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Cub Scout's Guide to Knots

Tying a knot has been an essential skill in Scouting since the movement began more than a century ago. Knowing the correct knot for each situation is also important to master. This session will cover the following knots:

Overhand knot
(Required for the "Call of the Wild" Wolf Adventure)
Square knot
(Required for the "Call of the Wild" Wolf Adventure)
Two half-hitches
(Required for the "Bear Necessities" Bear Adventure)
Taut-line hitch
Bowline knot
(Required for the "Outdoorsman" Arrow of Light Adventure)

Rope Basics

When you cut a piece of rope, the ends can come untwisted or start to fray. For a quick fix, tie a tight overhand knot at the end of the rope or wrap it with electrical tape. However, the permanent way to protect ropes from unraveling is by whipping or fusing.

Rope is made by twisting together the stringy fibers of certain plants, or by twisting together or weaving strands of nylon, plastic, or other modern materials. Wear and tear sometimes causes a rope to unravel. For a temporary fix, tie a knot in each end or wrap it with duct tape. For a more permanent fix, whip or fuse the ends.

Fusing Rope

Fusing is a technique that you can use with rope and cord made of plastic or nylon. Plastic or nylon rope and cord melt when exposed to high heat. This method uses heat to melt (fuse) the fibers, forming a permanent bond that will prevent unraveling.

Cut off the frayed part of the rope. (With rope that comes untwisted very easily, it’s helpful to wrap the ends with electrical tape before cutting.)
Working in a well-ventilated area, hold the rope end a few inches above a lighted match or candle to fuse the strands together.

WARNING: Melted rope will be hot and sticky. Do not touch a newly fused rope end until it has cooled—melted rope will be hot and sticky. Remember to fuse both ends of the rope. Do not try to fuse ropes made of manila, sisal, hemp, cotton, or other natural fibers, because they will burn rather than melt.

Whipping Rope

To whip the end of a rope or cord, use your pocketknife to cut away any of the rope that has already unraveled.
Next, using a 2-foot piece of strong rope or cord, preferably waxed, form a loop and lay it along one end of the rope or cord.
Tightly wrap, or whip, the cord around the rope, working your way toward the loop formed in the cord.
When the whipping is at least as wide as the rope is thick, tuck the end of the cord through the loop, then pull hard on the free ends to tighten the cord and secure the wrapping.
Unlay the end of the rope that sticks out so the whipping won’t pull off.
Trim away the extra cord, then whip the rope’s other end.

Tying Knots

Learning how to tie knots takes practice. Carry a piece of cord or rope in your pocket and, several times a day, pull it out and tie the knots you have learned. Practice until you can tie them quickly—even with your eyes closed—and you’ll be confident and ready to use them whenever necessary. A knot should be easy to tie, should remain tied, and should be easy to untie.

All knots have a purpose and it is just as important to understand what that purpose is and when the knot is used as having the ability to tie it. The wrong knot at the wrong time can be dangerous.

There are two main parts of tying a knot: (1) making the right tying steps in the correct order, and (2) tightening the knot. Shape the knot into place before tightening. Some need coaxing to get into position.

Types of Knots

A bend is a knot used to join two ropes to make a longer rope. Also known as joining knots.
A hitch is a knot that ties a rope to something else, like a pole, post, or other object.
Loops join the rope back to itself, making a circle (or several). Some loops are fixed, some are slipped.
Bindings fasten together the ends of cords or ropes to secure packages, bundles, & bandages.
Stopper knots are used to prevent a rope from pulling free, to add weight at the end, or to provide grip.

Overhand Knot

The simplest of all knots, the overhand knot has been in use for as long as there has been material that can be knotted. It also forms the basis of many other knots, particularly in the loop, bend and hitch families. Once tied and put under strain, it is very difficult to untie.

Make a crossing loop turn by taking the working end of a rope behind the standing part.
Bring the working end to the front of the knot, then pass it through the crossing turn.
Pull on the working end and on the standing part to tighten the knot.

This knot is not very tight, nor large, but it still has its uses. It serves as the initial portion of the knot used to tie shoes, packages, or any situation where a secure knot is needed that can be quickly and simply untied. Useful as a handhold as well as a stopper, it is tied at regular intervals along lifelines to prevent the rope from slipping through the hands or a hole or opening (like a rock climbing belay). It can also help prevent the end of a hanging rope from fraying.

Square Knot

The square knot has many uses, from securing bandages and packages to joining two ropes together. A square knot works best when the ropes are of the same diameter and pressed against something else. This knot should not be used to hold a heavy load.

Tying a square knot is as easy as right over left, left over right. Here’s how:

Hold a rope end in each hand.
Pass the right end over and under the rope in your left hand.
Pass the rope end that is now in your left hand over and under the one in your right.
Tighten the knot by pulling both running ends at the same time.

The square knot has many uses, from securing bandages and packages to joining two ropes together. A square knot works best when the ropes are the same diameter and pushed against something else. This knot should not be used to hold a heavy load.

Two Half-Hitches

Two half-hitches can be described as a clove hitch tied around its own standing part instead of a pole, or another way as a taut-line hitch with an extra loop. However you describe it, two half-hitches (also called a double half-hitch) form a loop that can secure the rope to a post or grommet.

Pass the running end of the rope around the post or through the grommet.
Bring the end over and around the standing part of the rope, then back through the loop that has formed. This makes a half-hitch.
Continue taking the end around the standing part to tie another half-hitch (this time outside the loop). Be sure to go around the standing part in the same direction.
Pull the knot snug and slide it against the pole or grommet.

Use two half-hitches to tie a rope around a post.

Taut-Line Hitch

Two half-hitches will tend to slide until the knot is cinched close to the post or grommet. To create an adjustable loop that stays in place, use the taut-line hitch.

Pass the running end of the rope around the tent stake.
Bring the end over and around the standing part, then back through the loop that has formed. Go around the standing part inside the loop again (this time closer to the tent stake).
Going in the same direction, take the end around the standing part outside to tie another half-hitch.
Work any slack out of the knot.
Slide the hitch to tighten or loosen the line.

This is the knot to use for staking out the guy lines of your tent or dining fly. It can be used to tighten or loosen a tent guy line by pushing the hitch up or down.

Bowline

The bowline forms a loop that will not slip but is easy to untie. Learn to tie the bowline around yourself, around a post, and in the free end of a rope. With practice, you can even tie it with one hand.

Make a small overhand loop in the standing part of a rope.
Bring the rope end up through the loop, around and behind the standing part, and back down into the loop. The amount of rope remaining below the loop determines the size of the fixed loop in the finished bowline.
Bring the working end back down through the overhand loop so it exits the knot toward the inside of the fixed loop. Tighten the knot by pulling the standing part of the rope away from the loop while holding the bight.
To untie the bowline, turn the knot over. Notice the collar-shaped bight of the rope in the bowline. To untie the knot, push the collar away from the loop as if you were opening the top on a soda can. That will break the knot so that you can loosen it.

Properly tied, a bowline never slips or jams. It holds permanent or adjustable loops and may be used to attach a cord to a pack frame, secure tarps and tents, or secure a line to a canoe. It’s just what you want for tying a rope around your waist or around someone requiring rescue. A bowline also works well for securing guy lines through the grommets on a tent or dining fly. It is easy to untie.

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