Taut Line Hitch
Also known as the midshipman's hitch.
An adjustable hitch for guy lines. Slide it tight to tension your tent. Once loaded it grips and holds. The knot that turns a sagging fly into a drum tight roof.
- CategoryHitch (adjustable)
- StrengthHolds steady. Not for shock loads.
- Time to learn15 minutes
- Best forTent guy lines, tarp pitches, ridge lines
One knot. Infinite tension.
Tie a taut line hitch on every guy line of every tent and tarp. When the line goes slack from heat, dew, or wind, you slide the hitch up the standing line to retension. The knot grips again instantly and holds until you slide it back the other way.
Two wraps inside, one wrap outside, set hard.
The taut line works because three wraps cam against the standing line under load. The two inside wraps create the bite. The one outside wrap is what locks them in place. Get those three wraps in the right order and the hitch will hold for days. Get them wrong and it will slip the moment a breeze hits the tent.
Pass the working end around the anchor
Wrap the rope fully around the tent peg, tree, or stake. Bring the working end back so it lies parallel to the standing line. Leave at least 30 centimetres of working end.
A long working end gives you room to make all three wraps. Short tails fight the knot.First wrap, inside the loop
Cross the working end over the standing line on the anchor side, then wrap behind it and bring it back round to the front. This wrap sits inside the loop you formed at the anchor.
"Inside" means the wrap sits between the anchor and the next wrap, on the side of the standing line nearest the load.Second wrap, also inside
Take a second wrap around the standing line, in the same direction as the first, lying right next to it. Both wraps must coil the same way and sit shoulder to shoulder inside the loop.
Reversing this wrap gives you a hitch that will not bite. The classic mistake.Third wrap, outside the loop
Now move the working end to the far side of the second wrap, away from the anchor. Make one more wrap around the standing line, again the same direction as the others, but this time on the load side of the bunch.
If you imagine the standing line as a road, the first two wraps live on the home side and the third lives further down the road.Tuck and snug
Tuck the working end through the third wrap so it points back toward the anchor. Pull lightly to dress the three wraps so they sit clean and tight against the standing line.
Twist a finger between the two inside wraps to make sure they are seated against each other before tightening fully.Slide to tension, then load
Slide the whole hitch up the standing line until the guy line is bar tight, then take the load on the standing line. The hitch bites and locks. To retension later, take the load off and slide again.
If the hitch creeps under load, the wraps are not snug. Loosen, redress, and try again.
Field check. A correctly tied taut line shows three parallel wraps on the standing line with a tail tucked through the outermost wrap. Pull on the standing line: the hitch should grip without sliding. Push the hitch toward the anchor with your hand: it should slide freely.
Common mistakes
- Reversing one of the inside wraps. The hitch will not lock.
- Tying it on a stretchy bungee. Use static cord.
- Loading it with shock, like a bear bag dropped. The wraps creep.
How to untie
Take the load off, slide the hitch toward the anchor to release the bite, then unhook the wraps. After a wet night the hitch can be stiff. Roll it between your fingers to loosen.
Up next