Guyline system & knots for tents, tarps, & hammocks, with Andrew Skurka

Stock guylines on backpacking tents, tarps, and hammocks often have two problems. First, the cords are of insufficient length, which limits stake locations. Second, bomber natural anchors like trees and downed logs can't be used.
Skurka's guyline system is simple and much more versatile than stock guylines. It relies on just three easy-to-learn knots, two of which are closely related: the bowline, McCarthy hitch, and the truckers hitch.
The system is secure, fast, and easily adjustable.

[@noellmayoral9010]

No joke I watch this video every time I go backpacking just as a refresher.

[@richmills6998]

Taught me my first two knots in under 5 minutes. Quick easy straight forward video. Cheers man

[@brianbardy7718]

Hello Andrew, you are a genius is your presentation style and delivery of how to tie knots. Great job Sir!

[@SuperLanyard]

What would us novices do without guys like you. Thanks so much!

[@michaellawrie903]

Always so clear. Watch this every season. Thanks Andrew!

[@SH4TL32]

Hands down the best knot video on the market. I operated under the motto of " If you don't know knots, tie lot's" for years. Now I can tie good ones!! Thanks a lot

[@demetri1651]

Lynne B.R. Is one of the most underrated KZbin channels right now.

[@Kar1heikk1]

These two knots are basically all you need when camping.

[@jonnyfish76]

Worked commercial fishing for over a decade back in the day. The Bowline was a widely used a very versatile knot.

[@houstonsam6163]

Your presentation makes clear the principle of mechanical advantage in the tightening hitches, with the McCarthy as the simplest to understand and tie, and the Trucker's necessary when line length is significantly less than twice the distance between the shelter and the anchor. Very nicely done.

[@michaellawrie903]

You taught me this a few years ago (maybe 8 now) and this refresher was so well done - came right back to me. Like riding a bike, indeed! Thanks.

[@steveallison7950]

I like the truckers/mccarthy hitch for when the weather is nuts and the wind is high. For 95% of the time I just use a tautline hitch on the line and it is just fine. Plus I usually add a small look of shock cord to the tent or tarp then tie the guyline to that. Then it takes up the slack of the wind and keeps good tension. In high wind, i bypass the loop and go back to the fabric loop for stability. Nice informative video though.

[@Aldocello1]

I generally use a taught hitch instead of the truckers hitch this way I can adjust accordingly at ease .. just a little tip on the truckers hitch if you go through the lead line loop twice with the tag end it’s stay secure with minimal pinching for when you put the half slip loop ... 😊👍🏻

[@Smokin07ram]

I use the trucker's hitch for everything from tents to hammocks...You name it really. Once you get quick with the knot it is irreplaceable...and can turn you into a tent saving knight in shining armor! hehe :)

[@Rikard416]

Very straightforward video explaining guyliny system and truckers hitch!~

[@joshuagolembiewski5383]

Love coming back to review

[@RossPotts]

That is AWESOME! All this time, I’ve been visualizing like 2 extra steps on the truckers hitch, and this video just straightened me out.

[@dija9204]

I really like knots... and regularily use the three shown ones. However, the linelocs do have one significant advantage: They are much easier to operate in the cold (stiff fingers). Still good to know the knots as a backup in case a lineloc breaks.

[@meaty444]

Great video and just perfect timing as we go hiking and camping for a week in 5 weeks time. Thanks 👌

[@thatlarryguy6841]

I've been using the McCarthy and Trucker's hitch for years. Didn't know what they were called until tonight.

[@WildlandExplorer]

Appreciate the basic knots lesson. As a long-time free-standing tent, but non-freestanding curious dude, I searched high and low for good videos on this and it's like every other video has critical parts of knot tying out of the shot, obscured by hands or ties the know way too fast to follow even rewinding and rewatching. Your video makes it really easy to not mess these up, thanks again.

[@Needafollower]

The video I’ve been looking for 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@amoledzeppelin]

And, when doing trucker's hitch, if you wrap the free end around the tension loop the second time instead of just pulling, you'll get auto tensioning without having to hold the tension manually when tyhing the half-hitch.

[@noahziegler3478]

Nothing like breaking out the trucker's hitch in front of your father-in-law first time camping like a boss.

[@pedroclaro7822]

@@noahziegler3478 knots are the manly version of practical knowledge. So many applications to a few knots! I’ve been around a cowboy cousin (after figure) and knots are the only thing I could surpass him in, and impress him.

