This is a neat quick-release knot that can hold a considerable strain. It’s also known as the Fireman’s Hitch and the Highwayman’s Hitch. Though there is no verifiable evidence that it was ever used by robbers on horseback to unhitch their horses for a quick getaway, it is ideal for reliably securing a boat to a mooring (or horse to a hitching post) with the assurance that you can easily release the knot with a simple tug and quickly be on your way. And all you need is one hand to do it. In Scout Pioneering, John Sweet describes the draw hitch as “definitely a fun knot—fun to make and use.”
In addition to securing the end of a line to a fixed point, the draw hitch can be tied in the middle of the line resulting in two ends of the rope hanging down equally. This way, a climber can lower himself down using one end (standing part), and have the ability to retrieve the rope by tugging on the other end (free end).
Pioneering Use: When hoisting a large structure that is not intended for climbing, e.g. a tall gateway, and the lines you’re using for lifting and preventing over-pulling are not guylines, tie the middle of the hoisting ropes to the structure with draw hitches. Then, when the structure is standing, these lines can be easily removed with a simple tug on the free end.
The following photos illustrate the draw hitch being tied starting from the left and ending on the right, i.e. the part of the line that will be holding the strain is on the left, and the part of the line that will be pulled to release the rope is on the right. The draw hitch can be tied just as easily proceeding from right to left. Click on the photos for a larger view:
The draw hitch can be used for hoisting a tall pioneering structure and retrieving the hoisting rope with a simple tug.
The following text and diagrams are by Adolph E. Peschke as presented in the 1998 printing of the 1993 edition of the Pioneering Merit Badge Pamphlet:
History of Rope Making – Making rope out of plant fibers is still done today in remote parts of the world. In many cases people make their own rope because money is in short supply and the native plants that have the needed fibers are in great abundance. As early as 1200 A.D. the Papago Indians of the American Southwest made rope from cactus fibers using a twirling stick. The technique can still be used today.
The old saying, “Necessity is the mother of invention,” seems to apply to the fact that ropemaking became a popular practice on many farms in this country around the turn of the century (1900). This happened, in part, because of the invention of the McCormick Reaper and Hay Baler. Both of these farm machines required the use of binder twine. Farmers soon realized that with the supply of binder twine they had for tying up bales of hay, they could easily make all the rope they needed at home by using a simple geared machine.
All they had to do was hook strands of binder twine to each of the three or four hooks on the machine to make almost any size and length of rope they wanted. These machines worked by turning a handle to twist the strands of binder twine into rope. The ropemaker also used a notched paddle to keep the strands from fouling and to regulate a uniform twist as the rope was forming.
At the turn of the century cast iron ropemaking machines could be bought for a few dollars and were found on almost every farm. Today you have to search the antiques shops for one, and if you find one, it might cost over a hundred dollars.
Before the industrial revolution in the 1900s, rope used for big sailing ships was made by hand in 1200’-long ropewalks that required a great deal of manpower. Then, fast-moving machines were invented to simplify the task. Even today, fiber ropes are still made into coils of 1200’. Rope made from man-made fibers (plastics) comes in varying lengths on spools for ease in dispensing.
It might be a bit impractical for your troop to make all the rope needed for camping or for your pioneering projects, but learning how to make rope will help you understand how yarns and strands are twisted to form rope.
The basic process of making rope consists of twisting fibers to form yarns. Then several yarns are twisted together to form strands. Finally, several strands are twisted to form the rope. For example, to make 1/4”-diameter, we start with binder twine as the yarns. Three of these binder twine yarns are twisted to form a single strand. Then three strands are twisted to form rope approximately 1/4” in diameter.
INDIAN ROPE SPINNER
The simple rope spinner shown in figure 71 is a replica of one used sometime around 1200 A.D. by American Indians who lived in what is now Arizona. With this spinner and fibers from cactus plants in that area, the Indians were able to make the rope they needed to construct shelters and for many other purposes. Museum samples show a two-strand rope slightly less than 1/4”.
Using this spinner, it is as easy to make rope today as it was a thousand years ago, except that today we can use binder twine instead of cactus fibers.
Figure 71
Making the spinner. To make the rope spinner, start with a piece of pine (or any softwood) about 1-1/2” thick by 2” wide by 12” long. This can be cut from a two-by-four (2” by 4”), which is a type of construction lumber.
Draw the basic shape of the spinner on the wood, following the pattern shown in figure 71. Cut the basic shape with a coping saw.
The sides are tapered to produce a shape with more weight at the bottom. This aids in spinning. The top knob is shaped to prevent the yarns from slipping off.
After the shape is cut out, drill a 7/16”-diameter hole 2” from the top for the handle.
The handle for the rope spinner is made from a piece of 3/8”-diameter dowel about 10” long. To make the stop block needed at the end of the handle, cut a 3/4” square block. Then drill a 3/8”-diameter hole through the center of this block. Glue the handle dowel into the hole. After the handle is made, slip it into the 7/16” hole in the spinner’s main body.
Using the spinner. To use the Indian rope spinner to make a 6’ length of rope, you will need to start with a 60’ length of binder twine.
Start by tying one end of the 60’ length of binder twine to the neck of the spinner (see figure 72). Then run the binder twine out to another person holding a small stick or a hook about 20’ away. Loop the binder twine over the stick and then run it back to the head of the spinner. Run it out to the other person one more time and tie it to the stick or hook so that you have three strands of binder twine running between the rope spinner and the hook.
Now hold the spinner in front of you and face the other person. Spin the head of the spinner in a clockwise rotation. This will cause the three strands of binder twine to twist into a single piece that will become one “strand.” Twist the three yarns until the strand is tight. A little bit of practice will tell you how tight to spin the strand.
Figure 72
Spinning rope. After making one strand, it’s easy to make a three-strand rope. Leave the strand on the spinner and hook. Grab the strand and loop it over the spinner and also loop it over the hook. At the same time, have the other person move closer to you so there are three strands running between the spinner and the hook, all the same length (about 7’ long).
Now spin the spinner in a counterclockwise rotation, as was done with the three yarns of binder twine. (This is opposite of the way for making the strand.) As you spin, the three stands will twist to form a rope. Only practice will tell you how tight to twist the rope.
Another device that can be used to make rope is fashioned after the ropemaker used on farms during the early 1900s. With it you can twist the three yarns on each hook into a strand, and the three strands into a rope all at the same time.
Make the device. The pieces of the ropemaker are cut from two pieces of 3/4”-thick plywood about 4” wide. One piece should be about 20” long and the other about 15” long (see figure 73).
Figure 73
Cut out the pieces. First, cut the handle (A) to shape as shown in figure 74. (Do not drill the holes yet.)
Next, cut out pieces (B) and (C). Glue and screw them together to form the base unit (see figure 75).
Then, cut the separator paddle (D) to the same shape as the handle (see figure 74). Later, notches will be cut in the paddle (see figure 76).
Figure 74 – Double Schematic for handle (A) and separator paddle (D)
Mark holes in the handle. After these pieces are cut, you have to drill holes through the handle (A) and the upright part of the base unit (C) for the three tuning hooks. To do this, first draw a 3-1/2”-diameter (1-3/4” radius) circle on the paddle (see figure 74). The edge of the circle should be 1/4” from each of the three edges of the handle (see figure 74).
