When you’re preparing for a hiking trip, you pack your hiking day essentials, prep yourself, and even map out your route, but you never deem it important to learn a hiking knot. How can you even say you’re a serious hiker if you don’t know any knots? This can make all the difference when climbing, securing your gear, or hanging your food.

Okay, okay, at least you’ve made it to this article, so together we’re going to learn the best 15 common knots every hiker should know. With this article, you won’t just learn about how to tie things; you’ll learn how to make knots that are simple, strong, and secure. So, if you’re ready, let’s go.

15 Common Hiking Knots You Must Know 

1. Half Hitch

If you’ve just started out hiking, then this is the most basic hiking knot you must know to fully succeed in the outdoor world. It is very easy to tie – you just need to make a loop around the object you want to hook and pull the end through, and that’s it. Sure, when they’re calling for the strongest hiking knots, this won’t be mentioned. But at least it’s perfect for when you just need to tie something fast temporarily or before adding more knots.

2. Siberian Hitch (aka Evenk Knot)

If you’ve ever hiked in a cold camping ground, then you’d realize that most hiking knots on this list cannot help you. The only hiking knot you can easily use here is the Siberian hitch. Cos it’s easy to tie and even faster to take down, whether your hands are cold, shaking, or in a glove. It’s a loop-style hitch, so you can use it to hang your tarp or tent ridgelines between trees.

3. Hunter’s Bend

So you only have a short rope, but you need to tie something in a way that will still be strong and secure. That’s when you’ll need to do the Hunter’s Bend. This hiking knot is stronger than the basic square knot, so at least you’re assured that it won’t slip or fail. You can use it to join two ropes together, extend your guyline, or repair a snapped cord. Imagine you’re deep on the trail and need to extend your guyline or repair a snapped cord. 

4. Alpine Butterfly

With the Alpine Butterfly, you can easily create a strong loop in the middle of the rope, without having to use any of the ends. But when do you need this? You need it when your rope is already tied at the ends, but you still need to tie something with it. Like a food backpack, or maybe you need to create a handle so you can pull a heavy bag. So, even if a part of your rope is about to cut, you can still use this hiking knot. 

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5. Bowline

I’m still surprised that most hikers don’t know about the bowline knots. This is the most popular hiking knot that even non-hikers have heard about. Tying it may be kind of complicated if it’s your first time, cos you’ll have to loop, wrap, and loop through again, but it’s very easy to untie. That doesn’t mean it’s not strong. The bowline knot is also one of the strongest knots you can use to secure your hammock between trees, tie down your gear on your backpack, or hang a bear bag.

6. Two Half Hitch

You know the half hitch knot, but have you ever heard of the two half hitch knot? Just like its most basic form, it’s simple to tie and untie. But, unlike the half hitch, it’s also very strong and reliable. This means that no matter the strain or friction on the rope, with these two half-hitches, it will stay in place. So, if you’re still learning the basic hiking knots you can use to survive on a trail, this one will at least hold down your tarp or hammock even during windy setups.

7. Taut Line Hitch

Some hiking knots just make you feel like you know you’re tea, and if you want to impress a camping beginner, this is the kind of knot you use. This knot also allows you to control how tight you want the hitch to be, even after you’ve already tied the loop. What do I mean? The taut line hitch creates an adjustable loop that you can use to make it tighter or looser. The only problem is that it’s not that strong and secure, so you’ll need to check on it regularly.

8. Clove Hitch

When you want to tie your cooking gear to dry on a tree, you don’t need a professional knot. You just need something easy to tie, easy to adjust, and easy to lose, just like the Clove Hitch. The best part is that you only need to tie it from the middle of the rope. So you can use it to temporarily hold onto tent poles, tree trunks, and trekking poles. But please never use this knot to tie something heavy, don’t say you weren’t warned.

9. Sheet Bend

Sometimes your rope isn’t long enough for you to do that complicated knot you’re already used to. But if you know how to do the Sheet Bend, you won’t need to worry. The Sheet Bend knot easily connects two ropes, whether different in size or materials. So, all you need to do is bend the thicker rope into a fishhook shape, then take the thinner rope through the hook from behind and loop it through. What you just did is a knot that is quick, firm, and functional.

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10. Fisherman’s Knot

When you need a hiking knot that is very strong but still simple and easy to do, you’ll need the Fisherman’s knot. Now, don’t think you can only use it for tying things related to fishing. Nope. You can use this knot to tie two of your clotheslines or shoelaces together. All you need to do is tie an overhand knot with one rope, do the reverse for the other rope, and slide the two together. And voila, you’ve got a tight, symmetrical, secure knot.

11. Reef or Square Knot

Even if you don’t know any hiking knots, you’ve probably already been using the Square knot. You just didn’t know the name. This is the knot you make when you take the ends of two ropes, cross the right end to the left and the left end to the right, and then tie them tight. Since it’s so simple to tie and untie, you can use it to carry firewood or keep your gear together. But it’s not strong enough to be used for heavy loads, so just be careful.

12. Figure 8

The Figure 8 knot is not just easy to tie and untie, it’s also a strong and secure way to keep your camping setup safe and secure. But how do you do it? First, you make a loop in your rope, then pass the end to the other part of the rope. Next, you pass the end through the loop, and this makes the figure 8 shape, hence the name. This knot is so strong that it doesn’t slip off, so it’s the perfect choice to use to rig your shelter or secure your gear.

13. Double Figure 8

The Double Figure 8 knot is a Figure 8 knot that went for a Master’s education and came back stronger, more reliable, and surprisingly easy to untie. It’s tough, balanced, and works well for heavy items, so you can use it to hang your food or secure yourself properly when climbing. To tie this knot, you’ll need to make a loop in your rope, then create two other loops side by side to form a figure 8. Then take the end of your first loop through the bottom loop of your figure 8 and into the upper part of the figure 8. That’s it. Easy right? Now you have a tight, secure, strong loop.

14. Overhand on a Bight

The Overhand on a Bight knot is one of the most common knots every hiker should know. It’s simple, reliable, and secure enough to use to attach your gear to your backpack. You don’t need any of the rope’s end to make this knot, and that’s what makes it so good. The only problem with this hiking knot is that it can be very frustrating to untie, especially after holding onto heavy items for a long time.

15. Trucker’s Hitch

When you need a pro knot that works like a pulley, that’s when you need to use the Trucker’s hitch. This knot is perfect for tightening ropes so securely and strongly that it is also surprisingly easy to untie when it’s time to leave. But to tie it, you’ll need to securely attach one end of your rope to a tree or tent, then wrap the other end around your rope. Then, on the attached end, create a loop, and run the other end through this loop. It sounds a bit complicated, but don’t worry, it’s a very practical knot that is easy to do.

Conclusion

Just like learning how to tie your shoelaces, learning how to tie a hiking knot is a skill that only proves to be useful when you get stuck on a hiking trip. It doesn’t take anything to learn about it, but it’s a real lifesaver when you’re setting up camp, securing your gear, or handling some challenges on your hiking trail.

Most of the common knots on this list are so easy to tie, and even the ones that seem complicated are easy to do after trying a few times. Remember, practice makes perfect. So, if you’re a beginner or a regular hiker, with no knowledge of these hiking knots, take the time out today to start practicing in preparation for your next hiking trip.