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How to Pitch a Basha, Hootchie or Tarp

Submitted by An Outdoor Idiots Team Member.



Page 4 of 6    Previous    Next    [Index]

Tying the Ridge Line Between Two Trees

There are all manner of knots for this purpose. But when it comes to rigging up a tarp in Britain, who better to turn to than the axe-wielding firestarter, Ray Mears? At Outdoor Idiots.com, we are scared of Ray Mears, and we do what he tells us.

He recommends two knots. We really like one of them, and we are not so keen on the other. Both are used. The first is a slip knot which is tied to the first tree, and when the ridge line is pulled taught, the knot grips the tree tightly. A slip knot can't be used for tying to the second tree, and so that is why another knot is used for this.

Here goes, then:


The Evenk Slippery Figure-of-Eight Hitch
This is a bit of a gem. It can even be tied while wearing mittens, if need be. It can also be dismantled with just one pull on the free end. Most importantly, though, it's fast to tie and it works well. The method for tying it is a bit difficult to describe, but we'll have a go.

First, throw the ridge line around the back of the tree, as in Fig. 1:

Tying the Ridge Line Between Two Trees (1)
Fig. 1: Throw the ridge line around a tree

Note in Fig. 1 above that the part of the ridge line which meets the tarp is on the left (we will call this the "live" cord), and the "free" cord is on the right. Next, place both the live cord and the free cord on the palm of the left hand, with the hand palm-upwards, then loop the free cord once around the hand, as in Fig. 2:

Tying the Ridge Line Between Two Trees (2)
Fig. 2: Place the live and free parts of the ridge cord over the hand

It now helps if, with your right hand, you grab both the live cord and the free cord about six inches lower down from your left hand (Fig. 3). The role of the right hand is to gently apply a bit of tension, just to help keep things in place. In particular, try to ensure that the free cord emerges from the top of the right hand a good inch to the right of the live cord. This helps a lot. The right hand should now remain in this position, performing that role, for the duration.

Tying the Ridge Line Between Two Trees (3)
Fig. 3: Apply some tension to both pieces of cord with the lower hand

Next, pull the loop that is tied around the left hand under and to the left of the live cord. As you do this, also rotate the hand, so that it ends up as in Fig. 4 below. It is important to get this bit right, so study the picture carefully.

Tying the Ridge Line Between Two Trees (4)
Fig. 4: Move the hand to the left and turn it palm inwards

Now, notice in the above picture that the free cord exits the bottom of the picture to the right (the invisible right hand is making sure of that, isn't it?). The left hand wants to come over the top of the live cord and grab this piece of the free cord that you see just about to exit the picture. So do this, grabbing it between two fingers, as in Fig. 5:

Tying the Ridge Line Between Two Trees (5)
Fig. 5: Grasp a bight from the free cord between the fingers

Then pull the hand out of the loop that was tied around it at the start, pulling a bight from the free cord with it, as in Fig. 6 below. Don't pull anything more than a bight through - we don't want the actual end of the free cord to get pulled through.

Tying the Ridge Line Between Two Trees (6)
Fig. 6: Pull the bight through the loop

It now just remains to tighten things up a bit - but we need to do this with care in order to get it right. In particular, try to avoid the end of the free cord getting pulled all the way through the knot. What seems to work best is if, once you get to the stage in Fig. 6, you first pull on the live cord that is in the right hand, just enough to tighten things up a bit. Then pull on the bight which is in the left hand, to finish the tightening. You could just tighten it all very carefully with the fingers, but that would defeat one of the advantages of this knot, i.e. the quick and elegant way in which it can be tied. Anyway, you should now have a slip knot, with a loop coming out of it, as in Fig. 7:

Tying the Ridge Line Between Two Trees (7)
Fig. 7: A slipknot has been formed

The live part of the ridge line can now be pulled tight, and the slip knot should tighten around the tree, as in Fig. 8:

Tying the Ridge Line Between Two Trees (8)
Fig. 8: The slipknot tight around the tree

To be kinder to the bark of the tree, you could start the whole thing off by passing the ridge line around the tree twice, before beginning to tie the knot. The result will be as in Fig. 9:

Tying the Ridge Line Between Two Trees (9)
Fig. 9: The load can be spread by using two loops at the start

To dismantle the knot, simply pull on the free end.