Now mark the positions of the three holes for the turning hooks. You can use a protractor to mark the holes at 60º intervals, at the three, the seven, and the eleven o’clock positions.
Drill the holes. After marking the positions of the holes, hold the handle up to the upright piece on the base unit (C). (See figure 75.) Clamp the pieces together, then use a hand drill to drill 1/8”-diameter holes through both pieces.
Figure 75
Make the hooks. These hooks are made from coat hangers. Cut three pieces of coat hanger wire about 8” long. Then make two bends in the end of each wire to form an L-shaped end to fit in the handle. Each bend should be about 1-1/2” long (see figure 76).
Figure 76
Now, insert the three turning hooks in the holes in the upright piece (C) of the base unit. After they’re in place, use pliers to bend a hook shape in the end of each wire (see figure 76).
Make the separator paddle. The separator paddle is used to keep the strands separated while they are twisted into rope. To make the separator paddle, place the handle (A) on top of the paddle (D) and mark the position of the three holes on the paddle. Then cut notches in the edges of the paddle at these locations. You can use a coping saw to cut out the notches (see figures 74 and 77).
Make the end hook. This is the final step (see figure 76). Use a piece of scrap left over from making the handle. Screw in a 3”-long screw hook in the center of the scrap piece.
USING THE ROPEMAKER
To use the ropemaker, first clamp the base unit to a table or a bench. To make a 6’ length of rope, cut a 60’ length of binder twine. Tie one end of the binder twine to one of the three turning hooks on the base unit. Then ask another Scout to hold the end hook about 6’ away.
Now thread the binder twine to the end hook and back to each of the three turning hooks. Continue to do this until you have three yarns of binder twine going from each turning hook to the end hook that’s held by the other Scout.
As you begin, the Scout with the end hook should pull on his end to keep the slack out of the yarns. Then ask a third Scout to insert the three strands in the notches of the separator paddle. Start near the Scout holding the end hook. As the rope is turned, the Scout holding the separator paddle should move the separator paddle towards the base unit, making sure that the strands do not become fouled.
Start tuning the handle so that the hooks turn in a clockwise rotation. As you turn the handle, the yarns (binder twine) will begin to form into twisted strands, and these strands will also twist to form into rope. The Scout operating the separator paddle should move it to prevent the strands from fouling. If the separator paddle is moved too fast towards the base unit, it will result ina loosely twisted rope.
You’ll have to practice to determine the speed of turning the handle and the movement of the paddle to make a good piece of rope. Too few turns will produce rope that is loose. Too many turns will produce rope that is twisted too tight and might be hard to use.
Several campcraft skills come into play in order to successfully complete this Simple Flagpole challenge. Each patrol flies their patrol flag from a 14′ flagpole they construct using the following materials:
four Scout Staves (or 3 Scout Staves if their patrol flag is already tied to a 5′ pole)
Though there have been some changes and modifications through the years, in most respects, pioneering in the Boy Scouts remains constant. Why Pioneering!
The following text has been extracted from the Introduction to the 1981 Printing of the 1974 Revision of the BSA Pioneering Merit Badge Pamphlet. Most of the action photos have been scanned from the Pioneering Projects section. (Many are also featured in the GREAT 1976 printing of the 1967 revision of the Boy Scout Field Book.)
Crossing a Stream on an X-frame Monkey Bridge!
Remember Robinson Crusoe? He was the guy who was shipwrecked on a desert isle and managed to survive. Of course he was lucky—he salvaged a lot of useful equipment. But his story makes you wonder what you’d do if the same thing happened to you.
Have you ever thought what you’d like to have if you found yourself all alone in a wilderness with no chance of escape? So let’s make the problem easier—you can choose just one item, one “tool,” to take with you.
Interlocking the Trestles on a Single Lock Bridge!
Only one tool? Impossible, you may think. The guys who have this merit badge would be very likely to choose rope. For with it anyone skilled in the outdoor arts of pioneering can build many useful things.
It’s one of the oldest tools we know. Thousands of years ago, primitive men twisted vines or plant fibers to make rope that they used to attach handles to their simple tools. Ropes were used in building the pyramids.
Lashing on Walkway Cross Spars!
In Central and South America, Indian tribes were crossing deep valleys on rope suspension bridges long before the first explorers arrived from Europe. And with the help of rope our own pioneers could, when they had to, build a temporary bridge that would enable woman and children to cross a stream safely. They could build a raft to carry a winter’s catch of fur to market.
Take a look at this pamphlet, and you’ll discover why rope would be a good “tool” to have in the wilderness. Everyone of the requirements depends on rope. Pioneering, in the Scout sense, means being able to construct a great variety of things with poles and rope. In order to build a bridge without nails or a tower without bolts, the builder needs ropes—plus the knowledge of how to use them. Most pioneering is concerned with lashing poles together to make something—usually temporary—that makes living in the outdoors a little easier.
In pioneering, the use of knots and lashings is of supreme importance. A wrong knot, an insecure lashing, or a weak rope could lead to disaster. Did you know, for example, that tying a Bowline in a rope cuts its efficiency by 40%? And that a Square Knot reduces the rope’s efficiency by 50%? Which means that it’s only half as strong as an unknotted rope. Knots, turns, and hitches weaken a rope by forming a bend that distributes the load on the fibers unequally.
Lashing on Walkway Floor Spars.
All this knowledge comes in handy in pioneering—but our wilderness has shrunk so much that the average troop no longer can go into the woods and cut the trees needed for building a rope-lashed tower. However, there are isolated areas where Scouts might get permission to clear out some trees, and the thinning might make the ones left standing grow better. A troop that can acquire poles this way should keep them perhaps on a campsite—and use them over and over.
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Lashing Together a 24′ Signal Tower Side!
Most often the best bet for anyone who wants to learn pioneering is summer camp. Here there will be the poles, the ropes, and—just as important—someone with the skills to teach you how to make Square Lashings, Diagonal Lashings, and Shear Lashings. Ever hear of a parbuckle? Can you tie the required 10 knots and explain their use? The best way to learn is by observing someone who already knows.
Our pioneers were good at improvising. They had to be. Without being able to improvise they never could have settled the wilderness., built bridges and houses, and turned it into the comfortable communities we live in today. Scouts who want to try their hands at pioneering will learn to improvise—and will be using some basic engineering principles that still have plenty of applications.
Hoisting a 24′ Signal Tower!
For example, engineers working in mountainous areas often use rope conveyers in preference to rigid railways. The aerial cableway used in the construction of the Hoover Dam in Colorado consisted of six steel-wire ropes crossing a 1,256-foot span. The “bucket” or carriage they supported could carry 150 tones of excavated material away from the site at one time or bring in the same amount of concrete from the mixing plant.
Tightening the Lashings on a 24′ Signal Tower!
You need not wait until you get to summer camp to begin your own pioneering. Even in a big city, you can learn to tie the knots and find out the best applications for each. Learn how to make Eye, End, and Short splices. And learn how to make lashings by building scale models. A scale of 1 inch to 1 foot is convenient and easy to use: This means that a tower 24 feet tall will scale down to 24 inches in your model.
