By Cheri Sicard
Corporal Shawn Kelly, USMC, from Corporals Corner, has produced an invaluable video with some of the most important survival skills everyone should add to their knowledge base: essential camp knots and hitches.
It’s astounding how many folks lack this knowledge, but after watching this video and with a little practice, you’ll be up to speed. Seeing the knots created just makes the process click in a way written directions lack.
Corporal Kelly says knots are “one of the hardest easiest things” for people to wrap their minds around. He says that is because “once that initial dyslexia passes, everything clicks and you realize it wasn’t hard at all!”
Essential camp knots covered in the video
- Bowline knot: this knot is tied on the end of some cordage. Once properly tied this knot will not slip or bind. He illustrates two simple-to-follow-along methods of tying this useful knot.
- Square knot: a binding knot that can be used to join two lines or to make a loop.
- Fisherman’s knot: this is another useful binding knot that can be used to join two lines or to make a loop.
- Lark’s head or cow hitch knot: is used to attach a piece of cordage to an object. He even shows a useful application of this knot for lifting a pot.
- Prusik knot: is a useful sliding knot for attaching a loop of smaller diameter to a larger knot. You can slide and adjust this knot, then lock it into place.
- Jam or Arbor knot: can be used to compress a load, create a lashing, or tie a piece of cordage around an object.
But wait, there’s more!
Essential camp hitches covered:
- Timber hitch: useful when towing a log, tree, or in starting a lash.
- Marlinspike hitch: a temporary knot used to attach a rod to a rope in order to form a handle or a rung for a ladder. Combine this hitch with the timber hitch for added functionality!
Be sure to check out the short video for demonstrations on how to actually tie all of these knots.
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