Cinch a load down with a trucker's hitch
Rope becomes a simple pulley, so you can pull a tarp or roof load far tighter than by hand.
- Partway along the rope, tie a fixed loop, like a figure-eight loop on a bight.
- Pass the free end around the hook, rail or tie-down point below.
- Bring the free end back up and through the loop.
- Pull the free end down hard. The loop acts like a pulley and draws the line tight.
- Pinch the rope at the loop to hold the tension, then tie off with two half hitches below it.
Tip: Only the free end should pass through the loop. If the standing part runs through it, the loop pulls shut under load. Friction means you get well under the textbook 3:1 pull.
Try it now: Run a belt or cable from a doorknob around a chair leg and back, and feel how much tighter the loop lets you pull.
Next crumbs
- 🪢 KnotsTie a round turn and two half hitchesTie a rope to a post or ring and it holds the strain while you finish, even with a dog or boat pulling.
- 🪢 KnotsTie a taut-line hitchAn adjustable loop that holds tension. Slide it to tighten a tent line or a load tie-down.
- 🪢 KnotsTie a figure-eight stopperA chunky knot at the end of a rope that stops it slipping through a hole, a pulley or your hand.