Pioneering merit badge is not one of those required for Eagle. But in a time when most people have no understanding of what our ancestors had to know to live in the wilderness, pioneering is a cultural tie with the past, an emergency skill worth learning, and a real test of your cooperative spirit. The patrol or troop has to work together as a team, and learning the give-and-take in carrying out a construction project is as important as learning the technical skills of pioneering.
Back in the spring of 1976, while walking through the Mortimer L. Schiff Scout Reservation, then the BSA National Training Center, there was a memorable encounter with a tall man. Seeing the young Scouter, the tall man figuratively embraced him with a smile, warmly acknowledging the younger man like they were lifelong brothers in a worldwide family. A light-hearted conversation ensued. The tall man was Ken Cole, Jr., editor of the 1967 edition of the Boy Scouts of America Fieldbook which had just recently been reprinted.
One Legged Fire Crane
Here’s an amusing side note: With a twinkle in his eye, he related a little “story” about how on his flight over to Schiff, a passenger sitting next to him in the smoking section asked him for a light. He described how he casually retrieved some belly button lint from a plastic bag, and nonchalantly lit the man’s cigarette with flint and steel. Boy, was that guy ever surprised. The account was related with such sincerity, the thought whether or not this actually happened never occurred to the young man. Ken was so engaging and easy to be around, it really didn’t matter.
Ken happened to be carrying a bow saw, and extolled its virtues as a most useful woods tool. He then bragged about how wonderful was the dovetail notch, and proceeded to effortlessly create one in a stick he picked up from the side of the path. It was a happy demonstration. Ken was a very happy guy.
1981 Pioneering Merit Badge Pamphlet
There’s a whole section on “dovetailing” in the 1981 printing of the BSA Pioneering Merit Badge Pamphlet: “With the handy bow saw and a pocket knife, you can make excellent joints for log structures without lashings. This is done by making a triangular notch in the “receiving” log and a tapered end in the other log or pole. This is called “dovetailing” and if done correctly, it provides a tight, rigid joint that is neat and strong.”
BSA Fieldbook, 1976
The following is extracted from the 1976 Boy Scout Fieldbook:
When you must hold two pieces of wood together, and you don’t have rope for lashing and there are no nails or wire, you can do it with a dovetail notch. The dovetail joint, as you know, is a familiar cabinet makers trick. However, you don’t have to be a skilled carpenter to make this dovetail notch. Four cuts by a saw and a few strokes with your knife to pry out the wood in the notch is all there is to it. The notch will hold slender unshaped round sticks for quick work and thicker tight-fitting dovetails for heavy loads.
The scaffold hitch is a superb knot, and in pioneering easily serves a dual purpose.
Primary Role: This is a seriously good knot to use in the construction of a pioneering project bosun’s chair (boatswain’s chair) for a small, straight aerial runway adaptation or a project where a seat is needed to suspend a Scout from a rope swing. As John Sweet points out in Scout Pioneering, it’s a good idea to cut notches about 4 inches from the ends of the board to give the rope something to bite into.
Bundles of 4′ Spars
Second Role: Many different knots can be used for fastening bundles of sticks or poles together, but when it comes to bundling up of 3 to 4-inch ladder rungs, platform spars, and walkway cross spars, the scaffold hitch provides superior clinching power, which is what is needed to keep the bundles tight. (Unless your using screen spline, it’s unparalleled for bundling Scout staves!)
Tying the Scaffold Hitch: PRIMARY ROLEUsing the Scaffold Hitch to Bundle Poles.
“Why Pioneering? To me the overriding reason for presenting Pioneering is that Scouts like it.”
We know with certainty that the majority of Scouts do like pioneering, and the better they get at it, the more they like it. So, if the Scouts have the desire, why aren’t more Scout units providing the remarkable fun that goes hand in hand with building and enjoying a wide range of pioneering structures?
The reason or reasons are obvious. Somewhere there’s an obstacle or obstacles, and a problem or problems. If there wasn’t, more and more Scouts would be happily involved in unit pioneering programs, building ever-more wonderful things at camp, on outings, and during camporees. The fun, adventure, involvement and challenges are built right in—and also the success. And, nothing succeeds like success! So lets start right there:
STUMBLING BLOCK 1: Nothing Succeeds Like Success!
Generally speaking, experiencing failure is not great for sparking enthusiasm and rarely results in an exclamation like, “Hey! That was fun!” In his book Pioneering Projects, Gilwell Camp Chief, John Thurman wrote, “if any Patrol, Troop, or Scouter tries to start pioneering before establishing a sound background of basic Scout training in regard to knotting and lashing, then pioneering will become unpopular and will go down in the history of the Patrol or Troop as a failure.” Why? Because without the prerequisite skills, the structure won’t work or stay standing. That’s no way to equate pioneering with something the Scouts can successfully accomplish, and that’s no fun.
An Introduction to Round Lashing for New Scouts During a Troop Meeting
But, just teaching Scouts the ropes is not enough! Unless the training sessions on knotting and lashing are “tied” to some fun or practical application, then repeated knot-tying and lashing sessions will be a source of exasperation and boredom—an inevitable turn off. Not good! After introducing some basics, give the Scouts a real opportunity to put them into action! Not with an elaborate project, but with a challenge or game where they actually get to use what they learned.
Scouts use they’re round lashings to play “Catch the Snapper.”
(Refer to Favorite Scout Meeting Challenges.) Make sure the activity matches their skill level. That way, success is assured, and each new success is a building block to a bigger one. When these initial forays into pioneering are successfully carried out, then it’s a sure bet that actually building the useful camp gadget and larger campsite improvement will result in its own success story with a tangible outcome in the form of a concrete accomplishment. “We built that!”
Now, if the youth and adults are really interested, what else will hold a troop back from implementing an effective Pioneering program?
STUMBLING BLOCK 2: Lack of Scouter Training.
Pioneering Team Building Challenge at a Camporee
(a) It’s possible the Scouters themselves don’t possess the necessary knowledge and skills required to introduce their Scouts to the knotting and lashing techniques required to construct even a simple camp gadget, not to mention a bridge.
No excuse. The basic knowledge and skills required are super easy to gain. Knot and lashing diagrams, online animations and demonstrations, and learning sessions from fellow Scouters are available to one and all. What it takes is devoting some time to mastering each technique so it can be passed along directly to the Scouts or to those who will be doing the instructing. VIEW: HOW-TO PIONEERING SKILL VIDEOS
(b) Perhaps the Scouters never actually built the pioneering projects themselves, resulting in a natural hesitation to embark on ventures into unfamiliar territory. When there’s a desire to get into pioneering, but there is very little or no pioneering experience, the best training by far is from qualified individuals who have presented a well-rounded pioneering program to their units and have themselves helped provide the opportunities to successfully build the projects. In lieu of that, a great place to start is to get information that is both understandable and dependable. Successful pioneering programs have been developed from scratch by utilizing the 1993, 1998 edition of the Pioneering Merit Badge Pamphlet by Adolph Peschke. The pamphlet is like an A to Z primer on the modus operandi of basic pioneering. Additionally, as a source of comprehensive information, the book Scout Pioneering spoon feeds the reader with practical approaches and ideas.
STUMBLING BLOCK 3: Lack of equipment.
Lack of equipment is easily the most understandable of all deterrents. Naturally, when there are limited or even zero materials, implementing a unit pioneering program can be daunting proposition. For smaller camp gadgets you can use sticks, Scout staves and binder twine. But, for larger projects, you need the right kind of lashing ropes and the right kinds of spars.
