Campcraft

Stage 1 – Parts of a rope

Parts of a rope and common terms in rope usage:

Working End: End of the rope that is used to tie a knot.

Standing End: Inactive rope end during the process of tying.

Loop: Rope formed into a circle

- Overhand loop is a loop formed by having working end over standing end.

- Underhand loop is a loop formed by having standing and over working end.

Bight is the enclosed area that is formed by a loop.

Turn is when the rope passes around only one side of an object.

Round turn is when the rope completes one and a half circle turn.

Stage 2 – Basic Knots

2.1 ­– Family of Knots

2.1.1 Stopper Knots:

• Prevent ropes from fraying
• To stop rope from slipping through a knot or hole
• To add weight to the rope
• To provide handhold
• Examples: Thumb Knot and Figure-of-Eight

2.1.2 Bends:

• Tying two ropes together
• Examples: Reef Knot, Fisherman’s Knot and Sheet Bend

2.1.3 Loop Knots:

• Create a loop tying the rope
• Examples: Bowline, Slip Knot (Tent Guy Loop), Manharness and Fireman’s Chair

2.1.4 Hitches:

• Attach a rope to a pole by tying on it
• Examples: Clove Hitch, Rolling Hitch, Round Turn and Two Half Hitch, Timber Hitch, Highwayman’s Hitch and Marlinspike

2.1.5 Shortening Formation:

• Shorten the rope for specific purposes
• Examples: Sheepshank and Chain Knot

2.2 – 8 Basic Knots

2.2.1 Thumb Knot (Stopper Knot)

• The simplest knot that is easy to tie, but difficult to untie

2.2.2 Figure-of-Eight (Stopper Knot)

• Easier to untie compared to Thumb Knot

2.2.3 Reef Knot (Bends)

• Used to tie ropes of same thickness together

2.2.4 Fisherman’s Knot (Bends)

• Used to tie two ropes of equal thickness together OR Joining slippery ropes together (Movable knots)

2.2.5 Bowline (Loop Knots)

• Used to secure a rope to a ring

2.2.6 Slip Knot (Loop Knots)

• Acts as a pulley system in tentages

Tent Guy Loop

• Used to create a pulley system to support tentages

2.2.7 Clove Hitch (Hitches)

• Purpose of Clove Hitch: Used to start a lashing

2.2.8 Sheepshank (Shortening Formation)

• Used to shorten ropes without cutting them.

2.3 – Frequently used Knots

2.3.1 Sheet Bend (Bends)

• Used to join ropes of different thickness together

2.3.2 Manharness (Loop Knots)

• Used to put a shoulder loop in a rope when hauling a load

2.3.3 Timber Hitch (Hitches)

• Used for logging purposes OR Starting Diagonal Lashing

2.3.4 Chain Knot (Shortening Formation)

• Used to shorten ropes for without cutting them and for storage and quick release purposes.

Stage 3 – Lashings

3.1 Round Lashing

• Used to bind two spars or poles together

3.2 Shear Lashing

• Used to create a shear leg as a support structure OR Bind two spars of uneven surface

3.3 Square Lashing

• Used to tie two poles together, right angles apart from each other. (Starting and ending clove hitches on the same pole)

3.4 Diagonal Lashing

• Used to tie poles together at angles at any angle.

3.5 Gyn Lashing

• Used to bind three or more poles together to form a stand

Stage 4 – Tentage

– Prior Knowledge: Tent Guy Loop, Bowline, Clove Hitch

4.1 Introduction

• We pitch a tent to create a shelter for survival.

4.2 Parts of an NPCC 4-Men Tent

4.3 Equipment required for Tentage

• 14 x    Peg
• 12 x    1.5 m Twine (For Corner Guyline)
• 2 x      2.5 m Twine (For Main Guyline)
• 2 x      Vertical Pole
• 1 x      Horizontal Pole
• 1 x      Inner Sheet
• 1 x      Outer Sheet
• 1 x      Ground Sheet
• 1 x      Extra Peg/Mallet (For Hammering)

4.4 Site Selection

• Select an area that is as flat as possible or gentle slope. Avoid marshy, low lying ground that could flood under the condition of heavy rain.
• Remove all stones, sticks or anything that might damage the ground sheet.
• Choose a site away from bushes, trees with low hanging branches and away from animal tracks.
• It is better not to pitch under trees, especially in windy weather. Rainwater may continue to drip long after it has stopped raining and some trees may even drip sticky sap onto the tents, which may affect the maintenance of the tent sheets. Fallen branches may injure someone or damage the equipment.
• Make use of any natural windbreakers, hedges, walls or boulders and where possible faces the openings of the tents along prevailing winds to maximize ventilation and minimize air resistance acting against the tent sheets.
• Avoid dead logs and undergrowth, which may be habitats of harmful insects like bees, army ants, hornets, or wasps and snakes. Avoid stagnant pools of water as there may be mosquitoes breeding in there.

