Tautline Hitch Knot

This is a knot that will make you a hero when the winds blow and the rains come. It’s the go-to knot to use on tent and tarp guy lines, because you can tighten or loosen the knot in a split-second to add or reduce tension to a rain fly or tarp.

That keeps the cover fabric tight, which helps shed rain. Learn to tie it, and you’ll be able to adjust guy lines in the dark, without a flashlight, just as the heavens open.

Pass the working end of the guy line around a stake, sapling, tree branch or other object. Make a half-hitch around the standing line, working toward the anchor.

Now make another half hitch, again working toward the anchor.

Finish with a last half hitch outside of these first two coils. Now the knot can be tightened or loosened, and it will hold under a load. It’s that easy. And that miraculous.