A collection of pine spars ready for transport to the unit’s storage facility.
A favorite John Thurman quote is, “Determination remains the enduring answer to most problems.” So, coupled with the determination that Scouts will be rewarded with rich pioneering experiences, here are some avenues to pursue:
A collection of bamboo, in the quantity and size to build the chosen project.
Make an ongoing and concerted effort to get everyone on deck to help locate and gather the materials needed to build the targeted project(s). This is a whole lot easier and more practical than when one individual takes on the responsibility all by themself.
Check with the owners of land where there are stands of trees that are good for making spars, sharing with them what you want to do with the spars, and offering to do a little unnoticeable thinning out of some trees, which will be beneficial to the overall tree population. Forest Stewardship
Start with what you need. Expand as you go. Necessity is the mother of invention.
Team up with other Scouters in neighboring units, in the District, or in the Council, and put together a pioneering kit for communal use. (For a unit interested in putting together their own pioneering kit, a good place to start is to gather the materials necessary to undertake the specific project or projects the unit wishes to build. More supplies can be added to the unit’s kit to meet additional demands for materials, as required by the desire and wherewithal to tackle new and different projects.)
Gather the materials you need based on where you are in the cumulative pioneering process. Start with what’s necessary for training and interpatrol activities, and then add the components required for a chosen project, starting from the more simple, e.g. a Double A-frame Monkey Bridge. That way, you can start building your pioneering program around the specific project you’ve got in your sights.
If you’re in an area that just ain’t got no trees, check into building a pioneering kit made up of laminated spars.
Nothing really worth doing is ever really easy. The keys are a willingness to learn, a desire strong enough to motivate you to persevere, and the sound conviction that: this is going to be great!
As John Sweet says in Scout Pioneering, in regards to giving Scouts the opportunity to experience the joys of Pioneering, “…greater efforts are obviously needed to open up this adventurous, creative, challenging Scouting activity to the Scouts who would undoubtedly revel in it if given the chance to do so. Everything, finally, will depend on the attitude of the Troop Scout Leader, and they are the one who must be won over. Scouters who are themselves well-versed in the simple techniques of pioneering will need no encouragement and might even have to be restrained! To the others, a vast company, we would merely say that in all fairness they should at least allow their Scouts to have a go. One thing is pretty certain. If they do they will add another dimension to their training programme.”
Timeless Attraction. The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Scout Law. The purpose of the Boy Scouts of America, incorporated on February 8, 1910, and chartered by Congress in 1916, is to provide an educational program for youth to build character, to train in the responsibilities of participating citizenship, and to develop personal fitness. The Mission and Purpose of the Boy Scouts of America are and shall forever remain unchanged.
A Dovetail Notch is used to fashion a “One-Legged Fire Crane” to boil water in a fire pit at Scout camp.
At the same time, the contribution that our heritage of outdoor skills makes to the richness of the Scouting experience is also unchangeable. Over the years, as evidenced in the contents of various Scouting publications, as well as the offerings and general layouts of a cross section of Scout camps, some “old school” Scouters might have observed there’s been something of a gradual shift away from the emphasis on many traditional campcraft skills that for a hundred years have attracted young people to our movement. Naturally, the BSA is rightfully compelled to keep up with the times, assuring the Scouting program is relevant to today’s youth. However, even though Scouts of today are understandably attracted to the new developments and technological advances obtaining in the modern world, when they are also exposed to the many timeless skills that were practiced by resourceful frontiersmen and passed down through the ages, they are still eagerly receptive and captivated by the undeniable mystique. Many experienced Scouters find it regrettable that as a matter of course today’s Scouts are not granted the same opportunities to experience what is too often mistakenly construed as out-of-date or old-fashioned. The outdoor skills that in the past inspired many ideas, activities, and Scouting fun, are still relevant and useful, even in the midst of this fast-paced digital age.
Scouts strike a jubilant pose after hoisting their Four Flag Gateway Tower at a Scout Expo.
Are we Denying Our Youth? Because there are so many additional, modern program ideas prevalent in Scouting today, it’s easier than ever to deny our youth much of the magic and wonder that in the past attracted many Scouts of yesterday. When demonstrating the art of fire making, elaborate camp cooking, pioneering, and pre-modern technology campcraft, the Scouts in attendance are openly enthusiastic. The fact is, many of today’s Scouts love this stuff—just like many did over half a century ago! Stating this as fact does not stem from simple nostalgia for the good old days. Neither is it motivated by an attempt to alleviate the disappointment experienced when seeing that many of today’s Eagle Scouts can’t light a fire in the rain or put up a traditional dining fly with guylines and tent stakes. The statement is repeatedly born out by Scouts’ reactions. Trumpeting this simple fact is motivated by what is maintained to be a path the BSA should take in conjunction with new, high-tech developments and STEM—a path to increase membership and retention—a launching of a renewed emphasis throughout our movement on the timeless, traditional outdoor skills.
Youth Relevant. We all believe Scouting has to keep up with the times. The BSA must keep its program “youth-relevant.” But, at the risk of being redundant, amidst the wide spectrum of fun available in Scouting, there’s always an attraction to and fascination with what’s termed, “old school.” It’s apparent, along with the new push for the STEM/Nova program, and all the “high adventure for the mind” merit badges like space exploration, digital technology, and robotics, a large population of today’s Scouts are still greatly enamored with acquiring the skill sets revolving around wilderness survival, the building of an impressive pioneering structure, and the creation of an amazing, front country campsite.
Round Lashings join tougher two Scout staves for the upright poles of a patrol dining fly.
What is the Concern? Outdoors and camping are still at the heart of Scouting, but the concern revolves around the de-emphasis and absence of many skill sets that don’t depend upon the use of high-tech substitutions. As an example, take the advent of the widely-used, prefabricated, metal-framed dining flies. In conjunction with using this kind of camping shelter, shouldn’t today’s Scouts also be adept at putting up a dining fly using a tarp, Scout staves, guylines and stakes? In addition to advantages like ease of transport and durability, think of the useful skills they’d utilize:
Round Lashing two staves together to form taller uprights
open-end Half Hitches (Clove Hitch on a Bight) where the ridge line and/or guy lines meet the uprights
mensuration involving the positioning of both the guylines and the stakes
a whole lot of teamwork
Imagine further, knowing how to improvise their own stakes (without impacting the environment) and using their resourcefulness to attach the guylines when the tarp had a ripped out grommet or no grommets at all.
BP’s Ideal Camp. Baden-Powell said, “My ideal camp is where everyone is cheery and busy, where the patrols are kept intact under all circumstances, and where every patrol leader and Scout takes a genuine pride in his camp and his gadgets.” For a front country outing, and especially for a long-term camp, why not bring all the materials needed to build an array of useful, impressive, and fun camp gadgets? Scouts can put together everything using their walking sticks with zero environmental impact.
