More and more often I meet prepper minded people who give a head nod when asked if they have enough cordage in their GOOD gear. This same group of survivalists exhibit a curious and confused expression when asked how many different survivalist knot tying techniques they are proficient with. In other words, they have all the gear, they just haven’t properly planned on actually using it. What good is your rope, or any other gear for that matter, if you do not expand your knowledge to discover all of the various ways it can be used to your benefit? For this article we will focus on one of the easier survival knot tying techniques, the Timber Hitch.

“Uses: The Timber Hitch is described by (Ashley ABOK #1665, p 290) as much used for handling cargo “… for which it is very convenient, as it practically falls apart when pull ceases.” It is also useful when towing a spar or log either afloat or on land.”

The Timber Hitch is one of my favorite survival knot tying techniques. It is very easy to assemble and just as easy to disassemble once the task at hand has been completed. It is an excellent knot for anything that requires manually moving the item from one location to another.

“Other Applications: The same hitch is known as a Bowyer’s Knot because it attaches the end of the bow string on a longbow. It is also used to attach the strings on some stringed instruments including the ukelele and the guitar.”

The Timber Hitch is just one of many survival knot tying techniques we should all be familiar with. Bow hunting may be an integral part of your bug out plan, so knowing how to restring that bow with a Timber Hitch could be the difference between successfully adding steak to the menu and slurping down another half-hearted meal of beans, rice and bread.

“Timber Hitch Tying: Pass the end of the rope around the pole and then around the standing end. Wrap the end around itself three times and tighten the knot so that the three turns are gripped against the pole.”