TL;DR: Tie your Tautline like this (upside down) and back up appropriately for best results.
The “textbook” Tautline is done in a clove hitch style rather than a girth hitch
This post resulted from an upcoming post on footloops.
Please forgive inconsistent and or incorrect spellings, and unlocked carabiners.
Something like the Tautline Hitch is a great way to tension guylines on tents or tarps, without using fiddly plastic bits or fancy metal ones. or to tie up a raft securely. Honestly I don’t use it for much more than that.
If you search “Tautline Hitch” results will probably look like this:
Tautline Hitch, no backup
It appears to be, more or less, an asymmetric Prusik tied on the same cord.
What follows is a collection of other friction hitches:
Helical HitchHelical Hitch, different angleWhat I refer to as the “Timp Grotto Helical” in case someone finds a Bowline to be “too complicated”Blake’s Hitch without backupKlemheist Hitch, can be tied in a webbing sling as a field expedient footloopKlemheist hitch variant tied using BlueWater 8 mm VT Prusik eye-to-eye hitch cordThis hitch is often referred to as an Autoblock, but I would argue the term “autoblock” should be reserved for a function, and the hitch should be described as a Machard Hitch or French PrusikValdotain Tresse tied using BlueWater VT PrusikDog and Tails tied in cord. Also the same as the hitch used in the Beal Escaper. I’m not sure how many criss-crosses are “standard,” I think 14A super excessively long Dog and Tails tied in 1 inch webbingDistel Hitch. Note tails coming out opposite sides, like a clove hitchDistel HitchDistel with a PMP looks greatSchwabisch Hitch, sometimes called Asymmetric Prusik, Max Over One, X Over 1, Five, Six, or Seven Over 1 as appropriate. Note both tails exiting same side, like a girth hitchSchwabisch tied with an 8 mm BlueWater VT Prusik has been thoroughly tested and works VERY wellThree Over Two Prusik on an AZTEK, also a configuration frequently used on Yosemite litter bridles
A mess of friction hitches, and something in common with them all. Most, all, or at least an equal number of wraps are on the load side. A regular prusik is three on three, a Machard, Klemheist, Valdotain Tresse, or Helical have all the wraps on the load side, and none on the other.
With that in mind, the regular Tautline looks upside down.
So, if you wouldn’t attach yourself to a rope like this:
And wouldn’t haul a load like this:
Maybe try tying a Tautline like this:
The “textbook” Tautline is done in a clove hitch style rather than a girth hitch
Or this
Variant tied in a girth hitch styleThe overhand safety looks a lot cleaner on the girth hitch style
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