4.5 Recommended Pitching Procedure

1. Erect the tent frame by inserting the pins of vertical poles into the sleeve rings at two ends of horizontal pole. Ensure that the vertical poles are perpendicular to the ground. Slip the inner sheet over the frame.
2. Start by securing the corner guylines. Tie one end of the 1.5m twine to the sleeve rings with a bowline.
3. Pull one end of the inner sheet such that the wall flap is just touch and perpendicular to the ground. Align the peg as follows (Refer to “alignment of peg”)
4. Pull and check that the peg, the corner of the inner sheet and the center of the horizontal pole are in a straight line.
5. Hammer the pegs at 45 degree to the ground. (Refer to “Method of pegging”)
6. Anchor the other end of the guyline to the peg using a tent guy loop.
7. Tighten the corner guylines of the inner sheet to the pegs, fastening pairs of diagonally opposite corners guyline at the same time (by shouting “2, 3, 6, pull!”).After the four corner guylines have been tightened, hammer in the wall guyline pegs and then tie the two wall guylines. Ensure that the pegs on each side of the tents are in a straight line and parallel to the wall flap.
8. Ensure that the surface of the inner sheet is tight and the wall flaps are vertically upright and just touching the ground.
9. Tie the two main guylines using an approximately 2m long twine, to the pin of the vertical pole with a clove hitch. The distance of the peg from the base of a vertical pole would be the length of the vertical pole itself (approximately 3 peg length). Anchor the two main guylines using the same method as the corner and wall guylines.
10. Drape the outer sheet over the inner sheet. Secure the four corner guylines and the two wall guylines.
11. Unfold the ground sheet inside the tent and lay it flat. The sides of the ground sheet may be folded if necessary.
12. Adjust the tension of all guylines if necessary. A well-pitched tent should have a ventilation gap of approximately 6 inches between the inner and outer sheet.

4.6 Handling of Pegs

4.6.1 How to peg

1. The sole of one leg should be placed in front of the peg, at the arrow shown in the picture below.
2. When pegging, the other leg should remain knelt on the ground so as to maintain an upright posture.
3. Peg the peg 45 degrees from the ground.

4.6.2 Removal of peg

• Use another peg to interlock with the hook; turning it left or right till the soil holding it loosens and the peg can be safely removed.
• Hit the peg at its sides using another peg until the soil holding it loosens and the peg can be safely removed.

4.6.3 Passing of peg

• The sharp end of the peg should always point downwards then being passed around.

4.6.4 Reinforcement of pegs

•  Refer to document

4.7 Alignment of Pegs

4.8 Measurement and cutting of twine

• Measuring 1.5 m twine: Spread your arms straight and measure the twine. 1.5m twine is approximately the total length from one end of your arm to the other end of the arm.
• Measuring 2 m twine: Spread your arms straight and measure 1.5 m first. Next, measure another one arm length of twine and it will be approximately 2m.

4.9 Tying of guyline

1. Tie a slipknot at approximately the middle of the twine connected to the ring by a bowline.
2. Take the working end and turn the rope around the peg.
3. Take the working end and put it in the slip knot and pull back to the peg, creating a pulley system.
4. Make a turn around the peg again and tie half hitches on the twine.
5. Tie a half butterfly knot at the end and cut away the excess twine with a scissors.

Notes:

• When tying the corner guyline, make sure the opposite side is done tying and pull the guyline together by shouting ‘2,3,6 pull!’
• When pulling the guyline, pull the corner together to prevent the twine from snapping.

4.10 Tying of door flaps

• Fold the door flap by folding two triangles.
• Roll the door flap up and use the door straps to tie a butterfly knot.

Notes:

• Try to tie knot behind the door facing into the tent so that it cannot be seen from outside.

4.11 Folding of tentage sheets

• Inner sheet:
• Lay the sheet down such the silver side faces upward.
• Fold the door flaps in.
• After that, fold the sheet according to this sequence: Quarter, Quarter, Half, Quarter, Quarter, Half
• Outer sheet/Ground sheet:
• Lay the sheet down such that the silver side faces upward.
• After that, fold the sheet according to the sequence: Quarter, Quarter, Half, Quarter, Half

4.12 Miscellaneous

• Campers can scatter sulfur to repel snakes.
• Campers can also dig trenches to drain off and divert rainwater, keeping the tent floor relatively dry.
• Type A trenches should be dug directly under the edges of the outer sheet to collect and divert the flow of rain as it slides off the outer sheet.
• Type B trenches should be dug to divert water from the surrounding area and to prevent water to be collected around the location of the tent.

Stage 5 – Flagstaff

– Prior Knowledge: Clove Hitch, Round Lashing, Manharness, West Country Whipping, Guyline, Pegging, Thumb Knot and Reef Knot

5.1 Introduction

• We pitch a flagstaff to mark the place as our territory.

