Page 71 - Peter Randall "The Craft of the Knot.."

Some hitches allow you to put up to three times more strain on the
rope than you are applying to tighten it. A Trucker’s Hitch pulls on the
rope as if you were using a pair of pulleys, allowing you to make pulling
tackle from a length of rope. The magnification factor at any point is
determined by how many ropes under equal tension are connected to it.

Don’t get confused by trying to think about which direction the rope is
pulling. It helps to consider that a rope can only pull, not push.

Some hitches attach rope for pulling or hoisting large objects. The
Timber Hitch is used on logs. The Barrel Sling can be used to hoist a
barrel while holding it upright, and the Barrel Hitch is a sling that is tied
like a Cow Hitch around an object. Its weight keeps the hitch snug.

It is rewarding to tie off a rope with the needed tension, and even be
able to adjust it. Fastening ropes to objects can help with many jobs, and
even more can be done when combined with other types of knots.

The more you work with hitches, the more you should have an idea of
what they can do, and more importantly, what they can do for you.
Fastening a rope to something is key to using rope for holding and
moving objects, and it is best to learn more than one method. Also, the
skills you obtain for fastening rope to objects will play an important part
in how to use rope for bindings.

BARREL HITCH

If you want to lift a barrel or other short cylindrical object on its side,
the Barrel Hitch can do the job of hoisting it.

Start with a strop or length of rope tied in a closed loop. Pass the end
of the loop around the barrel and then through the other side of the
loop. Spread the loops apart under the barrel for more stability.