Outdoor Skills · Ages 6 and up

Knots and Lashings

Tie the handful of knots that do almost every job, then lash sticks together to build something that stands.

A good knot holds when you need it and comes undone when you're finished, and that's handy in the yard, at camp, and around the house. The 1911 Handbook for Boys gave knots a whole illustrated section. Dan Beard warned that nobody learns knots just by reading, so keep a piece of rope in your hands while you learn.

Things to try

In any order, at your own pace. Tick what you've tried if you like keeping track; ticks stay on this device.

Get to know a ropeFind a soft rope or cord about 6 feet long. Learn three words. The working end is the end you tie with, the standing part is the rest of the rope, and a bight is a U-shaped bend. A good goal: you can point to each one without looking at a picture.
Tie two stopper knotsTie an overhand knot, then a figure-eight knot, in the end of your rope. Pull each one tight and look at the difference. A good goal: you can tie both with your eyes closed.
Tie the square knotTie a square knot around a bundle, like newspapers or a stack of sticks. Say “right over left, left over right” as you go, and check that the two loops lie flat and match. A good goal: you can tie it three times in a row with no granny knots.
Join two ropes with a sheet bendUse two ropes of different thickness and tie them together with a sheet bend. Give it a good tug-of-war pull with a grown-up. A good goal: it holds and still unties easily afterward.
Tie a loop that won't slipLearn the bowline (“the rabbit comes out of the hole, around the tree, and back down the hole”). Tie it around your own waist and around a tree trunk. A good goal: you can tie it in under 30 seconds.
Tie rope to a postPractice the clove hitch and two half hitches on a fence post, chair leg, or railing. Then tie a taut-line hitch on a clothesline or tent line and slide it to tighten the line. A good goal: you can tie all three and say what each one is good for.
Lash two sticks togetherUsing garden stakes or broom handles and some twine, join two sticks crossed at a right angle with a square lashing. Start and finish with a clove hitch. A good goal: the joint doesn't wobble when you shake it.
Build something with lashingsUse square, shear, or diagonal lashings to make a small tripod, a plant trellis, or a mini camp table. A good goal: it stands up on its own and holds something light, like a pot of flowers.
Teach a knot to someone elsePick your favorite knot and teach it to a sibling, friend, or grown-up, step by step. A good goal: they can tie it without your help.

Knots and lashings to learn

Knot	What it's for
Overhand knot	The simplest stopper knot, tied in the end of a rope or thread
Figure-eight knot	A stopper knot that keeps a rope end from slipping through a hole and is easy to untie
Square knot	Tying the two ends of one cord around a bundle or package (not for joining ropes that will hold weight)
Sheet bend	Joining two ropes together, even if one is thicker than the other
Bowline	A fixed loop at the end of a rope that won't slip or jam
Clove hitch	Tying a rope to a pole or post; starts and ends most lashings
Two half hitches	Tying a line to a post, ring, or tree
Taut-line hitch	An adjustable loop that grips, for tent lines and clotheslines
Square lashing	Joining two poles that cross at a right angle
Diagonal lashing	Binding two poles that cross at a slant and want to spring apart
Shear lashing	Binding two poles side by side so they open into an A-frame

Read about it in the old books

Teddy Rook Book is not affiliated with or connected to any scouting or youth organization. These pages are free ideas to use however you like.