Demonstrate two half-hitches

Two half-hitches — a knot you also tied for Scout requirement 4a — is one of the most dependable hitches in camp because it holds firm under steady tension but still unties effortlessly by hand, even after being loaded for days.

Practical Camp Applications

• Dining Fly and Tarp Rigging: Anchoring guy lines to grommets, trees, or corner posts.
• Camp Clothesline or Bear Bag Line: Tying off high-tension horizontal lines between trees.
• Mooring Watercraft: Securing a canoe or rowboat painter line to a dock ring or post.

Tying and Dressing the Hitch

1. Pass the running end around the post, tree, or through the grommet.
2. Bring the end over and around the standing line to make the first half-hitch.
3. Continue in the exact same direction around the standing line further down to make the second half-hitch.
4. Slide the hitches snug against each other and pull tight.

[!TIP] Direction matters: Both half-hitches must be tied in the same direction around the standing part. Tied correctly, they form a clove hitch around the standing rope itself. If you reverse directions on the second hitch, the knot loses friction and can work loose.

The Roundturn Variation

If you are anchoring a line under heavy strain (like a heavily loaded clothesline or mooring a boat in current), take a roundturn (two full wraps around the post) before tying your two half-hitches. The roundturn absorbs the friction and pull from the load, allowing you to tie or untie the half-hitches easily without fighting the line’s tension.