During our recent Bushcraft and the Canoe Day we covered several knots and their applications. In general we keep things simple in bushcraft, knowing a few choice knots that can be widely applied is better than having a different knot for every conceivable situation. 

I owe a thank you to Nicole for filming the sections and allowing me to publish the video here.

To tie a tarp I use the Evenk Hitch to anchor one side of the ridgeline; this knot is also used anywhere that I wish to anchor something to a fixed point, being quick to tie and quick to release it works well when tying a canoe to a bank.

Next we tension the Ridgeline using the Taut Tarp Hitch.

An Alternative to this would the simplest version of the Truckers Hitch; this knot relies on creating a pulley system by pulling rope along itself under great friction. As such I would recommend using a cord with a high resistance to heat and abrasion. 

Lastly we have the Slippery guyline hitch, tied around a log as opposed to a peg. This is a very useful knot allowing you to adjust the tension after it has been tied. 

And there we go, a few knots which I use regularly in the outdoors. We featured a couple more during the day course, along with many other key expedition skills. And we spent the afternoon paddling around too! If you'd like to learn about the one day workshop, click here. 

We stock a full set of tailor made guylines in the online shop. 

As always I'd love to hear what you think, are there any knots that you use instead? 

All the best

Jamie