When you’re camping, knots turn into one of your most useful tools.
It holds your tarps, keeps your gears in place, and sometimes it even keeps you out of trouble.
But let’s be honest, not every knot is created equal.
Some slip. Some jam. Some look great in books but fail when your fingers are cold and you’re tired.
Today, I’ve shortlisted the 12 best camping Knots I actually use when I camp.
Let’s tie in.
Best Camping Knots
Here’s the summary of the most basic knots for camping.
| Knot Name | Use Case |
| Sheet Bend | Joining two ropes, even of different sizes |
| Double Fisherman’s Knot | Permanently joining ropes or making fixed loops |
| Bowline | Making a fixed loop at the end of a rope |
| Alpine Butterfly Knot | Creating a loop in the middle of a rope |
| Prusik Knot | Slide and grip knot for tarps or hauling gear |
| Tautline Hitch | Adjustable tension on guylines or tarps |
| Trucker’s Hitch | Tightening lines or tying down loads |
| Clove Hitch | Temporary tie-off to poles, trees, or posts |
| Slippery Half Hitch | Quick-release tie for light and temporary use |
| Figure 8 Knot | Stopper knot to prevent rope from slipping |
| Marlinspike Hitch | Making a handle or tightening rope with leverage |
| Canadian Jam Knot | Bundling gear or compressing rolled items |
Prefer watching to reading?
Check out this quick video that shows you how to tie all these essential camping knots step-by-step!
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Sheet Bend
Need to join two ropes, especially of unequal diameter? This is the knot.
Imagine your tent guylines are too short; you can grab a second rope and tie the Sheet Bend to join them together.
Pros & Cons
- Quick and simple to tie and untie when required
- Works with ropes of different thickness
- Can slip if the tails are kept too short
- Less secure than other heavy duty bends
Best for: Extending the length of guylines or ridgelines, or joining different ropes on the fly.
Learn Sheet BendDouble Fisherman’s Knot
The Double Fisherman’s Knot is how you permanently join two ropes.
In camping and backpacking, you’ll use this knot to create a fixed loop of paracord or to join two ropes together for heavy-duty tasks.
Once tightened, the knot is extremely compact and won’t slip on its own.
Pros & Cons
- Strong and reliable
- Standard to join ropes under heavy loads
- Jams heavily once loaded; impossible to untie
Best for: Joining two ropes permanently, or making a fixed loop like the Prusik.
Learn double fisherman’s knotBowline
This is probably the most famous loop knot.
It forms a fixed, non-slipping loop at the end of the rope that holds well under tension.
I use the Bowline on nearly every trip.
It’s how I hang my food or tie a tarp corner to a tree, or nearly anything when I need to make a loop at the end of the rope.
Pros & Cons
- Creates a secure loop that won’t slip under load.
- Easy to tie and untie.
- It can work its way loose if not under tension
- Cannot be tied or untied under tension.
Best for: Tying a rope around the tree, hanging a gear, or securing an object.
Learn bowlineAlpine Butterfly Knot
Want a fixed loop in the middle of the rope? This is your go-to.
I’ve used this one on the ridgeline as an attachment point to hang water bottles, gear like a lantern, or clothesline.
It doesn’t roll, and it unties easily the next morning.
Pros & Cons
- Can be loaded in any direction
- Easy to adjust the loop size
- Easy to untie after loading
- Slight learning curve
- Does not work well with the thick and stiff ropes
Best for: Creating attachment points mid-rope, isolating a damaged section of the rope, and hanging gear.
Learn alpine butterfly knotPrusik Knot
This one is my favorite.
It’s tied by wrapping the cord around the rope several times.
It slides up and down the rope when not loaded, and it locks tight under tension.
I often use it to attach a tarpaulin or shelter to a ridge line, as they can easily be slid along the line and then tensioned to the required position.
Pros & Cons
- It locks in either direction.
- Prusik loops are lightweight and compact and easy to carry.
- Needs a small diameter rope for a prusik loop.
- Ineffective on wet and icy ropes.
- Can jam under heavy loading
Best for: Hauling gear, creating a temporary attachment point, tensioning tarps, and making adjustable grab handles.
Learn prusik knotTautline Hitch
If your tarp sags overnight, this is the knot you want.
