiks let you position the tarp exactly and pull the ridge taut without retying anything. They also make adjustable hanging points for a lantern, pot or gear in camp. Security: depends on the diameter ratio — the loop cord should be noticeably thinner than the host line (for example 2–3 mm loops on a 4–5 mm ridgeline). If the two are similar in size, the prusik slips; add a wrap for more grip.

Hanging food, pots and gear from a line

The same knots keep your food bag, pot or lantern off the ground: a bowline holds the bag, a trucker's hitch tightens the line and a prusik gives a sliding hanging point. For food, follow the advice in food storage.

Bends for joining rope: sheet bend and double fisherman's

Sheet bend — joins unequal ropes

Use: quickly joining two ropes, especially of different thickness or material — lengthening a guyline, joining paracord to natural cordage, or tying a line to a corner of a tarp or a blanket. Security: good under steady load; it can shake loose when unloaded and flogging. For slippery cord or large differences in diameter, use the double sheet bend with an extra turn. Make sure both short ends finish on the same side of the knot — the "left-handed" version is less secure.

Double fisherman's knot — the permanent join

Use: a very secure join of two ropes of similar diameter, above all for making closed loops such as prusik loops and slings. Security: excellent — it is one of the most secure bends. Downside: after loading it is very hard to untie, so use it where you want a permanent connection.

How to tie it: lay the two ends side by side, overlapping by about 30 cm, pointing in opposite directions. Take one end and wrap it twice around both ropes, working back towards its own standing part, then tuck it through the two wraps (a double overhand around the other rope). Repeat with the other end in the mirror direction. Pull the two standing parts so the knots slide together. A correct knot shows four parallel lines on one side and two neat X shapes on the other. Leave tails of at least 2 cm.

Lashings: square, diagonal and tripod

Lashings bind poles together to build camp furniture: a pot tripod, a drying rack, a table, a raised bed frame or the framework of a lean-to shelter. Every lashing follows the same pattern: a starting hitch (clove or timber hitch), several tight wraps around the poles, a few frapping turns between the poles to tighten the wraps, and a finishing hitch (clove hitch). Use 3–5 m of cord for poles up to wrist thickness. Work on dead, fallen poles or wood you are allowed to use — cutting live saplings is prohibited in many forests.

Square lashing

Use: two poles crossing at or near a right angle — cross-bars, tables, frames, ladders. Strength: a well-tied square lashing is very rigid.

Diagonal lashing

Use: poles that cross at an angle other than 90°, or poles that spring apart and must be pulled together — the diagonal braces of a frame, the X of a bipod, or a raised bed. The timber hitch at the start pulls the poles together before you wrap.

Tripod lashing

Use: three poles bound at the top to make a stable tripod — for hanging a pot over the fire (see campfire cooking), a water bag, a lantern, or as the frame of a tipi-style shelter. Tip: the lashing must not be too tight, or the legs cannot spread.

Rope and cord for bushcraft: which type for which knot?

A knot is only as good as the cord it is tied in. Different materials behave very differently: nylon stretches and absorbs water, polyester stays stable, Dyneema is incredibly strong but slippery, natural fibres grip well but are weaker and rot. Carry two or three types for different jobs. If you want to make your own, see our guide to natural cordage from nettle, lime bast and willow bark.

A practical set for a first trip: 15–20 m of 4 mm paracord or braided polyester for the ridgeline, 10–15 m of 2–3 mm cord for guylines, four prusik loops and a small hank of bank line for lashings and repairs. The Kit Builder adds cordage automatically to your packing list, and our guide to choosing a tarp explains which tie-outs to look for.

Knot strength and safety: what knots can (and cannot) do

Every knot weakens a rope because it bends the fibres sharply and loads them unevenly. As a rough guide, knots reduce rope strength by around 20–50 %, depending on the knot, the material, how well it is dressed and how the test is done. Published figures vary widely, so treat any single percentage with caution. For bushcraft, what matters more is security — whether a knot stays tied under changing loads — and whether you can untie it afterwards.

What a dressed and set knot looks like: it matches the diagram strand for strand, with parallel parts parallel, no slack loops and a compact shape that does not change when loaded. If it looks different, retie it — pulling harder on a wrong knot only makes a tight wrong knot.

How to learn knots fast — and troubleshoot the common failures

Knots are motor memory: you learn them by repetition, not by reading. Keep a 1.5 m piece of cord next to the sofa, then add difficulty — around a chair leg, with gloves on, with your eyes closed.

Dress, set and check: the routine for every knot

Every knot ends the same way: dress, set, check the tail, load-test. Here on a round turn and two half hitches holding a bag.

More troubleshooting

• The ridgeline sags overnight. Nylon stretches when it gets wet and cold. Use polyester for ridgelines, re-tension with the trucker's hitch before bed, and pitch the tarp slightly lower than you think.
• The prusik slides under load. The loop cord is too thick relative to the ridgeline, or too slippery. Add a fourth wrap or use thinner, softer cord.
• The taut-line hitch creeps. The cord is too slippery or stiff. Add an extra inside turn, or switch to a trucker's hitch or a line tensioner.
• The bowline loosened. It was loaded and unloaded repeatedly with a short tail. Leave a longer tail and add a stopper knot.

Knots connect to almost every other skill. They hold your hammock and tarp, secure the frame of a debris shelter, hang a pot at the right height, keep food out of reach of animals and organise your camp setup. Even friction fire depends on cordage: the string of a bow drill must be tied tight enough to grip the spindle. Keep practising, and explore the rest of the skills section when your knots are automatic.