How To Tie the Shear Lashing
Usage
The Shear Lashing is a fundamental lashing used to bind two poles together at their top ends, allowing them to function as spread out legs - generally as support for larger structures. It’s commonly used in camping, bushcraft, and scouts to build tripods, A-frames, or to reinforce weak or broken poles.
Why Learn the Shear Lashing?
Lashings in general are useful for building shelters, structures, and improvising field repairs and fixes. The Shear Lashing in particular is one of the more important lashings to understand, as it’s the way to join two poles together securely.
Both anchors are clove hitches, so if you can tie one of those, the rest is rhythm: wraps, fraps, finish. Drill it on a practice line before real spars — our Knot Tying Kit is a good place to start.
Common Uses
- Camping and Bushcraft:
- Build a shelter by lashing together branches or poles.
- Create a tripod to hang gear or support a cooking pot over a fire.
- Make primitive camp furniture like A-frames for gear racks.
- Repairing broken gear
- Search and Rescue:
- Construct a makeshift stretcher by binding poles together to carry an injured person — improvised only; check the lashings often during the carry.
- Pioneering and Scouts:
- Create aerial bridges by connecting multiple sets of shear legs.
- Build towers or temporary camp structures using shear legs as a base.
- Other Outdoor Applications:
- Lash poles to build rafts or reinforce damaged equipment.
ABOK Number
(Ashley Book of Knots)
Other Names
TypeLashing |
Notable Features
- Pivot Point: The Shear Lashing allows the poles to pivot, making it ideal for creating A-frame structures and tripods.
- Easy to Untie: The knot is secure but can be untied relatively easily, even after bearing load.
- Flexible: The lashing provides both strength and flexibility, allowing for quick adjustments in the field.
- Reliable: When properly tied with frapping turns, the lashing is strong enough to support considerable weight, but the tension must be maintained for maximum stability.
Similar Knots
Square Lashing vs. Shear Lashing
- Pros: Excellent for binding poles at 90-degree angles, providing a rigid connection.
- Cons: Does not offer the flexibility or pivoting ability of the Shear Lashing.
- Also worth knowing: the Japanese Square Lashing.
The square lashing is a clamp you crank tight; this one is a hinge you leave workable. A standard A-frame uses both: shear-lash the tips, square-lash the base cross-pole.
Diagonal Lashing vs. Shear Lashing
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Pros: Strong for awkward angles and creates a firm connection for poles that cross at irregular angles.
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Cons: More time-consuming to tie than Shear Lashing.
A lashing for spars that cross without touching is a different job — it stops a frame racking rather than letting it open.
Round Lashing vs. Shear Lashing
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Pros: Similar to Shear Lashing, but only used to tie poles side-by-side.
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Cons: Lacks the pivoting feature of Shear Lashing.
The naming is a genuine trap: John Thurman’s “Sheer Lashing Mark II” and the “West Country Shear Lashing” are both round lashings, not shear lashings — as Gerald Finley and Larry Green explain in The Somewhat Ambiguous Shear Lashing. The test that settles it is frapping turns: this knot has them, a round lashing does not. To join poles end to end, use a pair of round lashings.
Tripod Lashing vs. Shear Lashing
- Pros: Ideal for creating tripods, providing a stable base for holding equipment or gear.
- Cons: Requires an extra pole and more time to tie compared to Shear
Count spars: two makes shear legs, three makes a tripod. A tripod stands on its own; shear legs are stable only in their own plane and need bracing.
Security Level
A shear lashing holds by stored tension, not by locking itself, so it is only as good as your setup: moderate wraps, tight fraps, finishing clove hitch on the opposite pole. It has one trick nothing else in the family has — spreading the legs tightens it further, so the erected frame is the lashing at its tightest. For anything long-standing or heavy, the Pioneering Merit Badge reference calls for racking (figure-of-eight) turns instead of plain ones. Then pick the frame up and shake it.
Negatives
- Time-Consuming: It requires multiple wraps and frapping turns to secure properly, which can take time.
- Possible Loosening: Over time, exposure to weather or heavy use may cause the lashing to loosen, requiring retightening.
- Requires Proper Technique: The lashing needs to be tied correctly, with sufficient frapping turns to ensure stability.
History
The knot is named after the structure. “Shears” (or “sheer legs”) were two spars lashed near the tips, guyed, then opened out to raise masts and hoist weights too heavy for one spar. The Ashley Book of Knots catalogued it in 1944 in both plain-turn and racking-turn forms, calling it seizing on a much larger scale. The twentieth century handed it from sailors to scouts, where it picked up the name official pioneering material still uses: the Two-Spar Shear Lashing.
How to Tie the Shear Lashing
Step 1:
Begin by laying two poles side by side or at the desired angle.
Step 2:
Tie a Clove Hitch around one of the poles to secure the rope.
Step 3:
Begin wrapping the rope tightly around both poles, making 6-8 complete wraps.
Step 4:
Make 2-3 frapping turns between the poles, pulling them tight to secure the lashing.
Step 5:
Finish by tying another Clove Hitch around one of the poles to complete the lashing.
Step 6:
Spread the legs of the poles to create an A-frame or tripod structure.
Want to see the Shear Lashing tied step by step in 3D before you head out with your own rope? Pull up the animated walkthrough in the Knot IQ app.
FAQ
What is the Shear Lashing used for?
It’s used to tie two poles together, creating shear legs for structures like tripods or A-frames.
Is Shear Lashing strong enough for load-bearing applications?
Yes, when tied correctly, the Shear Lashing is strong and can support considerable weight. Frapping turns add extra security.
Can Shear Lashing be used for building camp shelters?
Absolutely! Shear Lashing is commonly used to create the framework for shelters, especially when poles need to pivot or spread apart.
How does Shear Lashing differ from Tripod Lashing?
Shear Lashing is used to bind two poles, allowing for a pivot point, whereas Tripod Lashing is used to tie three poles together to form a tripod. Here is the three-spar tripod lashing.
What is the best rope to use for Shear Lashing?
Non-stretchy ropes like natural fiber ropes (manila, sisal) or synthetic ropes like non- stretch polyester paracord (like Bear Essentials Bushcraft Paracord) work well for Shear Lashing.
What is the difference between a Shear Lashing and a Round Lashing?
Frapping turns. A shear lashing has them, which is what lets the joint open into an A-frame. A round lashing has none, so it stays rigid — right for joining poles end to end.
Important Notes on Safety
Ensure the Shear Lashing is pulled tightly and frapped securely. If the lashing loosens over time, it may need to be re-tensioned to maintain stability. It’s not recommended for life-critical applications unless properly tied and tested.
- Mind your fingers: the legs get spread slightly before you frap, and the poles can scissor shut on your hand.
- Guy it or brace it: spread shear legs are stable only in their own plane, so every working use adds guys, a base cross-pole, or something to lean on.
- Do not put a number on it: no published load rating exists for any lashing. Real capacity comes down to the spars, the tightness, and the guying.
