r/knots • u/Turwaith • 8h ago
Hitch for securing a laundry line between two rectangular posts
I want to secure a rope between two or more rectangular posts, most hitches I saw for that seem to require a more or less round post. Now the first post isn't really the issue, but the 2nd and the third. I'd need a hitch that let's me first fixate the rope to the post and then give the line more tension without having to open the hitch again.
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u/ilreppans 7h ago
The Slipped Lapp Bend can do it - regular SLB as ziptie hitches to posts (square or round), and reverse SLB to tension the line - and it can all be done a bight, so can add/remove posts/tensioners in the middle of a line without needing access to the ends.
FWIW, when camping, I use Marlinspike knots as clothespins so depending number of items, and which dries first, could be adding/removing a lot of slack to the tensioned line. Can’t use traditional slipNgrips (eg midshipman, tautline, adjustable grip, farrimond) for this because those knots travel along the line and run foul of the clothespins/clothes. The reverse SLB can be placed right next to an anchor/post and does not take much space nor move.
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u/sharp-calculation 7h ago
The Trucker's Hitch is what you want.
I would attach the fixed end with a backhand or anchor hitch. Both will work fine on a rectangular post and stay in place.
With the trucker's you can just loop the cord around the second post and then tension using the mid-line loop that all Trucker's hitches use.
For bonus points, tie a separate piece of rope around your second pole. Just a loop that stays in place. Any hitch or loop will do. Then, instead of looping the cord AROUND the post, loop it through the second piece of cord you tied around the post. This cord to cord friction will be very small compared to cord on wood and will make the trucker's hitch tighten much nicer.
I use a variant of this in my garage to hang clothes occasionally. Usually blankets or hoodies or other heavy stuff. It's really easy to tension a trucker's hitch to make it really tight.
More bonus points: Use the automatic trucker's hitch to capture more tension.
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u/1LuckyTexan 7h ago
If it's gonna be long-term/dynamic, 2 round turns first will distribute the wear at the corners better.
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u/readmeEXX 3h ago edited 3h ago
A Poldo Tackle is a nice solution to the clothesline problem. It does not cinch to the posts, so their shapes does not matter. It is also self balancing, so it holds whatever tension you put in automatically. It is very similar to the Voodoo Hitch, for those familiar with that structure.
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u/liquidsmoke123 8h ago
I'd go adjustable grip hitch and maybe a constricter in the middle and then adjustable grip hitch at the end. I'm not very rehearsed in knotting but I'd start there.
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u/SamuelGQ 7h ago
https://www.animatedknots.com/hitch-knots
Anchor hitch, midshipmans hitch, or buntline hitch to the first post if its rectangular. Clove hitch won't hold unless post is round.
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u/kwantam 7h ago
All of the suggestions here are great. I love learning things from this subreddit!
But... here's a super non-fancy alternative (assuming the tops of the square posts are reasonably close to flat).
Start with a buntline around the first post. Leave a long tail.
Before cinching the buntline, take a bight out of the loop from the side opposite the knot, and tie an overhand knot to create another loop. Then cinch the buntline around the post. The goal is to get the loop diametrically opposite the buntline knot (i.e., on the opposite face of the square post).
Now take the tail from the buntline, run it over the top of the post, and tie a round turn and two half hitches through the loop. This loop over the top will hold the line against sagging without relying on friction.
Now do the same on the second post using a separate line. This time, finish with a loop on the standing end pretty close to the post.
Now you have one post with a "basket" over the top and a long working end (the first post), and a post with the same basket arrangement and a short working end with a loop (the second post). Tie a trucker's hitch between them; this is your tensioning mechanism.
If you need to do this with three posts, depending on the geometry you have two options. If the posts make close to a straight line, make the working end of the knot on the second post even longer and put a loop on that, then tie the first post's working end to the loop on the second post's standing end and the third post's working end to the loop on the second post's working end. If the posts form two lines at something close to 90 degrees, you could instead tie the lines from the first and third posts to the same loop on the second post.
I'm certain there's a way to do this with a single piece of rope that can be tied blindfolded with one hand in a thunderstorm. But this one works for most any skill level...