Tarp Knots

It is not actually necessary to know any 'special' knots to use with tarps. If you like you can just go and buy some normal tent guy-rope adjusters and use them instead. Most of the time that will work just fine.

However, if you want to have more flexibility and maybe want to tie your tarp to a tree (instead of using poles) then you are going to want to use some knots. Likewise, if you are using a flat tarp then you will be very interested in the variation of the Prussik.

Popular Knots

These are the most popular knots to use with tarps.

Single Loop single loop knot Used wherever you want to tie around something such as a pole or a tent peg which you can loop over. You can also feed the end of the rope back through the loop to create a noose.
Single Loop Noose single loop noose Ideal for a quick loop around something that can be easily undone.
Single Inline Loop single inline loop

This is an inline loop that is used to hook onto something that will be under tension. I use it with the loop on the top of a tent-pole. When the rope is tensioned it will grip the tent-pole with a death-like grip. When you have finished with it the knot will pull out.

Bowline bowline knot

Used to tie onto a solid object - such as a tree when you have to tie around the object and do not need to tension it.
TaughtLine Hitch tautline hitch knot

This is used to provide a tensioned rope tied onto an object. It is a fantastic knot for tying your main tarp centre cord to a tree.

Once the knot has been tensioned up you can keep increasing the tension by feeding more rope around the tree or pole to increase the loop size. This is one knot that very rarely will slip regardless of the cord or rope used.
Prussik Variant

prussik loop knot

prussik loop knot

prussik loop knot

1. Start with a long single loop.

2. Wrap the single loop 2-3 times around your main guyline.

3. Feed the tail end of your single loop cord through the remains of the loop and tension up so that a nice neat spiral of cord grips the main chord.

[On a Tarp you can use this secondary chord to tie onto the tarp so that the tarp can be tensioned onto the main cord without actually being attached to the cord]

A Prussik is a very grippy knot that is used extensively in climbing

Clove Hitch

clove hitch knot

 

 Useful for tying onto tent pegs and poles. If there is a classic knot then this is probably it.
Two Half-Hitches two half hitches knot A quick-and-easy knot for tying on to something. It can be difficult to tie when the rope is under tension and is hard to untie once it has been tensioned.
Round Turn with two half hitches round turn and two half hitches knot As above but with one or more extra loops around the pole. This makes it much easier

 

Which Knot to use?

 

Tent peg knots

  1. Single Loop (easy to tie and can be left in)
  2. Tautline Hitch (if I might need to tension the rope and cannot move the peg or I have used a fixed object)
  3. Clove Hitch (old skool)

Tree knots (to tie the main guy around a tree)

  1. Tautline hitch (you will need at least one anyway so why not do two?
  2. Bowline (why waste that scout badge?)
  3. Round turn with two half hitches (can cut into the bark if done badly)
  4. Clove Hitch

Tying guylines to the tarp

  1. Single loop noose
  2. Two half hitches

Suspending the Tarp

  1. Feed the main centre-line through a tarp loop at each end and in the middle.
  2. Use a prussic at each end of the tarp and tie the end of the prussic cord onto the tarp.