Its all about the knots.

[Yankee]

Being a noob what are a the more commonly used knots that every hammocker needs to know? Looking to add more tools to my toolbox. Thank you all for your help, advice, and knowledge.

[Catavarie]

I only use 3 most of the time, the Marlin Spike Hitch, the Prussik, and the Clove Hitch.

Occasionally I'll make a Monkey Fist if I don't have a weight and need to throw a rope.

[Gqgeek81]

Via the forum I learned about the Pile Hitch last year. Its pretty fantastic for stakes.






Also the zeppelin bend is great. You can tie together shock cord, webbing or rope with it.

I'm also fond of the Perfection Loop in place of a bowline or figure 8 on a bite though I have no idea how it compares in strength.

[DuctTape]

Slippery taut-line hitch, constrictor & clove hitch (they are cousins), figure-eight and bowline are the most frequently used.

[SnrMoment]

Check out Brandon's vids on Warbonnet Outdoors for some knot & basic set up info.

[Redoleary]

Truckers hitch is fairly useful, clove hitch, sheet bend, zeppelin bend, pile hitch (thanks for the tip o the hat Gqgeek81). Making the truckers hitch with a slippery half hitch and also making your sheet bends slippery makes life a lot easier when it's time to untie as well.

[nothermark]

Truckers hitch will work on slippery rope where other knots do not hold. Clove hitch and girth hitches will attach to rings/poles/ etc. Figure 8 as a stopper, figure 8 on a bight or Bowline for a fixed loop. Sheet bend will work on same or different sized ropes. Prussic or taught line hitch sill give you a sliding connection. Understand how they work. Understand how a knot is made "slippery" and use as needed.

[Yankee]

Thanks all for the help. Looks like I have some practicing to do lol.

[The Yellow Dart]

Recently I've been toying around with getting rid of my hardware and going with the Sheet Bend Knot on my suspension... I'm not totally convinced yet though.

[sliver]

For the simplest, most basic setup my vote would be lark's head, figure-8 loop or bowline, and a slipped half hitch. The lark's head is the simplest variation of a prusik knot, i.e. only 1 wrap.

It depends on what kind of suspension you have and the hardware you're using. For example, if you're using a toggle, you pretty much need a marlin spike hitch. You may also need a prusik knot if you need to tension and/or position your tarp or hammock.

By far, the knots I use the most for general purposes are the figure-8 loop and slipped half hitch. I use these 2 for tying down just about everything because they are easy to tie, easy to untie, and have never come undone for me. It's also the combination I use to tie my tarp to the stakes. I only use the lark's head to attach my stake cords to the D-ring on the tarp.

I know a lot of knots but these are my go-to knots for their simplicity, ease of tying, and reliability.