Putting up a Parachute for a base camp or teaching area

In preparation for the start of courses the team have been undertaking maintenance, repair and adding new equipment to the woods we work in. This includes the parachutes we use for base camp communal cooking areas and for under cover areas to run the various sessions that make up a course.

This was a learning experience for me, having only ever had to replace or tighten one of the tensioning poles before. As regular readers of these blogs will have come to realise, I like to type up notes, add photos and diagrams and do extra research around the subject I have just been taught. I thought I was going to just help, but every opportunity is one to learn, and Woodland Ways Instructor Jay was not going to let this time in the woods be anything less than a lesson.

I thought I would share the learning in a blog. And when I did that, realised it was going to be too long for just one blog. So, part one is about how to tie the various knots we used. Part two will include the various material we needed to source and the how to put up the parachute, including where and when we used these knots.

Simple Overhand Knot
This simple knot actually is the basis of many other more complex knots. Just make a loop and thread the working end of the rope through it and tighten. At the end of a rope, this forms a stopper, or stops a rope fraying, or it is also a half hitch.

Overhand Knot with Loop
Double over the end of a rope (or make a bight anywhere along the rope). Tie an Overhand Knot with the doubled rope to form a loop. Make the loop the size required and tighten.

Slip Knot
Very Similar to the overhand knot, make a loop, but rather than passing the working end through the loop, make a bight in the working end, and pass the bight through the loop, keeping the working end from passing through the loop, and tighten. To release, pull on the working end.

Clove Hitch
Wrap the working end of a rope around a post, cross over the line and around the post again, keeping the rope slightly loose, as you come around, pass the working end under the cross. Keeping the two wraps around the post parallel, tighten, keeping the rope nearest the working end underneath the cross as you pull tight.

Clove Hitch 1 — Clove Hitch Step 1. First wrap around post forms cross on the top.

Clove Hitch Step 2. Second wrap around goes under the cross.

Clove Hitch Step 3. Keeping lines parallel, tighten.

Reef Knot
Take two ends of the rope, or two ropes of the same diameter, and tie two overhand knots. Say the following sentence to yourself… “Left over right and under; right over left and under”. Before you tighten the knot, you will be able to slide back and forth, as two bights are looped together, if this doesn’t happen, you’ve tied a granny knot!

Surgeon’s Knot
If you are concerned that a Reef Knot may work loose, the Surgeon’s Knot is the one to use. “Left over right and under, AND UNDER AGAIN; right over left and under, AND UNDER AGAIN”

Bowline Knot
Have the rope in your left hand with the working end hanging down. Make a loop in the line in your left hand, with the loop on top. Bring the working end up through the loop from the under side. Pass the line around the rope that is towards your left thumb and back down through the loop. Tighten the knot by pulling on working end while holding line by your left thumb. The reminder for this one is the sentence: “The rabbit comes out of the hole, around the tree, and back down the hole.

Tensioning Knot
Pass the working end of the rope around a post (tree), underneath the line, back over the top of the line and back the opposite way around the tree. Pulling will draw the line tighter. Repeat by passing the working end under and back over the line, and around the tree in the same direction as the first time. Pulling on the working end will again tighten the line by pulling it the opposite way. You can do this several times depending upon the length of the working end. To finish, you will have noticed that where the working end passes under then over the line and is pulled back around the tree a small triangle is formed by the rope, with the trunk of the tree as it’s base. Form a bight in the working end and push this up through the triangle. Put your thumb and forefinger through this bight and pinch the rope towards the working end to form another bight, and pull this bight back through the first one to form a slip knot and tighten. For added security from coming undone, repeat the thumb and forefinger through the bight, pinching the rope towards the working end and pull through forming another slip knot by collapsing the first one around this additional one. Another trick is to put a twig in the bight of the slip knot and then gentle start to pull the working end to release the slip not, but you actually catch the twig in the bight.

Tension Knot Step 1. Pass rope around tree, under the line, back over and back around the tree.

Tension Knot Step 2. Repeat, by passing working end under, back over and around the tree again.

Tension Knot Step 3. Form a bight and pass it up through triangle.

Tension Knot Step 4. Finish with slip knot and secure with second slip knot or twig.

Jam Knot
This seems like a complex knot, but just remember it is only a series of four overhand knots, and a lot of tugging to make it tight!

The first overhand knot forms a stopper knot. Next make a loop…

Option A – if you have two free ends of the two poles you are looking to tie together, then pass a bight through this loop, then pass the loop over one pole, and the bight over the other.

Option B – if you are lashing one pole to another where there are no free ends, instead of passing a bight through the loop, pass the working end through the loop. You now have a second overhand knot, don’t tighten this. Pass the working end around the two poles and then back through the loop.

N.B. The working end must pass back through the loop the same side of the loop as it came out, i.e. if the working end is on top of the loop before passing around the poles, then it must go back through the loop on top of the loop, not from underneath it.

Start the second overhand knot with a loop.

(b) Wrap working end around both poles and back through loop.

Tighten second overhand knot and pull on working end to tighten.

Once tightened to stretch paracord, loosen.

Roll the knot under the wrap around the two poles and push a bight through as well from the working end.

Tighten a final time by pulling on the bight closest to the knot. Hint: With the line your pulling on, ratchet it up and pull down again to get a really tight binding.

Complete a third overhand knot by passing the working end through the bight you were just pulling on to tighten. Finish with a fourth over hand knot against the third as a final stopper — Complete a third overhand knot by passing the working end through the bight you were just pulling on to tighten.
Finish with a fourth over hand knot against the third as a final stopper.

How to “Hank” a length of cord
Make sure the cord is tangle free before you start. Trap the end between your little finger and ring finger, pass the cord around your thumb and back between your little finger and ring finger in a figure of eight pattern. Keep going around your thumb and little finger in a figure of eight pattern. Hint: Twisting your wrist palm away, palm towards you as you go makes the process of winding the cord quicker. When you have approximately 50cm left, pull the figure of eight bundle off your thumb and little finger and hold toward one end. Take the working end and wrap around the centre. Three or four times working away from the hand holding the bundle, and then back over the top of these turns with another three or four turns towards your holding hand. The last turn, place your thumb underneath the line to form a gap, pass a bight through this gap and pull this slip knot tight in the direction you were winding around the centre of the bundle.