5.2 Equipment required for flagstaff

• 2 x      3.0m Spar
• 3 x      Peg
• 1 x      Long Nylon Rope
• 2 x      3.0 Manila Hemp (For round lashings)
• 3 x      5.5m Manila Hemp (For guylines)
• 1 x      Carabiner/1.0m Twine (For tying manharness)
• 1 x      Extra Peg/Mallet (For hammering)

5.3 Parts of a flagstaff

•  Refer to document

5.4 Recommended Erection Procedure

1. Use round lashings to lash the two long spars together. The thicker and heavier spar will be the bottom of the flagstaff. The recommended length of the overlapping portion is one-third to one-fifth of the whole flagstaff.
2. Form the guylines by using clove hitches to secure the 3 pieces of manila hemp to the middle of the flagstaff, between the two round lashings. The clove hitches should be adjusted such that the standing ends are about 120 degrees to one another, leaving no gaps between the hitches.
3. Clove hitches should be positioned such that when pressure is applied, the standing ends will be at the 12 o clock, 4 o clock and 8 o clock position.
4. If there is a carabiner, use the twine to tie it to the top of the flagstaff using West Country Whipping. If there is no carabiner, a loop can be improvised by tying a manharness knot or any secure loop knots. Tie the free ends of the manharness knot tightly to the top of the flagstaff.
5. Check that the flag line is smooth before running it through the carabiner or manharness.
6. Erect the flagstaff with at least one person holding it. (Preferably the tallest and the strongest to hold the flagstaff)
7. Hammer in the 3 pegs into position. They should be pegged at an angle of 120 degrees to one another, forming an equilateral triangle. Also, the distance of the pegs from the base of the flagstaff should be equal to the distance of the middle of the clove hitch to the base of the flagstaff.
8. Adjust the flagstaff until it is vertical, and then secure the 3 guylines to their pegs simultaneously

5.5 Securing of flag

1. A flag has two loose ends used for securing it to a flag line.
2. Secure the two ends of the flag line to the 2 loose ends of the flag using a sheet bend.
3. Pull one end of the flag line slightly to check if the flag will be raised in the correct orientation.
4. To end off, first tie a half hitch using the end of the flag line. Loop back and cut the flag line itself, making a few rounds upwards till a short length is left. Tuck the end underneath the flag line itself to complete.

Stage 6 – Rope Knowledge

6.1 Materials of rope

6.1.1 Natural Fibre

• Hemp, manila, sisal, cotton are some of the natural fibres used in rope construction.
• Natural fibre ropes rot easily under harsh sun and wet conditions.
• The strength of such a rope is also limited because natural fibres are relatively short.

6.1.2 Synthetic Fibre

• Examples of synthetic ropes are polyamide (nylon),polyester, and polypropylene.
• Synthetic ropes are stronger and lighter than natural fibres of the same size.
• They are more resilient to rot as they absorb less water or are waterproof.

6.1.3 Metal Wires

6.2 Maintenance

• Keep all ropes away from ultraviolet light and sunlight as much as possible.
• Store all ropes in well-ventilated room.
• All ropes should be dry and clean before storage.
• Keeps all ropes away from chemical contamination.
• Avoid having ropes remaining in the same position for a long period of time.(eg. coiling the rope and store)

6.3 Coiling of ropes

6.3.1 Simple coil

6.3.2 Old Navy Coil

• Refer to document for pictures

6.4 West Country Whipping

• Tie a thumb knot around the pole or rope.
• Tie another thumb knot at the reverse side.
• Tie a third thumb knot alongside with the first one.
• Repeat the process of simple knotting on alternate sides.
• Finish off with a reef knot.

6.5 Useful points to remember

• A knot uniting two ropes reduces the strength of the unit to about half that of the weaker rope.
• A rope that is twice the diameter of another has four times its strength.
• Never use two ropes of different materials together, as only the more rigid rope will work under strain.
• Do not use ropes that will float for anchorage in ports, as the propellers of motorboats would sever them.
• Repair fraying ends immediately; apart from looking untidy, they quickly consume yards and yards of rope.

Stage 7 – Advance Knots

7.1 Fireman’s Chair (Loop Knots)

• Used to support a person when they are being lowered from high grounds

7.2 Round Turn and Two Half Hitch (Hitches)

• Used to secure a rope to the pole yet allow the rope to turn in all directions.

7.3 Rolling Hitch (Hitches)

• Used to start and anchor rope obstacles. (Single Cut)

7.4 Highwayman’s Hitch (Hitches)

• Used in situations that requires quick release of ropes

7.5 Marlinspike (Hitches)

• Used in nautical activities and making rope ladders

To view it in a document (with pictures) from Google Drive, click here.