Page 71 - The Pocket Guide to Equine Knots

Sheepshank knot, step 3: half hitch around the other bight and pull tight.

More and more of our wilderness areas require storage of food either in bear-proof
containers or hung overhead a given distance from tree trunks. Often this requires both an

overhead line between two trees, then another to hang the food container (perhaps a light
cooler) over the horizontal line. We usually use manty ropes, and the sheepshank is a
handy knot for shortening them to the needed length, avoiding extra line lying round ready to

trip you in the dark.

Taut-Line Hitch
Equally handy around camp, especially for setting up tents, is the taut-line hitch. It’s

especially useful for guy ropes on a tent, because it can be slipped to adjust length, then,
when under load, holds fast. Tying the taut-line hitch is easy. Just bring the rope around the
object (step 1), such as a tent stake, and make two wraps around the standing part within

the loop you’ve created (step 2).
Then make a third outside the loop. Pull the knot together, and you’ll find that under
weight of a heavy load it doesn’t slip. Release the pull, however, and you can adjust the
line.

On a recent backcountry trip, I ran a long guyline from the peak of my tent to a large
stump, knowing the prevailing winds from that direction might be severe that evening. I used
a taut-line hitch with some trepidation, knowing the winds would be fickle, blowing the tent
back and then releasing it in many sequences. But the hitch held fine. (Certain other things

about the tent setup did not, but that’s another story.)

Taut-line hitch, step 1.