Survivalgal Blog

One of the most basic and important tools in any survival kit is a rope. It can be used for just a ton of things. It can be used to tie things together, to tie things down, to hang clothes, to make a basic shelter, just all kinds of things. So, a rope is indispensable. But what is a rope if you don’t know how to tie a knot?

There are some very basic knots that everyone, even kids should know. The first is a square knot. Also known as a reef knot, this is the knot that most moms have to get out of their kids shoes when they are learning to tie a bow. This knot is commonly used in macrame, and is a good knot for tying packages and bandages, as it lies flat and does not add to bulk. Just a note however, this knot does not work well with nylon ropes, or ropes of different diameters. This is an easy knot to tie, so let’s get going!

Step 1: Take two pieces of rope that are about the same diameter. They will be called rope A and rope B. Put rope A in your left hand, and rope B in your right hand.

Step 2: Cross rope A over rope B to form an “X” shape 

Step 3:  Wrap rope A around rope B, like when you are tying  your shoes. Rope A is now sticking out on the right and rope B is sticking out on the left

Step 4:  Cross rope A over Rope B again, forming another “X”.

Step 5: Wrap rope A once to the left around rope B.

Step 6: Pull on the free ends to tighten the knot.

That’s it.  Tomorrow we will see two half hitches.