Every Camper Needs to Know How To Use This Friction Hitch

Whenever you go to hang a tarp, it is critical to tension them properly. After all, if your tarp sags, that means water and debris can easily slip off of it and onto the surroundings—including you. This is especially dangerous for avid campers or backpackers, for whom a tensioned tarp may be their only protection against inclement weather.

Fortunately, there’s a simple friction hitch that can help you tension a tarp correctly and easily. It’s called a Prusik knot and bushcraft TikToker The Bear Essentials posted a short video on September 8 demonstrating how to tie and use it. Check it out for yourself below.

Friction Hitch Basics

Before we dive into tying the Prusik knot, let’s talk a little bit about friction hitches. A friction hitch in an adjustable, yet firm, type of knot. As The Bear Essentials explains, “When you pull on [a friction hitch], it’ll hold tight, but without friction it’ll freely slide.” This means that “you don’t have to tie and re-tie knots every time you need to adjust” the item you’re hanging. It is typically tied to a main, or guy, line that is stretched between two trees.

@thebearessentials This is the Prusik Knot, one of the best friction hitches out there. Used extensively in camping, outdoors, survival and rescue. #lifeskills #knots #bushcraft #camping ♬ original sound – The Bear Essentials

How to Tie a Friction Hitch

To tie a friction hitch, you’ll need a guy line and a short loop of paracord. The loop in The Bear Essentials’ TikTok appears to be 8 to 10 inches long with the ends tied together. After you’ve acquired these materials follow the steps below.

1. “Take a loop of cord and wrap it around you main line.” At this stage, the knot will appear like a loose girth, or cow, hitch.
2. “Repeat this pattern a second wrap, going through the middle once again.”
3. Perform a third wrap “the exact same way, making sure that middle loop is coming down through the center and everything’s neat.”

Ta-da! Now, you’ve tied a perfect Prusik knot.

How to Use a Friction Hitch

According to The Bear Essentials, friction hitches are “perfect for tensioning tarps or hanging up items that you want to move around later, like a pot over a campfire that you just slide to the side once the water boils.”

To attach a tarp to the Prusik knot, simply squeeze the end of the loop, and thread it through the grommeted hole on the tarp corner. Then, The Bear Essentials suggests, “put a stick on the other side,” so that the loop cannot fall through the tarp’s grommet. If you have more paracord or even a bungee cord, you could also use those to tie the loop to other items, such as lanterns or pots.

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