Shown below are a series of knot typing videos produced by Backpacker Magazine and published to YouTube. We’d like to thank Backpacker for making these key knots so easy to learn and apply!

The Square Knot:  Considered by the Boy Scouts to be the “joining knot”, it is the first knot a scout learns to tie.  It is useful for joining two lengths of similar or identical line.

The Sheet Bend:  The sheet bend is a slight variant on the square knot.  It is used when you need to use a light line to haul a heavier line into place.  The two lines must be dissimilar in diameter.

The Bowline:  The bowline (pronounced boe-lin) is arguably the most useful knot.  While simple to tie, it has tremendous strength.  Perhaps its most importnat characteristic is that regardless of the load applied, it unties easily when its job is complete.

The Clove Hitch:  What’s the difference between a hitch and a knot?  Well, a hitch goes around something – like a post or a beam.  It is the recommended way to anchor a rope prior to beginning a lashing such as the square lashing.  You should make it an essential part of your mental knot library.

The Taut Line Hitch:  The other go-to hitch you should know is the taut line hitch.  This is the best solution for an adjustable length tent guy, clothes line, or any other place where you require that a line’s tension be adjusted without having to untie and retie it.