Taut-line hitch

The working end goes around the anchor (stake, post, branch) and back alongside the standing part. There it first makes two turns around the standing part, inside the loop towards the anchor, then one more turn on the other side, finished with a half hitch. The turns sit on the standing part like a small clamp.

When the line is loaded, it kinks slightly at the knot. That kink presses the turns against the standing part, and friction prevents slipping. Without load the kink disappears and the turns sit loosely enough to be slid by hand. That is the whole principle: load means gripping, no load means sliding.

So the effect depends heavily on the cord. Grippy, not too stiff cord grips well. Slick-coated or stiff synthetic cord, for example with an HMPE content, creates little friction – then the knot slips under load.

A correctly tied taut-line hitch shows two (or three) snug, parallel turns inside the loop, on the side towards the anchor, and a single finishing turn on the side away from the anchor. If that outer turn is on the wrong side, the knot does not grip – that is the most common mistake.

Dress the turns so they lie tight and parallel and don't cross, then pull them snug. Leave enough tail and, if needed, add a figure-eight as a stopper behind it.

The real test is loading it: pull firmly on the line and watch the knot. It should stay put on the standing part. If it creeps towards the anchor, add an extra turn inside the loop or use different cord.

Guylines change their tension all the time: nylon stretches when wet, tent fabric gives, the ground settles, and some things contract differently in the cold of night than during the day. The taut-line hitch solves this without tensioners or hardware – that is why it is a standard knot for camping and pitching tarps.

It is intended for light to moderate guyline loads. It is not suitable for high sustained loads, for securing cargo, or in slick, stiff cord without a prior test. That is why many manufacturers supply small plastic or metal tensioners with modern, slick guyline cord.

Taut guylines are hard to see at night and a tripping hazard. Light-coloured or reflective cord and a look as you walk around help. When you pull stakes under tension or a knot suddenly slips, the line can snap back – keep your face away from directly above the anchor.

Don't rely on an untested taut-line hitch alone in a storm. Check it after rain and wind, because wet cord behaves differently from dry. None of the knots in this atlas is meant for life-safety use – not for climbing, abseiling, rescue or holding and lifting people. Life-safety use only after proper training with certified equipment.

Stretch a cord between a chair leg and a table leg. Tie the taut-line hitch at the table leg and practise sliding it: away from the anchor to tighten, towards it to slacken. Then load the cord by hand and see whether the knot holds. Try it with two different cords – you will clearly feel the difference.

The taut-line hitch is closely related to the rolling hitch, tied here around the rope's own standing part. The literature describes several similar forms under different names, such as the midshipman's hitch. As always: the described rope path counts, not the name.