Welcome to The Bear Essentials' guide for tying the Clove Hitch.
In this write-up, you're going to learn the simplest way to tie this the Clove Hitch, as well as its many variations.
How to Tie The Clove Hitch (Method 1)
Let's go through the basic clove hitch, and then we'll build the other variations from there. If you have your Bear Essentials Knot Tying Kit, take your practice ropes out and follow along.
Step 1:
Wrap the rope around an object (can be a pole/stick) positioned horizontally
Step 2:
Take the working end and loop it back around the object, forming an X
Step 3:
Pull the working end down the back first and then towards you
Step 4:
Thread the working end through the exact center of that X
Step 5:
Pull both ends to tighten it up
If you've tied it properly, you'll see both lines in opposite directions with the diagonal line crossing over the two lines.
To loosen it, you just push both ends together, and the whole thing comes loose
Pros and Cons of the Clove Hitch?
Before moving on to the other methods, lets understand why you would want to tie a Clove Hitch in the first place... Well, it's 's notoriously quick to tie, but it's also very easy to undo, and that's part of its allure but also part of its downfall. So I would recommend only using it in temporary or non-load bearing applications.
Different Practical Uses of the Clove Hitch
The uses for the clove hitch are pretty endless, and some of my favorites are meant for bushcraft and camping.
The clove is often used as a trail marker or guideline while out hiking. It's tied from one tree to the next, and the rope in between will be taut and generally will be a rope blocker on steep edges of trails etc.
If you're ever building things like a tripod for cooking or tying a chair, you'll use the tripod lashing to bind the three poles together. The clove hitch is the knot you use to start and finish these lashings.
The same goes for shelter building. When you do a square lashing to bind cross beams together in an X-shape, you'll start and finish with the clove hitch.
You can use it to bundle up a bunch of sticks, secure the tops of bags closed, and neatly store your bundles of ropes.
Two cloves make a great handle to drag items, and you can use it for some random utility tasks. For example, you can tie two cloves around a stick and put it around a tree. Now, you can hang your backpack and keep it off the ground.
One of my favorite uses for the clove hitch is making paracord bedding. To do this, simply wrap a paracord around the wooden frame of your impromptu bed and secure it using a clove hitch. You can lie on the bedding without any length of the paracord sagging under your weight. The clove hitch essentially keeps each wrap tight without loosening.
It also has a variation that is both a handle and a quick-release combo, which I'm going to show you exactly how to do later in this blog.
But one thing you may have noticed in all of those examples is that the clove hitch is never truly on its own supporting a load-bearing weight.
I've used the clove hitch to make a ladder, but the hitch itself is not used as support rungs. Only at the start and the end of the process - just like the lashings, its a beginning or finishing knot.
Although the clove hitch makes a quick and handy knot that you can easily adjust on the fly (plus, it will never bind up on you), it's definitely not a knot to be trusted as it is..
In addition, even just a shake in the wind can cause this thing to come loose. That's why I'm going to show you a simple variation that turns the regular clove hitch into the strongest binding knot you can tie.
How to Tie The Clove Hitch (Method 2)
You can use method number two when you don't have the end and only have the middle of a rope to work with. So, get your stick or pole and create two simple loops by remembering the phrase "two over, one under."
Step 1:
Create the first loop by holding the rope. Now, bring your right hand onto (over) the top of your left hand.
Step 2:
Do another loop by bringing your right hand over your left hand. Now, you have your two "over."
Step 3:
Do one "under" by bringing right-hand loop underneath the left-hand loop.
Step 4:
Slip the knot around the top of a stick or a pole
Step 5:
Pull on both ends to tighten
Method #3 - Cross Over Method
Step 1:
The other way to tie the middle of the rope is to grab one line with your left hand. Now, cross over with your right hand and grab the other side of the rope.
Step 2:
When you bring your arms back to normal, you now have your two loops perfectly made.
Step 3:
Take your right-hand loop and go over the top of the left-hand loop. Pull both ends, and you have your clove hitch.
You can either use what's called the cross-over method, or the "over, over, under method." All of these methods will take a little bit of muscle memory. Practice it on your own, and then when you're out there, you'll have no trouble remembering it.
Clove Hitch Variations
Clove With a Stopper
The simplest one you can do to make your clove hitch a little bit more secure is by adding a stopper knot to the end of it. This method can stop light wind shakes from unravelling your hitch.
Clove With a Half Hitch
For a more secure knot, what you can do is add an extra half hitch onto that clove. This makes it more secure and trustworthy, but it also allows you to undo your clove hitch whenever you need to. It's not going to bind up.
Quick Release Clove
One of my favorite upgrades is adding a quick release to your clove hitch. This is how you do it.
Wrap the loop to get that X shape. Now, instead of threading just the end of the line through, you can put a bight in it, thread that through, and tighten the whole knot. It's just like a normal clove. But if you pull the tag end, the whole thing comes loose.
Quick Release Clove Handle
If you put a bight through and still have a decent amount of the working end, you can even tie an overhand knot to the end.
What this does is create a grab loop. You can bundle up objects like sticks, ropes, and more with this variation. It also makes a pretty good hanger. The best part about it is you just pull the overhand knot, and the whole thing comes loose because it's a quick release.
Sliding Clove (Rolling Hitch)
You can also turn the clove into an adjustable friction hitch with ease. All you have to do is create an X like you normally do. Instead of threading through the center of the X, you're going to wrap across the object first and slip the working end underneath itself.
What this creates is an adjustable hitch, commonly known as the rolling hitch. On rope-to-rope connections, you can secure and slide it along the larger line. When you stop, it locks in place, and you can adjust from there. This knot is very easy to tie, and you can even use it on your sweatpants, for example, to have an adjustable drawstring.
The Constrictor Hitch
The ultimate transition from the basic simple clove hitch to the almighty constrictor hitch, is the strongest binding knot you can tie. Most of the time, this knot is permanent and you need to cut it loose.
You need to come back to your basic clove. Wrap around, cross over, and go through the X shape. Continue the direction of that wrap and go underneath the far side wrap. When you pull both ends, you've created the constrictor hitch. This is the knot to do when you need something reliable and secure. For example, it's what I use to hold up a floating shelter. I also use it when I'm using a slippery rope and a normal knot just wouldn't hold.
If you commonly forget the knots in the field, I've made this pocket-sized reference guide with 10 of my favorite knots along with where to tie each one at your campsite. Each card has a QR code that links to all The Bear Essentials Knot Tying tutorials on YouTube if you ever need to see them on the fly. Order yours today!