It’s an adjustable hitch that creates a loop that can be slid to adjust tension, yet it stays secure under load.
Pros & Cons
- Easy to adjust the tension in the line simply by sliding the knot.
- Holds firm under tension
- Can slowly loosen over time or under cyclic loads.
- Can slip on very slippery ropes
Best for: Adjusting the tension in the tent guylines and tarps, or anything needing tension control
Learn tautline hitchTrucker’s Hitch
The Trucker’s Hitch is an easy way to tension a line.
It works like a pulley.
In camping, you will use the trucker’s hitch to tension tarps, secure a load, or tighten gear on the roof of the car.
Pros & Cons
- Strong and secure
- Provides a mechanical advantage for tight cinching
- More complicated and time consuming
- Can damage the rope when used repeatedly.
Best for: Tying down loads on vehicles or tensioning the ridgeline.
Learn trucker’s hitchClove Hitch
The Clove Hitch is a simple binding knot used to fasten a rope to a pole, post, or tree.
I’ve used it to hold something light and temporary, like tying a tent guyline, lashing poles, or hanging a pot or clothesline off the tree.
Pros & Cons
- Quick and easy to tie
- Easy to adjust and slips off easily when you need to untie
- Not secure under heavy load; should not be used for critical applications
Best for: Temporary tie offs, holding poles, hanging gear.
Learn clove HitchSlippery Half Hitch
The Slippery Half Hitch is a quick release knot.
It ties fast and unties instantly; just pull the tail and it’s gone.
I use it for stuff I want to tie up quickly and untie even faster, like a tarp corner, clothesline, or anything I might move later.
Pros & Cons
- Quick and easy to tie; can be release in an instant.
- Not secure under heavy load; only intended for temporary use
Best for: Securing an object around something, temporary clothesline, tarp corners
Learn slippery half hitchFigure 8 Knot
The Figure 8 Knot is a stopper knot that is tied at the end of a rope.
I use this on the tent corners to stop the lines from slipping through the grommet.
Pros & Cons
- Easy to tie and untie
- Simple stopper knot that won’t jam under load
- Can slip when not under tension
- Sometimes, the slim profile may not be a strong option for very heavy loads
Best for: End of guyline, ridgeline, or anywhere as a stopper knot to prevent slippage.
Learn figure 8 knotMarlinspike Hitch
The Marlinspike is a special hitch that forms a loop around a stick or a pole inserted through the knot.
It gives you an extra grip when cinching things tight.
I’ve used it to make a makeshift handle or to tighten a rope with my hand.
Pros & Cons
- Acts like a noose; the harder you pull, the tighter it grips.
- Provides extra mechanical advantage with hands
- Not meant for permanent use; just for temporary leverage only.
- Requires a separate object, like a stick or a marlinspike.
Best for: Making a grab handle, tightening a knot, turning rope into a ladder.
Learn marlinspike hitchCanadian Jam Knot
The Canadian Jam knot is a self tightening Noose knot perfect for bundling or cinching down objects.
It’s ideal for bundling things like sleeping bags, tarps, or firesticks.
Pros & Cons
- Easy to tie and untie
- Self tightening as you pull the free end.
- Can jam with paracord, or if overloaded it just tightens more.
Best for: Bundling items together, compressing gears, and securing rolled items.
Learn canadian jam knotBonus: Slipped Becket Hitch
The Slipped Becket Hitch is the only knot I use for hanging hammocks.
It’s super beginner-friendly. Even if you have never tied a knot before, you can easily learn this one fast.
Plus, it’s secure, doesn’t jam, and unties easily when it’s time to pack up.
Pros & Cons
- Strong and secure
- Ties quickly into loops like hammock ends, slings, or gear straps
- Doesn’t jam
- Easy to untie after use
- Can slip in certain slippery ropes.
Best for: Connecting rope to fixed loops, like hammock straps, gear slings, D-rings, or webbing.
Learn Becket HitchYou don’t need to know every knot in the camping guide to have a solid setup.
You just need some important camping knots, one that actually works when it matters.
These are the knots I pack in my head every time I head into the woods.
They’ve kept my tarp tight, kept my gear off the ground, and sometimes saved a camping trip from falling apart.
Learn them. Practice them. You’ll use them more than you think.