Two Half Hitches
Relevancy and Usefulness. An experienced Scouter recently commented on a LinkedIn poll, that Scoutcraft skills are relevant today, “IF they’re taught in conjunction with the WHY and not just the HOW.” He stated that Scouts need to be able to make a connection that is relevant to them. As an example, he sited teaching two half hitches is “the proper knot for connecting a guyline to a dining fly” but “is irrelevant if your troop doesn’t use dining flies or if you have the ones with the nifty little plastic widgets where a proper taut-line hitch is supposed to go.” He concluded his comment by stating, “make it relevant and they will learn AND retain.” Learning to tie two half hitches (clove hitch around the line’s standing part) to attach a guyline to the grommet of a tarp is, as mentioned, part of an array of skills that can come into play when erecting a dining fly in one of the “old-fashioned” ways. These kinds of skills can be very relevant when:
new-fangled stuff malfunctions
there’s a shortage of manufactured paraphernalia
it’s necessary to utilize one’s resources
you just want to have fun being impressive using so-called “primitive” camping techniques.
Using “nifty, little, plastic widgets” is fine, as is erecting a shelter with a metal framework when “car-camping.” But, it’s also practical to know how to put up a tarp “Philmont-style.” The knowledge and abilities that lie therein can be VERY useful! Scouting is both the time-tested old and the attractive new!
Patrol Challenge: Hot Isotope Transport
Presenting Scout Skills. Outdoor Scout skills, are presented best and most effectively, when done so in conjunction with activities. That’s activity-based instruction! After the Scouts are enabled to actually demonstrate the skill, they should do something with it that: engages them, that illustrates its use, and that’s FUN! Just look at the expressions on the faces of Scouts while they are involved in putting their skills into action in a way that’s challenging and fun, and you’ll be able to gauge not only their high level of involvement, but also their pleasure. John Thurman, Camp Chief at Gilwell for over 25 years, alluded to this in one of his many books, Pioneering Projects. I quote, “It is all very well to learn to make knots, bends, and hitches, and to lash things together. Up to a point this is an interesting activity, but inevitably it begins to pall unless the Scout is given a chance to do something effective, interesting and to some degree adventurous with their knowledge.” For example. staging a rope tackle tug-of-war in conjunction with introducing the rope tackle demonstrates in a memorable way that’s lots of fun how this configuration provides a useful mechanical advantage, when one needs to apply proper strain on a line.
An “Old School” Advantage. “Old School Scouting” skills can live happily side by side with high-tech advances. But, when new materials are not available, or malfunction, a Scout should be equipped with the skills to make use of whatever is at his disposal. Hand in hand with learning and applying Scout skills is resourcefulness, ingenuity, and using our available resources to make things happen.
Recently, I was on the beach and needed to erect a sun shelter for a July 4th festival. The festival hosts had furnished one of those store-bought, 10’x10′ canopies with a cloth top and metal framework. Well, it was windy and the canopy would definitely need to be anchored. But, in the sand, there was no way the skinny, little stakes it came with would ever supply enough resistance to keep the structure from blowing away. So…what to do? I found four, large pieces of driftwood, attached a 15′ braided, nylon guyline to each (I just happened to have a supply of these in my vehicle), and buried the driftwood in the sand 45º out from each corner. After securing the lines to the four corners of the metal framework with a “Boy Scout knot,” the whole thing was stable and wind resistant. The festival folks thought I had performed magic! Not magic to a Scout—just applying a little Scout perseverance and creativity, which in this case was the wherewithal and knowledge of how to make “dead man anchors.”
Rope Tackle (Truckers Hitch)
It’s Useful Stuff. In 1994, pioneering legend, Adolph Peschke introduced me to the butterfly knot and tying a rope tackle. Suffice it to say, I’ve used this outdoor skill on numerous occasions. It’s very effective, very handy, and very useful, especially in the great outdoors and pioneering. Then there’s the diamond hitch. The prospectors of yesteryear used it to pack their burros. It was one of the many interesting outdoor skills featured so invitingly in the older, older Fieldbook. Of course there aren’t so many burros out there anymore, but we do still see some roof racks and flatbed trailers. Best solution I can think of when you have no bungee cables but have some cordage. Actually, you can keep the bungee cables. The diamond hitch works better!
The Old and the New. It’s all about striking a balance between the timeless and the modern. When I started as a Boy Scout, most all the personal flashlights were double D-sized. Now we have super bright, tiny LED lights. If I had my old light from the late 50’s, though it would still shine a beam, it would be a whole lot less bright and a whole lot more cumbersome than my cute, little LED light. I’m an old guy enjoying my modern technology. On the other hand, take the pre-modern technology, outdoor wood tools skills necessary to prepare the tinder, kindling, and fuel for a fire, when all you have is a log, a hand axe, and a knife. Now, light the fire and keep it burning when all you have are two matches, or maybe, no matches at all. Here you can see that whether it be yesterday and today, these kinds of skills remain constant. And of course, Scouts from both yesterday and today love this kind of stuff!
The old and the new. Scouting is both!
Scouting is both. At the Jamboree, I had the opportunity to sit down with Jack Furst who helps oversee the BSA’s high adventure bases. Being involved with Pioneering, we were discussing various approaches to include a pioneering training program at the Summit. Jack’s “wheels” are always turning, and he put forth an idea that would simultaneously present Scouting in both a marvelous high-tech, and, a fascinating old-school light. For example, on one hand you have a camp kitchen that features the new “GrubHub,” organizer—a chuck box-sized, all-in-one kitchen fixture that has everything including the kitchen sink. On the other hand you have a back-to-basics camp kitchen, cooking area, featuring two forked sticks with a crossbar suspending an 8 quart pot over a zero-impact cooking fire, and a collection of useful camp gadgets made primarily of Scout staves: double A-frame table, tool rack, fire bucket holder, and wash station. Scouting is BOTH!
“Pioneering is practical and character building…” – Baden Powell
Building Character. According to Baden-Powell (and many others) in addition to being fun, the benefits of learning, and using “old school” outdoor skills is the contribution made to the building of an individual’s character. For example, those of us who are proponents of giving our Scouts repeated opportunities to engineer and orchestrate the construction of pioneering structures understand the set of Scout skills these traditional endeavors incorporate is more than just “knowing the ropes.” Pioneering is all about using one’s creativity, ingenuity and resourcefulness! The Scout Pioneering website states, “Taking part in these projects contribute to the development of self-esteem and nurture a broad sense of accomplishment. They necessitate working hard and working together towards a common goal. Besides being really cool and impressing people in and out of Scouting, they require the mastery of a set of useful Scout skills that can be applied over a lifetime of outdoor activities—activities for both work and recreation.” Quoting B-P, “Pioneering is practical and character building: the two essential ingredients of any program material for Scouts.”
Scout Stave Launcher
Pioneering. Quoting John Thurman, Gilwell Camp Chief for over twenty-five years, “There are few activities which, properly presented, have a greater appeal to the Scout and Senior Scout than Pioneering and ever since the introduction of Wood Badge training, Pioneering has been given a full share in the program of Scouters’ training.” Very recently I visited a troop located out in the SC boonies. The Scouts in this troop are a gung-ho, gang—eager and receptive. That’s why you gotta love ’em. The purpose of this first of three consecutive visits, was to give them the tools they’d need to put up a Double A-Frame Monkey Bridge at their council’s Scout Expo. The sixteen Scouts in attendance responded very favorably to each aspect of a well-presented EDGE approach to tying the Mark II Square Lashing. There was learning and there was laughter! The subject matter was old school, traditional Scout skill stuff, and they gobbled it up! After they were enabled, and as a culminating activity, their SPL divided them into four crews to make Scout Stave Launchers. That’s when the real fun began!
