Knots every hiker should know
You don't need to be a sailor — five knots handle nearly everything a hiker rigs, from tent guy-lines and tarps to bear hangs and field repairs. Here's what each one does and when to reach for it, so a length of cord becomes one of the most useful things in your pack.
In plain English
Knots sound old-fashioned, but a few simple ones solve most camp problems. You use them to tie a line to a tree, tighten a tent, hang a bag or strap gear down.
Each knot has one job it does well. Some make a fixed loop that will not tighten around whatever it holds. Some slide to adjust, like a shoelace you can loosen without untying. Others pull a line very tight, like a simple pulley.
You cannot learn knots by reading alone. It is more like learning to tie your shoes as a kid: the first few tries feel clumsy, then your hands just know. Keep a short piece of cord handy and practice while you watch TV. Then the knots are there when you need them in the dark or rain.
The short answer
Learn five knots and you're set: two half hitches to tie a line to something, the taut-line hitch for adjustable tent lines, the bowline for a loop that won't slip, the trucker's hitch to cinch a line drum-tight, and the figure-eight as a stopper. Carry a few feet of cord and you can pitch, hang, lash and repair almost anything.
Knots are a skill, not a fact — reading about them only gets you so far. Use this as a map of which knot to learn for which job, then practice each one with a real piece of cord (a short video and five minutes of fumbling is all it takes) until your hands remember it.
Two half hitches
What it's for: quickly and securely tying a rope to a tree, post, or the ring on a tarp. It's the everyday "attach this line to that thing" knot.
- Wrap the rope around the anchor, then tie two identical half hitches around the standing line — essentially the same simple knot, twice.
- It holds under steady load and unties easily afterward, even after it's been pulled tight.
- Use it for a ridgeline, a clothesline, or securing a load — anywhere you need a solid, non-adjustable attachment.
Taut-line hitch
What it's for: adjustable tension. This is the tent and tarp guy-line knot, because you can slide it up and down the standing line to tighten or loosen without untying.
- Tie it around the standing part with a couple of wraps inside the loop and one outside; it grips under load but slides when you push it.
- Perfect for re-tensioning guy-lines when nylon cord stretches in the rain or sags overnight.
- A line-loc or friction tensioner does the same job with hardware, but the knot works with any cord and never breaks.
Two half hitches plus a taut-line hitch will pitch almost any tarp or tent: fixed end on one side, adjustable end on the other so you can dial in a taut, quiet pitch.
Bowline
What it's for: a fixed loop that won't slip or jam, no matter how hard it's loaded. The classic "loop at the end of a rope" knot.
- Form a small loop, pass the end up through it, around the standing line and back down — "the rabbit comes out of the hole, around the tree, and back down the hole."
- The loop stays the same size under load and unties easily even after heavy strain.
- Use it to drop a loop over a branch or post, join a line to a grommet, or make a secure handhold. (It's not a life-safety climbing knot — that's a different discipline.)
Trucker's hitch
What it's for: mechanical advantage — pulling a line really tight and locking it off. This is the knot behind a good bear hang, a taut ridgeline, and lashing a load down.
- It forms a loop partway along the line that acts like a simple pulley, so you can haul the line drum-tight and then tie it off.
- Use it to hoist a food bag high on a branch, tension a tarp ridgeline, or cinch gear onto a pack or vehicle.
- Finish it with a couple of half hitches so it holds, and it still releases when you need it to.
Figure-eight (stopper)
What it's for: a bulky knot in the end of a rope that stops it from pulling back through a loop, a tensioner or your hands.
- Make a loop, wrap the end around the standing line and back through — it forms a neat "8".
- Bigger and easier to untie than a simple overhand knot, and it won't jam as badly.
- Use it as an end-stop on guy-lines and ridgelines, or as the basis of other knots.
How to actually learn them
A knot you can only tie in the living room is no use in the dark, in the rain, with cold hands. Build real, useful muscle memory.
- Learn one at a time with a short video and a length of cord, and tie it ten times until you don't need to think.
- Practice in the field: pitch your tarp in the backyard, hang a stuff sack from a branch, lash something to your pack.
- Carry cord to use them: a few meters of thin utility cord (and it doubles as a repair item) makes every one of these knots worth knowing.
That same cord is one of the five items in a good trailside repair kit — see how to fix a backpack on the trail for the rest.
What each knot is for, according to Scouting
Scouting America's basic knot set overlaps with the page's list and explains why each earns its place. The bowline forms a non-slipping loop, which is why it is taught for rescue, and the taut-line hitch makes an adjustable loop for guy lines.1 Its list also includes two knots worth adding once the page's five feel easy: the sheet bend, which joins two ropes, and the clove hitch, which Scouts use to begin and end lashings.1
The sheet bend fills a real gap. If your cord snaps or is too short for a ridgeline, it joins two pieces, even of different thickness, in seconds. The square knot also appears in the Scouting list for tying bandages,1 which links your knot skills to your first-aid kit.
Knots and shelters
How much knot work a shelter needs depends on its design. MSR explains that a freestanding tent stands on its poles alone, a semi-freestanding tent needs both poles and staked points or guy lines, and a non-freestanding tarp shelter needs a pole or trekking poles plus staked guy lines.2 The lighter your shelter, the more your taut-line hitch and trucker's hitch matter.
That is also why practicing at home pays off. A tarp that depends on four or six tensioned lines is only as good as the knots holding them, and nylon cord that stretches overnight in rain is exactly what the adjustable taut-line hitch is for.
Food hangs: the numbers and the limits
The trucker's hitch is the classic bear-hang knot, but the height and distance matter as much as the knot. Idaho Panhandle National Forests requires food hung at least 10 feet up and 4 feet from the trunk.3 Inyo National Forest, where canisters are not mandatory, requires a counterbalance hang at least 15 feet up and 10 feet from the trunk.4 The gap between those two rules shows why you should read the local regulation rather than rely on one national figure.
In some places a hang is not an option at all. Hanging food is illegal everywhere in Yosemite, where a canister is the rule.5 The Park Service's general advice is that food storage rules vary by park, so check before you go.6
Frequently asked questions
What knots do I really need for camping?
Five cover almost everything: two half hitches (tie a line to a tree), a taut-line hitch (adjustable tent guy-lines), a bowline (a fixed loop that won’t slip), a trucker’s hitch (cinch a line tight, for bear hangs and lashing loads), and a figure-eight stopper (keeps a rope from pulling through). Learn those and you can pitch, hang and rig almost anything.
How do I hang a bear bag?
The trucker’s hitch is the key knot: throw a line over a high, sturdy branch well away from the trunk, tie your food bag on, then use a trucker’s hitch to haul it up and hold it high off the ground and out from the branch. In many popular areas a bear canister is required instead — always check the local rules first.
What’s the best knot for pitching a tarp?
Use a bowline or two half hitches to attach the line to a fixed point, and a taut-line hitch at the other end so you can slide it to tension the tarp — and re-tension it when the line stretches in the rain or sags overnight. A trucker’s hitch works too when you want a really tight ridgeline.