Clove Hitch
Also known as the double hitch.
A fast attachment to a pole. Most pioneering lashings start and end with a clove hitch. Quick to tie, easy to adjust, and the bridge between rope skills and structure building.
- CategoryHitch
- StrengthGood with constant load. Slips on shifting load.
- Time to learn5 minutes
- Best forLashings, fence lines, temporary mooring
The seed of every lashing.
Use a clove hitch to start a square or diagonal lashing, hang gear off a ridge line, or tie a fence to a stake. It will not hold a swinging load on its own, so finish a critical clove hitch with a backup half hitch on the standing line.
The wrap and tuck method.
There are two ways to tie a clove hitch. The throw method drops two pre formed loops over the end of a pole. The wrap method ties around a fixed pole that has both ends anchored. Learn the wrap first because it works on every pole, fixed or free.
Pass the rope over the top of the pole
Lay the working end across the pole so it crosses over the top from front to back. Leave at least 30 centimetres of working end.
If the pole is vertical, treat the side facing your standing line as the front.First wrap behind
Bring the working end down behind the pole and back up the front, crossing diagonally over the standing line as you come back round. You have made one full wrap with a crossing X on the front of the pole.
The X is critical. Without it the hitch will not lock.Second wrap, same direction
Take a second wrap around the pole in the same direction as the first. The second wrap should lie next to the first on the side opposite the X.
Both wraps spiral the same way. Reversing the second wrap gives you a different knot that will not bite.Tuck the working end under the second wrap
Slide the working end under the second wrap, on the side of the X, so it points back toward where the standing line came from. The X is now caught between the standing line and the tucked working end.
Use a finger to lift the second wrap so you can pass the working end through cleanly.Pull each strand to dress
Pull the standing line and the working end in opposite directions while pressing the X flat against the pole. The wraps tighten and the X locks.
A correctly dressed clove hitch shows a clear X on one side of the pole, with both legs of the X buried under the wraps.Add a backup half hitch for safety
For load bearing applications like ridge lines or boat fenders, finish with a half hitch in the working end on the standing line. This stops the hitch from rolling free under shifting load.
A clove hitch holds steady load well but can creep under cyclic load. The backup hitch eliminates the risk.
Field check. Look for the diagnostic X across the front of the pole. If you can see two clean parallel wraps with an X between them, the hitch is right. If the wraps look the same on every side, you have wound the rope around the pole without locking it.
Common mistakes
- Wrapping the second turn the wrong direction. The crossing X has to form for the knot to lock.
- Using it alone on a swinging or pulsing load. Add a backup half hitch.
- Tying it on a slick metal pole without checking it under load. Slip can be sudden.
How to untie
Slacken the standing line, lift the diagonal cross, and the wraps fall off. One reason it is so popular for lashings is how quickly it disappears when the project is done.
Up next