Wilderness Arena > Skills > Knots and Rope

Knots and Rope

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Convenient method of storing and carrying paracord rope – the “paracord grenade”

Interesting idea – a paracord “grenade”. The cable ties, which allow you to hang the cord from jackets, belts, and backpacks, are the releasable type – press the end and it releases. When the cable tie is removed, the rope releases in 10 foot sections making it convenient to quickly grab a medium length line of rope. Coiling paracord is pretty easy – see the pictures below.

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Make Rope from Plants – Natural Cordage Making

You can make rope or natural cordage (rope and string) from many different fibers including (Bast) Dogbane, Milkweed, Nettles, Hemp, Flax; (Leaves) Cattail, Yucca, Agave, Douglas Iris; (Bark) Willow, Maple, Basswood, Cedar; (Root) Leather Root, Beach Lupine; (Whole stem) Tule, straw, Juncus. Each material has specific requirements for extracting and preparing the fibers, but there…

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Rope and Cord

Terminology To be able to construct shelters, traps and snares, weapons and tools, and other devices; you should have a basic knowledge of ropes and knots and some of the terminology used with them. The terms are as follows: Bight. A simple bend of rope in which the rope does not cross itself. Dressing the…

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Knots

Knots The basic knots and methods of tying them that you should know for your survival are as follows: Various Forms of Knots Bend- joins two ropes together. Hitch – ties rope to a post, stake etc. A hitch holds because of the friction set up between two surfaces of the rope pressed together. Stopper…

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Splices and Whippings

Splices Rope splices are used to splice shorter lengths of rope together to form a single, larger length of rope.  Good rope splices hold tight without impacting the natural shape of the rope. Short Splice A Short Splice is the easiest method to splice two ropes together.  It is a bulky knot though, and will…

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Hitches

Hitches Hitches are used to tie a rope to another object such as a barrel, pole, post, stake, or bundled cloth (e.g. tarp).  A hitch holds well due to the friction set up between the two surfaces of the rope being pressed together. Barrel Hitch Provides a lifting sling for barrels or buckets. Two hitches…

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Construction Lashings and Structures

Construction Lashings and Structures Lashings are used to firmly hold together two or more spars (poles, masts, scaffolding, legs, trestles, etc.)  There are numerous survival construction projects that require lashings for construction. Here is an example of lashings used to hold two posts together.   It will be helpful to check details on the various…

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Weaving, Mats, and Looms

All elements of rope work incorporates weaving or interlocking of strands by passing over and under each other.  At a smaller scale, weaving can be used in the wild to create mats, tarps, blankets, and more.  The process of weaving is fairly simple. Sword Mat and Homemade Loom Step 1: Begin with four, thin but…

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Fancy Endpoints for Ropes

Sennits Most ropes are braided by twisting the strands but strands can be plaited (called a sennit) to create a “fancier” looking rope. Similarly, rather than ending a rope by tying it off in a knot or by whipping the end, you can terminate the rope end with plaits. This is commonly seen on lanyards,…