FSUU SCOUTS 8 BASIC KNOT BOARD

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Bowline Square Knot Two Half Hitches Sheet Bend

Taut – Line Clove Hitch Timber Hitch Figure - Eight

THE EIGHT BASIC BOY SCOUT KNOTS

Knots. One of man's most primitive tools. With this tool, you can build almost anything. At Scout outings and around your house, you
have probably tied many knots. Some were simple, and maybe some were hard. Knots can help you tie a fish hook on your fishing
pole, help you tie down your tent while camping, or help in a mountain rescue. The point is, knots are important. This section of our
website will help learn a few basic knots you need to know for rank advancement. Some of these knots, we have added just for fun.

1. The Bowline is one of the most used loop knots. At the end of a rope, the bowline forms a strong loop that will not slip or
jam. Most of the time however, the bowline is used whenever we have a competition on who can tie it the fastest around
their waist. Which is always fun.
2. The Square Knot is probably the best known and most widely used knot. It serves to join the ends of two ropes, and has the
advantage of strength and ease of tying and untying. It slips or jams only if pulled around a corner. People use square knots
to tie packages and to fasten towing lines, it is also called the "first aid knot." Most people use a variation of the square knot
to tie their shoes. An improperly tied square knot is called a granny knot. A granny knot may come loose under pressure
and should not be used.
3. Two Half Hitches are used to fasten a rope temporarily to a post, hook, or ring. The Boy Scout book says this is a good not
for tying your tent down, or for tying a clothes line to hang wet clothes and towels. This not is usually used because of its
slip feature. The knot slides with the greatest of ease, to make the loop bigger or smaller.
4. The Sheet Bend was a knot that the sailors used to tie on their ships. They tied the sails together, which were sheets. This is
a good choice when tying two ropes together, especially when the ropes are different sizes.
5. The Taut-line Hitch. This is a remarkably useful knot; it's adjustable AND trustworthy. Anyone who uses a tent should know
this knot. It is the best way to adjust your lines to the tent-poles. It is the most simple of the adjustable knot family.
6. The Clove Hitch. This is a very important knot, especially in your lashings. Make sure you work it up properly; pull
lengthwise only at both ends. If you pull the knot at different angles, it's likely to become unreliable. If you use it be sure
that both ends are pulled straight out.
7. The Timber Hitch is used to attach a rope to a log. This knot tightens under strain, but comes undone extremely easily when
the rope is slack. So be sure to keep it tight. The timber hitch is very useful for dragging logs back to the camp fire, or
clearing forest.
8. The Figure-Eight. This knot is larger, stronger and easier to untie than the overhand knot. It does not harm your rope as
much as the overhand knot does. So therefore sailors use this knot in most cases. Other than that, I see no use for it, other
than impressing you board of review.