Pioneering Merit Badge Class on their Single Trestle Bridge
Scout Engineering. Personally, I’m a fan of the STEM/Nova program. Along these lines, a machine that tests the tensile strength of knots sounds like fun! Great way to show how the symmetry of a knot’s shape along with other factors will effect its efficiency. It also might provide a platform to study how various knots hold up under stress without slipping, and how some work better than others on wet or slippery rope. But, there’s a dichotomy here that exists as follows: on one hand a component of a traditional Scout skill is being examined scientifically, and on the other hand, the skill isn’t actually being applied to contribute to an outdoor experience that is enriching and fun. Approaching knots and lashings from a scientific standpoint is one thing. Putting them to use when raising a bear bag or building a pioneering structure like a Single Trestle Bridge is quite another. Pioneering has been termed “Scout Engineering.” B.-P. wrote, “I am inclined to suggest to Scouters that in addition to the technical details of knotting, lashing, and anchorages, there is an educative value in Pioneering since it gives elementary training in stresses, mensuration, etc.”
Along these lines, John Thurman relates the following: “Pioneering is not old-fashioned in its purely technical sense. I was showing a Managing Director of a large civil engineering firm round Gilwell when a Wood Badge Course was pioneering near the Bomb Hole. He displayed very great interest in the Pioneering and looked closely at all that was happening. From our point of view there was nothing unusual going on; this was a usual routine exercise with two or three bridges being built, a couple of towers, and a raft. As we walked away my civil engineering friend said, ‘I am delighted that the Scout Movement is still doing this: it is tremendously important. Despite the fact that modern machinery and equipment is magnificent there often comes a time when a man has to use ingenuity and improvise in order to move the job forward and the engineer who has the spirit that your kind of training produces is the man we want in our business’.”
In conclusion. The sentiment shared by many is that it would be most beneficial if Scouting was presented as a value-based program that offers extraordinary opportunities to build character, while learning a broad range of new and timeless outdoor skills that are fun to use, yielding the ability to take care of oneself and others. It’s been repeatedly spelled out: Scout outings provide the magical laboratory for putting these skills into play. As B.-P. wrote, “Scouting is a School of the Woods.” Of course, Scouting also provides numerous other avenues of interest and relevancy. But, in accordance with Scouting’s founders, these areas of learning and discovery will always surround Scouting’s everlasting hallmark—getting out and thriving in the majesty, beauty, serenity, and immediacy given to us by God and forever found in the great outdoors.
In the campsite it’s easy to fly the colors by simply tying them directly to the top of the simple flagpole with a couple of short cords. But, on a taller pole that’s going to stay standing, and when you want to raise and lower the flag(s), of course you need a halyard. Here’s one ultra simple recipe that will work with ease and that you can use with confidence:
Materials
A length of 1/4-inch nylon cord that is almost twice as long as the flagpole is high. If your flagpole will be thirty-two feet high, sixty feet of cord will work well.
1/4-inch pulley
2 small carabiners for each flag
When joining the ends of smooth, slippery rope, the Water Knot won’t fail.
Procedure
• Fuse the ends of the nylon cord.
• String on the pulley and join the ends of the nylon cord with a water knot.
The Top of the Halyard
• With an indelible marking pen, mark the middle of the cord. This middle mark will be be just about at the top of the flag pole.
• Stretch out the cord and lay out the flag(s) the desired distance from the middle mark, and using small butterfly knots, tie a fixed loop at each grommet.
• Attach a carabiner to each loop.
Top Section of the Rope Halyard with the Carabiners Attached to Match the Positions of the Grommets
When you’re ready to use the halyard, attach the pulley to the flagpole at the top with a prusik or a rolling hitch on a doubled rope. For shorter, lighter flagpoles, in lieu of a bully, the halyard can be reeved through a simple metal ring.
The following text is by Adolph E. Peschke as presented in the 1998 printing of the 1993 edition of the Pioneering Merit Badge Pamphlet:
Water Knot
What could be simpler than tying two Overhand knots to form a water knot? Its use goes back to commercial fisherman who needed to tie the ends of two wet fishing lines together.
In recent years, mountain climbers have found this knot very useful. They use a man-made fiber rope that is somewhat slick and is difficult to be spliced in the field. To tie two ropes together, climbers use the water knot because it’s a simple knot with little bulk and above all, it’s a knot that will not fail.
Mountain climbers also use the water knot to tie a rope seat and to tie the ends of short lengths of rope together to form a grommet (loop) that’s used in many climbing applications. This knot also works well with nylon webbing used in mountain climbing. Basically, the water knot is handy for tying together any types of ropes of the same diameter. In pioneering, whenever you’re using ropes made of man-made fibers that are braided and slick and don’t hold knots well, think of the water knot.
Pioneering Uses
To tie together the ends of two wet or slippery ropes.
To make a grommet (loop) using all types of rope (braided or twisted). Keep in mind that once strain is put on the knot, it will be hard to untie.
To tie together the ends of halyards.
To tie the ends of flat nylon webbing to make a grommet (loop) or sling.
Water Knot
(Another name for the Water Knot is the Ring Knot.)
At most Scouting events, there isn’t a permanently-installed, tall, metal pole for raising and lowering the colors. During opening ceremonies at these Scout gatherings, a tall flagpole made by joining long spars together can impress and inspire.
Opening Ceremony at a District Camporee
What is meant by tall? Naturally, the height of the flagpole depends on the size of the flag and the size of the area where it will be raised. For the most part, the flags used in Scouting are 3 x 5 feet, and the average size outdoor flagpole for a 3 x 5-foot flag is 20 feet. Of course, the main criteria for flagpole height is how far away you want the flag to be seen. But also, flying a flag high is synonymous with pride, and the taller the pole the greater the impact. However, this post is about a simple flagpole and not a pioneering display of goliath proportions. The specific flagpole featured on this page topped out at 32 feet, which was impressive, but not uncanny.
Building and putting up a taller flagpole requires more attention than one for an easy campsite setup, but all in all it’s still a relatively simple operation. Basically, four things are needed:
Long spars
An effective way to join the spars together so the flagpole will be rigid
A series of planned steps to take before standing the flagpole up *
A crew to lift the flagpole to its vertical position
Long spars. Depending on your point of reference, the definition of long spars is relative, and will hinge on what’s available in your geographic area and how practical it is to procure and transport them. Naturally, the longer the spars the fewer you’ll need to make the pole tall, which of course has obvious advantages. Again, depending on your point of reference, a long spar can be seen as having a length anywhere from 10 to 20 feet.
Simple, Tall, Pioneering Flagpole
In the flagpole featured on this page, there are three long spars: 16-foot bottom, 14-foot middle, and 10-foot top. The lower the spar, the larger the diameter. The butt end of the next spar up should be as near to the same diameter as possible to the top of the one it’s joining.
West Country Round Lashing Joining Two Bamboo Spars
An effective way to join the spars together so the flagpole will be rigid. Obviously, the rigidity of the flagpole is a primary concern. You don’t want it to bend and you don’t want it to come apart. It has to ever-withstand the stress of its own weight in a vertical position, as well as the weakening forces of wind, rain, and varying temperatures. When it comes to joining spars together to extend their length, there are basically four lashings that can be employed. For the tightest and most secure lashing, the West Country Round Lashing works really very well.
