Following on from the previous article in this blog featuring the method I employ to tie a guyline out to an anchor point, I thought we'd look at the other end of the line and explore a couple of knots I employ to attach the guyline to the tarp corners.

The Buntline Hitch

This is my first choice when it comes to pinning the tail on the donkey: it's quick, easy and unflappable. The buntline has its origins in the swell of the seas where sailors needed a knot that would weather the buffeting winds without loosening. In fact, the buntline uses any wild whip from the wind to constrict even tighter and so was created to hold the square sail of tall ships.

 This knot I use to secure the four corners of my tarp, and typically I'll leave it attached when I pack my tarp away.

Reference: Ashley's Book of Knots. Clifford W. Ashley 1944.