Required
to earn the Scout Badge:
The SQUARE KNOT (Reef Knot)
A joining knot used to join two pieces of
string or twine together. This is the first knot Scouts learn when they join the BSA.
Uses: securing bundles, packages, ship sails
Cautions: Use a more secure joining knot (sheetbend) for joining ropes
that will carry weight. Never use this knot to join two ropes or strings
of different thicknesses.
Required
to earn the Tenderfoot Badge:
Two Half Hitches
Use Two Half Hitches to tie a rope
around a post. Superior to a Clove Hitch for starting or finishing a
lashing, although not as "neat" looking. You can add an extra
turn around the pole before starting the first half hitch for added security.
The Taut-Line Hitch is tied on a
line that is tight, or taut. Use this knot to loosen or tighten guylines
on tents, dining flies, etc. This knot is tied close to the staking
point, and the body of the knot is moved up or down the standing line to
tighten or loosen the line.
Required
to earn the First Class Badge:
The Timber Hitch
The Timber Hitch is used to attach a rope
to a log for dragging. This knot tightens under strain, but comes undone
extremely easily when the rope is slack. It is also the knot that starts
the diagonal lashing.
The Clove Hitch
The Clove Hitch is used to attach a rope to
a pole. This knot provides a quick and secure result. It rarely jams,
and can in fact suffer from the hitch unrolling under tension if the pole can
turn. Often used to start and finish lashings.
The Bowline
The Bowline is among the most
useful of knots because it forms a loop that will not slip and is easy to
untie. Use it to attach a cord to a pack frame, to attach a guyline to
the grommet of a tent or fly, in rescue situations, or a thousand other
ways. Learn to tie the bowline around a post or tree, and in the free
end of a rope.
The Sheet Bend
The Sheet Bend is a very good knot for
tying two ropes of the same or different diameters together. It is a
close relative of the Bowline, and is untied the same way.