When the utmost rigidity is required, a quarter of the spars’ lengths should overlap each other. Using long lengths of 1/4-inch manila rope, start each of the two lashings approximately 1-1/2 to 2 inches from the ends of the overlapping spars and tie at least ten tight half knots (overhand knots) towards the middle of the overlap. Depending on the length of the lashing rope and the size of the spars, for added security, additional lashings can be tied e.g. in the photo to the left, where the bottom spar and the middle spar overlap, four West Country Round Lashings were applied.
* A series of planned steps to take before standing the flagpole up. Before transforming the finished flagpole from horizontal to vertical, these steps need to be taken:
Determine the spot on the ground where the flagpole will stand and dig a hole about 4 inches deep with a diameter just a little larger than that of the flagpole’s butt end.
Position the flagpole so the bottom is right over the hole.
To attach the rope halyard, tie a small rope grommet and pulley to the top of the flagpole with a prusik.
Reave the prepared rope halyard through the tackle.
Attach four guylines of the proper length (see: Guylines.) Tie the guylines to the flagpole about 3/4 up the pole with four rolling hitches. Tie them on so they will each line out to their respective anchors.
Measure out the proper distance from the bottom of the flagpole in four perpendicular directions and mark the spots where the front pioneering stake will be driven into the ground for each 1-1 anchor. The rule of thumb is drive in the stakes at a distance equal to twice the height from where the knots were tied, measured out from the base of the flagpole.
Build four 1-1 anchors in readiness for attaching the four guylines.
A crew to lift the flagpole to its vertical position. When ready, four crew members each take hold of a guyline and position themselves in line with their respective anchors. Additional crew members line up along the length of the flagpole ready to walk the pole up to its vertical position. One member is stationed at the bottom to guide the pole into the hole as the others lift. When everyone is in position, a signal caller gives the go ahead to lift. Those with the guylines pass the ends of their lines behind the front stake of their anchor. Once the flagpole is standing upright, each guyline is secured to its anchor with a rope tackle. Final adjustments can then be made to each guyline until the pole is standing straight.
It’s a pretty safe to say most Scouts love to climb things. So, it makes sense that if a monkey bridge is combined with something to climb on, it will be even more fun. The challenge in constructing a project like this is to assure the structure can safely support not only the weight of those climbing on the platforms, but also the continual stress created by repeatedly crossing the rope bridge. Building this version of a double platform monkey bridge entails quite a few subassemblies and a procedure with many steps. Basically, with the materials listed, the ropes span a distance of 25 feet between two identical square platforms 4 feet wide and 8 feet high. At the front of each platform is an X-brace just under 5 feet high, providing a V for the foot rope. The hand ropes run through the junction where the X-braces intersect the top of the front legs, and then extend down joining the foot rope at a log-stake anchor 10 feet behind the back of each platform.
Bridge in operation during a Scout Expo
Here are the materials needed to construct the project:
eight 8-foot x 4-inch spars for platform legs
four 8-foot x 3-1/2-inch spars for X-braces
four 6-foot x 2-1/2-inch diagonal side braces
eight 4-foot x 3-inch spars for side base spreaders (4) and platform supports (4)
sixteen 4-foot x 2-inch spars for ladder rungs (10), handrails (4) and X-brace leg spreaders (2)
twenty-four 4-foot x 2-inch floor spars
two 4-foot x 4-inch log and stake anchor logs
sixteen 30-inch pioneering stakes for 2 log-stake anchors
sixteen large wooden stakes for the 8 guyline 1-1 anchors
sixteen small tourniquet stakes
two rope grommets with large O-rings
one 70-foot x 1/2 or 3/4-inch manila foot rope
two 70-foot x 1/2-inch manila hand ropes
eight 8-foot x 1/4-inch manila spanner ropes
thirty-six 15-foot x 1/4-inch manila lashing ropes
twenty-six 20-foot x 1/4-inch manila lashing ropes (for X-braces, base spreaders and platform supports)
eight 25-foot x 3/8-inch manila guylines
four 35-foot x 1/4-inch manila lashing ropes for floor spars
six burlap or canvas saddles (for the foot rope and hand ropes)
two large mallots
Binder twine
Tape Measure
Anchors are being built as sides are being connected.
Tips:
• Participants should be well-acquainted and experienced in the skills required for building this project.
• Select a project leader who will divide the participants into work groups, assign tasks, and oversee operations.
• Before proceeding, position the materials in proximity to the location where the project will be placed. It’s good to organize the materials by the tasks for which they’re needed.
• Depending upon how many Scouts are participating (will there be a small group of 6 Scouts, or a large group of 24), many of the subassembly steps needed to finish the project can be completed simultaneously. This division of labor can enormously streamline the project’s completion.
• If the opportunity presents itself, it can very helpful to initially lay out the hand and foot ropes, in conjunction with completing Task E, before proceeding with Tasks A & B.
• The following tasks can be completed at the same time:
Tasks A 1 & 2 / B 1 & 2 / Tasks D 1 & 2 and E
Task C 1 / Task C 2
Task F 1 & 2 / Task H 1 & 2
Tasks I & J / Tasks K, L & M
• If one task is taking longer to complete, workers from other groups can lend a hand and help finish it up so the next step can commence.
• Placing a 4-foot spar underneath the spars lying on the ground, in a strategic position, will raise the project sides up and make lashing much easier.
• There are 64 square lashings in this project and, for stability and safety, they must be tight! For speed and efficiency, the Japanese Mark II Square Lashing is highly recommended.
Schematic of Ladder Sides
TASK A – 1 & 2: Building the ladder sides of the platforms. 1) Lay out two 8-foot legs side by side. Space the spars apart so that the distance from the middle of each spar, at both the top and bottom ends, is 40 inches. Use a tape measure. Also, make sure the butt ends are at the bottom and absolutely even. Starting 6 inches up from the butt end, connect the legs by lashing on a 4-foot ladder rung directly above the 6 inch mark, with tight square lashings.
Using a tape measure, measure 5 feet up from the butt end of each leg, lash on another ladder rung, directly below, just touching, the 5-foot mark, ON THE OTHER SIDE (what will become the inside) of the legs. See the diagram on the right.
Right in the middle of these two ladder rungs, lash on another ladder rung, and then, between the middle ladder rung and the top and bottom ladder rungs, lash on two more. Use tight square lashings.
2) Repeat the whole process on two other 8-foot legs for the other platform.
Assembling an X-Brace Side
TASK B – 1 & 2: Building the X-brace sides of the platforms.
The premise for these sides is the X-braces have to cross each other just under 5 feet for the foot rope, and they have to intersect the tops of the legs equally on each side for the hand ropes. Because of the size of the spars involved, and the necessity for very secure connections that do not shift, use 20-foot lashing ropes and two Scouts for each X-brace square lashing.
1) Lay out two 8-foot legs side by side. Space the spars apart so that the distance from the middle of each spar, at both the top and bottom ends, is 40 inches. Use a tape measure. Also, make sure the butt ends are at the bottom and absolutely even. Starting 6 inches up from the butt end, connect the legs by lashing on a 4-foot ladder rung as a leg spreader, directly above the 6-inch mark, with tight square lashings.