The Tarp Taut Hitch
Now for the Taut Hitch, which is used to tie the other end of the ridge line. Start by throwing the ridge line around the back of the tree, as with the previous knot. Note that in this photograph (Fig. 10), the cord was thrown around the tree anti-clockwise as one looks down on the tree. Then the free cord is hooked around the taught ridge line and pulled to the side to maintain tension. The ridge line should remain taught from this point onwards:

Tying the Ridge Line Between Two Trees (10)
Fig. 10: Throw the cord around the tree then hook the free cord over the ridge line

The free cord, now that it has been hooked over the taught ridge line, then goes back around the tree in the opposite direction to which it first went, until it meets with the taught ridge line again. At this point, there should be so much friction between the ridge cord and the tree that it should be possible to pull the ridge line very taught, and keep it taught by holding the free end with nothing more than finger and thumb. This helps the knot-tying process. In fact, from Fig. 11 onwards, the right hand is simply holding things tight while the left hand ties the knot. To begin tying the knot, create a bight in the free cord as in Fig. 11. Note that we are doing this to the left of the taught ridge line.

Tying the Ridge Line Between Two Trees (11)
Fig. 11: The free cord then goes back around the tree, and a bight is formed

Put the bight over the top of the taught ridge line and hold it in place from below, as in Fig. 12 below:

Tying the Ridge Line Between Two Trees (12)
Fig. 12: The bight goes around the taught ridge line...

Note in the picture above, that the free cord is now dangling down and exits at the bottom left. We need to pull another bight, from this, through the bight we just created, as in Fig. 13 below. We just want to pull a bight through - i.e. we want to avoid the actual end of the free cord coming through the first bight.

Tying the Ridge Line Between Two Trees (13)
Fig. 13: ...and a second bight is pulled through it.

Finally, pull tight by pulling on the final bight created, and slide the knot towards the tree. It helps if the whole knot is tied as close to the tree as possible in the first place - closer than in these photographs. This helps prevent the ridge line slackening when you let go of the cord. Here's a carefully arranged photo, taken indoors, to try to show what it should look like when it is pulled tight (Fig. 14). A thin pole has been used in place of the tree.

Tying the Ridge Line Between Two Trees (14)
Fig. 14: Detail of a tightened Taut Hitch

This knot generally works. However, if you play with it by pulling the ridge line around and wiggling it, there is a tendency for the two bights to turn around the ridge line, and eventually unravel. To overcome this, we recommend tying this knot in such a way that the final bight (i.e. the loop at the bottom of Fig. 14) is very long. Then, treating that loop as one piece of cord, use it to tie a simple overhand knot around the cord that is immediately above it, i.e. the cord that comes in from the top-right of the photo.


Keeping the Tarp Ridge Taught
Now that we have a taught ridge line tied between two trees, we can position the tarp where we want it (by sliding the Prusiks along the ridge line). Finally, we can make the ridge of the tarp fabric itself taught, again by sliding the Prusiks, this time away from each other. We should now have something like Fig. 15:

Tying the Ridge Line Between Two Trees (15)
Fig. 15: A tarp with a taught ridge

All that remains now is to peg out the guy lines at the corners of the tarps, which will be covered next.









Page 4 of 6    Previous    Next    [Top of Page]

Page 1: Introduction

Page 2: Attaching Cordage to a Tarp

Page 3: Packing a Tarp

Page 4: Tying the Ridge Line Between Two Trees

Page 5: Pegging out a Tarp

Page 6: Advanced Tarp Pitching for the Connoisseur




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