[@NormandSimoneau]

It's really interesting to see the knots in the real situations. Thank you

[@jackG1207]

Thanks I appreciate the summary at the end!

[@larrydonna369]

I watched this a while ago but did not bookmark it. I am so glad I finally found it again. Now I have it bookmarked and subscribed to the channel, Thanks for the great information.

[@jag1870]

Thank you Andrew! Best knot video I've seen.

[@wesgibbens]

Brilliant! Very concise instruction. Well done!

[@mihaimilan9598]

Great tutorials! Always useful to learn better and more efficient ways of doing even small tasks. Thank you for sharing.

[@gialoctran1308]

Thanks! It's a great video teaching how to use guy lines to secure a tent.

[@johneric3886]

Nice video, simple and to the point. I like how you brought up big rocks sometimes being in your way and how to work around them.

[@erikl.1860]

So well explained! Thanks!

[@ABK6969]

This is great! I learned how to do this from Mr. Skurka's blog and the video is very helpful.

[@RVersity]

I have been trying to teach myself different knots. Yes, practice makes perfect. Thanks for sharing! ⛺🙂

[@skimt127]

Thank you for this video. It was full of useful info.

[@davidbrignall4815]

Already knew the knots, brilliant use of them thank you and stay safe out there

[@springing]

Excellent! Great video. Clear instructions. Thanks! Yes, the trucker's hitch is so useful. I use it all the time.

[@sahandfarhadi9996]

Thank you. I heave learned all I needed for my camping.

[@agungsurya6469]

Great knot, so easy and quick, thank u 👍

[@mushinstudio8234]

Perfect video. Thank you!

[@Nasgareth]

I feel like such a magician now!;) Thanks

[@LC-xt7yz]

Thanks soooo much ! You're an excellent teacher.

[@bkershaccount]

That slippery half hitch is excellent! I love your point on the mechanical advantage x3

[@jstrangesf]

Thanks a lot for making this video, it really makes the info come to life and much more clear, especially for someone that doesn't have a ton of experience with knots and is getting used to using tarps. I've been using the guide Andrew did as it was the best I found when I googled it. (Started looking more of what he did up as I kept hearing the name and he's been a great resource.) Keep up these awesome, informative video's!!!!

[@BreakingBarriers2DIY]

So nicely done. Back here again for the reminder. :)

[@chrisholt2474]

Love it, much appreciated, thank you, Chris from UK. 🍻👍👍👍

[@tifu678]

Awesome tutorial. Thank you, sir!

[@petem4665]

Thank you. This is so fast, so simple, and so effective. The mechanical advantage especially won me over. I went ahead and used this method on a couple of huge tents, and also showed a few other guys how to do it this way.

[@stevedormaar4102]

Good job Andrew - you've explained this very well. I've been using these knots for years, most recently on my Stratospire 1 (excellent tent by the way). And yes, this system works very well with heavier rope tying down loads.

[@carlmyhill]

excellent video and excellent knots

[@Juanlu.]

Muy breve, muy sencillo, MUY ÚTIL!

[@19ghost73]

Thanks for sharing, Andrew! ATB Gereon

[@charlespalmerii4299]

Awesome Video , learned some valuable stuff... thank you

[@Kiwdafish1]

The real truckers hitch is a completely different knot than what he shows here. The knot he’s using is called a rafters hitch.

[@JaazznMaannn]

Really love your video, haha the best one out there. Short and direct, these knots are my life saviors for out dooring and towing goods. Thanks m8, your video is still alive haha ;)

[@orakelgottes]

very good and useful video.. thanks for posting !

[@takoyakinoflakes]

OMG THANK YOU SO MUCH,i was having troubles with doing a bowline knot with guylines and my seniors in CCA are unsure about it

[@noahziegler3478]

Got my first high end tent from Cabela's and realized I can barely tie a knot on my shoes Thanks!

[@OnceFamilyAdventure]

Really helpful.. great tutorial, thanks! 👍

[@antoniaoni3685]

Thanks Andrew... Love you... 😘

[@VictorNolochemical]

Great reference video, thank you !!

[@TheEknaian]

Great video you have a new fan.

[@bkershaccount]

You are so correct. Make yourself do it until you get comfortable with it and then you are set up with a new ingrained skill. Do them while watching the like you said. People give up easy but it gets very quick improvement after you run through them a few full times.

