Knots are often overlooked and it is assumed you know how to make them.

They are invaluable, however, in a survival situation and one of the easiest to manipulate, yet durable materials to make a knot is paracord.

Here are some simple knots you should know how to make.

The Half Hitch

The half hitch is a simple way to secure a line to an anchor point like the tie down points in most trucks.

A half hitch is a constrictor knot meaning that the harder you pull on the line the tighter the knots grip gets. Another common constrictor knot is the slip knot.

Step 1. wrap your line around your anchor point.

Step 2. wrap the end line around the main line.

Step 3. pass the end line threw the end line side of the newly formed loop.

Step 4. now take the slack out of the knot.

Step 5. to make sure the knot is secure tie another half hitch to the main line. This knot is called adouble half hitch.

Step 6. another useful thing that can be done with the half hitch is that instead of repeating the wrap on the main line but repeating it on what you are tying to the half hitch can be used to bind something like a stack of 2×4's.

The Mid Line Half Hitch

The mid line half hitch is for when the length of line is to long for the job at hand & you don't want to have to cut the line to size or you are using multiple anchor points with one length of line.

Step 1. double up the line at the point in the length you wish to make the knot.

Step 2. wrap the doubled up portion of line around your anchor point. The doubled up length is now now the end line.

Step 3. now tie just as you did for the regular half hitch. repeat the knot to make a double half hitch for security.

The Slippery Hitch

The slippery hitch is a great knot for adjusting tension on the main line or for having an adjustable fixed loop. To adjust the knot simply slide the knot up or down the main line.

Step 1. wrap your line around the anchor point or just double over the line to form a loop.

Step 2. wrap the end line around the main line three times. Wrapping in the direction of the anchor point or loop.

Step 3. put together the two lines making up the loop & wrap the two lines one time with the end
line.

Step 4. pass the end line thew the last loop formed covering the two lined of the loop.

Step 5. pull the knot tight.

Step 6. to adjust the size of the loop or main line tension grab the knot & slide it up or

Anyone of these knots can ensure you can bind two things together, particularly with the resilience of paracord.

One word of caution: While paracord is easy to work with, much easier than twine or thick rope, it does fray, so doubling your knots is not a bad idea.

For more ideas on knots you should know, please visit Instructables.