5Feb14 TAC Class

Knots and their usageThe right knot, in the right place, at

the right time

Agenda• 550 Cord/ParaCord• Tension Knots

– Clove Hitch– Taught Line Hitch– Two Half Hitches

• Loops– Bowline– Wireman’s Knot– Figure of Eight– Trucker’s Hitch

• Securing– Square Knot– Sheet Bend

550 Cord / ParaCord

• Nylon kernmantle• General Purpose utility

cord• MIL-C-5040H Type III– 7-9 core yarns (3 per)– 32-36 strand sheath– 30% elongation– 550lbs breaking point– Weight: 225 (69m) per

pound

Tension Knots

• Relies upon the friction of rope-on-rope or rope-on-object to remain tied

• The more tension applied, the more efficient the knot becomes

• Most are easily adjustable without loss of tension

Clove Hitch

• Uses– General Purpose Hitch– Starting and Finishing

Lashings• Easily untied• Adjusts length of rope– Not adjustable without

loss of tension

Taught-Line Hitch

• Uses– Periodical adjustment– Securing tent/tarp lines– Securing Loads

• Easily tightened and loosened

• Requires periodical adjustment for heavy loads

Two-Half Hitches

• Uses– Attaching Rope to a

pole / object– Safety knot– Used in conjunction

with other knots for extra tension

• Can be difficult to untie

Loops

• Utilize sections of the knot to form a loop• Tension on the loop increases knot

effectiveness• Easy to reinforce (___-on a bite)

Bowline

• Uses– Form a fixed loop at the

end of a rope– Rescue Knot

• Easy to untie even after under a load

• One-handed bowline

Wireman’s Knot / Farmer’s Loop

• Uses– Form a fixed loop– Form a loop and allow

for continuation of the rope

– Tighten loads– Pull a rope taught

• Pulley Mechanical Advantage

Figure of Eight

• Uses– Create a loop at the

end of a rope– Create a stop(s)

• Difficult to untie after put under tension (ex. Figure eight on a bite)

Trucker’s Hitch

• Uses– Cinch down loads– Secure objects to each

other– Pull a rope taught

• Pulley Mechanical Advantage

• Easily untied

Securing

• Use rope-on-rope friction to remain tied• Secures two or more ends of a rope together• Connects different sized rope

Square Knot

• Uses– Secure a rope around

an object– Binding objects– Secure two ends of

rope (not recommended)

• May be difficult to untie after put under tension

Sheet Bend

• Uses– Secure two ends of

rope together– Secure different

diameter ropes together

• Easy to untie• Rapidly untying ropes

(slippery sheet bend)

Practical