[@einzigkeit7216]

Thanks so much bud, it was very helpful. :-) Great explanation.

[@davidcooper6704]

First class clear instruction.

[@tinasanchez6510]

awesome video, great info

[@jin9444]

Great tutorials! thanks a lot!

[@krischarlton7637]

eliminates the need for those pesky line locks/tensioners. genius!

[@XJonAye]

Thanks you rock, I only spent a year in boy scouts, and I didn't really make it to alot of meetings.

[@1970351C2V]

Love the color!

[@80-80.]

and look what we have now in comparison. So sad.

[@b4thestephera]

so clear, thank you!!

[@billbarber1710]

great video.

[@WillN2Go1]

Great video. I'm wondering if I saw this when it was new (probably), cause this is most of what I do. These are all by far the most useful ways to anchor a tent or fly. Do these and your set-up is always as quick as it can be, you have extra line for that stump or buried boulder that is always right at the 4th stake position. In 2018 when I made a DIY rain fly, I got rid of all the D-rings, just made nylon grosgrain loops, For some corners I'd just stick a stake through two loops of it and stick it in the ground. That's for the foot of my rain fly. Done. Everywhere else I'd do Andrew's method shown here. And yep. Practice. The reason I'm watching this video in 2020 is I got a new tent and I was just making a couple of tie out lines....and I forgot how to make 'em adjustable. (Probably just means I haven't been camping enough. Also the little plastic adjusters? A pain to use. It's not a cheap tent REI Flash Air 2. The REI adjusters are okay, Andrew's method here is better, quicker, more versatile.) Also all of my stakes have line loops on them. About an 8-10" diameter (20-25 cm) loops. These have two purposes. First, choose a bright color, orange or day glo, now you will never ever lose a stake. Second, in many cases you can just run the stake-loop through one of your grosgrain loops and then stick the stake in the ground- done, no knots no fuss (this of course works best if the ground's soft and you can adjust by resetting a stake). I think the only time you really need to be adjusting lines is when the ground is hard and you have to hammer in your stakes.

[@TennesseeSlim]

I've actually had a lot of benefit from having my guy lines secured to the nylon tie out with bungie cordage help to keep everything taught and less stress on the tie outs

[@matthew5684]

great video, thanks!

[@ronnieo9571]

This was great. Thanks

[@AmyB.]

thanks Andrew!

[@Tipster49]

great instructions!!!

[@chrischungy]

it's so cool i can practice this in my own room

[@RVersity]

Interesting! Thanks for sharing!

[@Vladimir-mp2rt]

Thanks for video

[@hankmoody5514]

excellent video

[@uuguul]

Best video on the subject ever

[@SierraDesignsGear]

Glad it was helpful!

[@uuguul]

@@SierraDesignsGear totally I love it, simple, efficient and clear :)))) Now I set up my tarp in few minutes :D

[@andis2]

Great!! Thanks very much!

[@christophervela5447]

Great content

[@janelleanderson6744]

Thank you.

[@CreachterZ]

Very nice. Thank you very much.

[@danielkenney507]

So helpful!

[@darrentaylor4262]

I loved the video! Just a quick note. The McCarthy hitch looks to be a 2 to 1 advantage, not 3 to 1. Keep up the great work!

[@onetimeoutdoorsdj1394]

Thank you

[@CBLounge2112]

Thanks dude!!!

[@Jonboyr700]

I use the same system for my tarps and hammock setup. On the slippery hitch: if there is a decent amount of left over rope, I roll it up and stuff inside the loop on the slippery hitch and pull tight. If there isn't alot of rope left, I break a small twig and put in the circle and pull tight. On a windy night, the toggles will hold the knot steady and not loosen up. I use a diff. knot of the tarp\shelter side - but same on the tag end. Pretty fast setups and tear downs.

[@demelza32]

Thanks

[@dustyoldhat]

Wow that looks so much like a Durston Gear X-Mid tent

[@DeuxRouesUneTente]

Awesome, thank you! I couldn't figure out the fixation system that came with my new tent's guy lines... It's weird... I guess I just won't use it at all!

[@behindenemylines9033]

excellent

[@abideserene]

Ty 🙏🏽💖

[@BackcountryPilgrim]

NICE!

[@jackinfanta1900]

great! thanks

[@teklicka]

Awesome! Thanks…;)