# 3 Ropes
(Outdoor Scouting)
# 3 Ropes (Outdoor Scouting)
TOPIC
BRONZE:
Tying Knots Tie a reef knot.
Tie your shoelaces.
Use of
Knots
Care of
Ropes
Discuss how and when to
use a reef knot.
Show you know how to
look after ropes correctly.
SILVER:
Tie a sheetbend.
Tie a clove hitch.
Tie a reef knot.
Discuss how and when to
use these knots.
Name the parts of the rope.
GOLD:
Tie a bowline.
Tie a sheetbend.
Tie a clove hitch.
Make a gadget using at
least one type of
appropriate lashing.
Teach another Cub Scout
how to tie a reef knot.
Discuss how and when to
use these knots.
Show how to hank or chain
a rope correctly.
Rope
Caring For Rope
You should learn to look after rope. There is nothing wrong with rope being worn out
through use, but unfortunately most rope is lost, destroyed or damaged so much it has to be
discarded long before it has reached the end of its expected life span. Following are some
rules for caring for ropes:
Do not walk on rope. This grinds grit and dirt into the rope, cutting the fibres.
Do not drag rope along the ground. This is often more severe than walking on it,
damaging the fibres with dirt and grit more rapidly.
Do not coil or store wet rope. Rope requires complete drying before putting away.
Natural fibre ropes will rot if left wet.
Do not leave knots in rope. All knots weaken it, some more than others. Leaving
knots in rope creates kinks, which permanently weakens the rope.
Do not allow rope to chafe over rock. It should be obvious that allowing a rope to
chafe on a rock will wear the rope, but some fools do it. Place sacking, canvas or
similar protection between the rope and the rock.
Parts of a Rope
The end of a rope in use is called the RUNNING END.
The other end not in use, or made fast to something, is the STANDING END.
The part in between the RUNNING END and the STANDING END is the STANDING
PART.
In the STANDING PART can be formed a BIGHT or LOOP.
Coiling a Rope
As you begin to coil the rope, feel which way it wants to go and shake out any twists or
kinks. Use your foot to hold the rope down while you coil it. On a dusty or dirty surface, you
should form the coil in your hand. Continue coiling until only the length of one coil remains.
Coil ropes clockwise with the lay of the rope. Coils should be at least 0.5 metre in
diameter and wider for larger ropes. Secure with a strop for hanging.
Hang the coils; do not leave them on the ground. Hanging will enable air to circulate
round the rope.
Hank coil rope over left-hand small coils, depending on size of rope. When near the
end of coiling, take a turn around the hank, then half a hitch, pulling it tight. The hank
should be compact, not floppy.
Hank a Rope
To secure the rope, make a loop by turning back the end of the first coil. Wrap the remaining
end around the coil. Go over the loop, but leave its end free. Finish off after lashing 10
centimetres, leaving 2.5 centimetres of loop showing. Pass the remaining end of the rope
through the loop and pull it tight. Pull the end of the rope that forms the loop. This will pull
the loop under the lashing and secure it.
Tying Knots
With one end in each hand take left over right, and
turn, then right over left and turn.
Reef Knot
Sheetbend
Clove Hitch
Used to join two lengths of medium size dry rope
of equal size. The reef knot is ideal for tying
parcels, holding rolled braillings of a tent and for
bandages because the knot is flat when tied.
The sheet bend is used in place of a reef knot
where greater safety from slipping is required or
the ropes differ in size. The knot is not easily
undone.
It is often used to attach a rope to an eye splice or
to the eye of a pulley rope.
A clove hitch is used to connect a small line to a
larger rope or spar at right angles or for a two way
guy during erection of poles and to fasten a rope
to a spar while under strain. Also starts a square
lashing.
The clove hitch can also be made by forming two
loops and slipping over the spar.
The rabbit comes out of the hole around the tree
and then back down his hole.
The bowline is used to provide a loop in the end of
a rope for a sling etc. Its main advantages are that
it will not slip and can be easily loosened.
Bowline
Square Lashing
A square lashing is used where the spars will try to slide over each
other, regardless of the angle at which the spars cross
Begin with a clove hitch underneath the spar to be supported. (a)
Wrap the rope first over one spar, then under the other, pulling
tight all the time. (b)
On the second time round, go inside the previous turn of rope on
top, but outside underneath the spars. (c)
After three turns, apply two frapping turns, which pull on the rope
turns already made,
making them even tighter. (d)
Finish off with a clove hitch. (e)
One way of remembering it is: 'wrap thrice and frap twice'.
Diagonal Lashing
A diagonal lashing is used where the spars have to be pulled together or
when they tend to spring apart from each other – for example the crossbrace of a framework
Begin with a timber hitch to draw the spars together.
Pull the knot at right angles and wrap the rope three times around
the spars, keeping the rope tight all the time.
Wrap three more turns, this time over the timber hitch.
Apply two frapping turns to pull tight the rope turns.
Finish off with a clove hitch.
Sheer Lashings
A sheer lashing is used for joining two spars together to make a longer
length
It is important to have a good overlap of spars which should be at least a
quarter of the length, but better still is an overlap of one third.
Start with a clove or timber hitch around both spars near the end of
the overlap.
Continue with eight to ten turns round both spars (or for about 1015cm).
Finish with a clove hitch around the second spar.
To tighten, insert small wedges inside the turns
Adding a second lashing will strengthen the overlap, as then no
movement is possible in any direction.