Schematic of X-Brace Sides
With a tape measure, mark 56 inches up from the butt end of each leg.
Temporarily stretch a piece of binder twine over each 56-inch mark and tie it to each leg to help define where this intersecting line lies. It’s at the middle of this line where the X-braces need to cross so that the foot rope will extend just underneath the floor spars of the platform.
Lay out an 8-foot X-brace spar diagonally in such a way that the top end lays over one leg about 4 inches from the top of the leg, and extends out approximately 6 inches from the side. Angle the spar so that it will cross the middle of the intersecting line (56 inches up from the butt ends of the platform legs). Line up the bottom end of this X-brace so that it is positioned under the bottom of the opposite leg. Lash the spar in place with tight Square Lashings.
Lay out a second 8-foot X-brace spar on top of both legs so that it creates an X. Angle this spar so that it will cross the middle of the intersecting line (56 inches up from the butt ends of the platform legs). Make sure this spar also extends out approximately 6 inches from the side and that it intersects the leg at the same distance from the top as the X-brace on the other side. Lash this spar in place over both legs with a square lashing. It’s between the top of the front legs and the extension of the X-braces that the hand ropes will be supported.
Now, with a diagonal lashing, lash the middle of both 8-foot X-braces springing them together where they cross, using a 20-foot lashing rope.
2) Repeat the whole process with the two remaining 8-foot legs.
Schematic of Connecting Sides
TASK C – 1 & 2: Connecting the Ladder and X-brace sides. (If Task E has already been completed, before joining the ladder and X-brace sides, carry the two completed sides for each platform to the approximate location where they will eventually be positioned.)
1) Turn both a ladder side and an X-brace side up horizontally, parallel to one another. On the X-brace side, make sure the leg spreader and the X-brace spars are facing out. Space the legs apart so that the distance from the middle of each leg, at both the top and bottom ends, is 40 inches. Use a tape measure. Also, make sure the butt ends are absolutely even. With tight Square Lashings, join both sides by lashing a 4-foot side base spreader to the legs just below the bottom leg spreaders with a 20-foot lashing rope.
On the inside of the platform, using a 20-foot lashing rope, lash a 4-foot platform support to both legs so that the top edge comes up to 58 inches on both sides (directly under and as close as possible to the top ladder rung on the ladder side.). We will be laying the floor spars on top of this support.
Lash a 4-foot hand rail (same as ladder rung) to the top of both legs.
Lay a 6-foot diagonal side brace diagonally over both legs, between the base spreader and platform spreader, and lash in place using square lashings.
To join the other side, carefully lift and roll the platform over 180°, supporting the spars as much as possible, and repeat the above steps.
2) Repeat the whole process to join the ladder side and X-brace side of the other platform.
TASK D: Stand the platforms upright. With three Scouts lifting at the ground-level handrail, and two to three pulling on the other handrail, raise the platform to an upright position. If TASK E has been completed, we can proceed to Task G.
TASK E: Site preparation. Begin by stretching a length of binder twine along the center line of where the ropes will span. Drive a tent stake into the ground marking the center.
Working from the center, measure 12-1/2 feet toward each end and drive another tent stake to mark where the X-braces of each platform are to be placed. They should be 25 feet apart. Then with two other tent stakes, mark out another 14′ to where the anchors are to be built.
TASK F – 1 & 2: Build the anchors. The foot and hand ropes will be attached to anchors at both ends.
1 & 2) Build a log-and-stake anchor (also known as a log and picket holdfast), 14 feet from where the X-braces of each platform are to be placed. To make the log-and-stake anchors, place one of the 4-foot x 4-inch logs perpendicular to the pull of the line, 14 feet from where the X-brace side will be. Drive in a row of four pioneering stakes spaced evenly in front of the log, leaning them back at a 45° angle. Slip a rope grommet through an O-ring and then slip the ends of the grommet around the log (see diagram). Drive a second row of pioneering stakes 24 inches behind the front stakes. Then anchor the front pioneering stakes to the rear pioneering stakes with a tourniquet made of binder twine or rope using four tent stakes. After twisting the tourniquet tight, hammer the tent stake into the ground to keep it from loosening.
TASK G – 1 & 2: Position the platforms. All hands on deck! Move both upright platforms into position no more than 25 feet apart. Place them on the binder twine that marks the center line of the bridge, making sure the X-braces of each are facing each other 10 feet from the center mark.
Bridge in Operation at a Council-wide Scout Expo
TASK H – 1 & 2: Lash on the floor. Lay 4-inch floor spars on top of the platform supports so that the ends extend out evenly on each side. Using the Double Floor Lashing and the 35-foot lashing ropes, lash the floor securely in place.
TASK I – 1-8: Add anchors for platform guylines. For added stability, we’ll be adding four guylines to each platform. To start, measure 10 feet, 45° out from each leg and drive in a 1-1 anchor.
TASK J – 1-8: Secure the platforms. Attach one of the 25-foot x 3/8-inch guylines to each leg, directly above the floor spars, with a roundturn with two half hitches.
Extend the guyline down to the corresponding 1-1 anchor and attach it to the anchor with a rope tackle. Repeat this process at each leg.
TASK K: Foot rope. First place a piece of heavy canvas (called a “saddle”) in the top V formed by the X-braces. This will protect the foot rope and allow it to slide a little as needed.
If the foot and hand ropes are not already laid out during Task E, two Scouts will be needed to stretch the foot rope out, aligning the center of the rope with the center stake along the binder twine.
Next, lay the ends of the rope over the saddle in the V formed by the X-braces on each platform. Then, maintaining the rope’s center alignment between the platforms, extend the rope under the platforms, through the ladder sides and pulling it somewhat taut, thread the ends through the O-rings attached to the log-and-stake anchors. Tie these off temporarily with a roundturn with two half hitches.
TASK L: Hand ropes. Two Scouts will be needed to stretch the hand ropes out on either side of the foot rope, aligning the center of each with the center stake along the binder twine.
Climb the platforms and place saddles in the crotch between the X-brace extensions and the front legs. Maintaining the center alignment between the platforms, place one hand rope over its corresponding saddles. Then extend the rope down, crossing it over the outside of the top ladder rung, pull it taut, and thread the ends through the O-rings attached to the log-stake-anchors. Tie these off with a roundturn with two half hitches. Repeat the process for the other hand rope.
Good Show!
TASK M: Stringer ropes. Now add the stringer ropes that will go from the foot rope to the hand ropes. Start by tying the center of an 8-foot long stringer rope at the center of the foot rope, using a clove hitch. The stringer rope is tied around the foot rope so that both ends are 4 feet long. Add two more stringer ropes on both sides of the center stringer rope (so there are five stringer ropes in all), tying them about 4 feet apart.
Tie one end of each stringer rope to one of the hand ropes, again using a clove hitch. Then do the same with the other ends of the stringer ropes, attaching them to the other hand rope.
TASK N: Tighten the foot rope and hand ropes. Now you can put a strain on the foot rope. Undo the Roundturn with Two Half Hitches, and make a rope tackle on each end of the foot rope. Two Scouts will need to adjust the tension at each rope tackle so that the middle of the rope stays midway between the platforms.
As needed, adjust the tension of the hand ropes by tightening them at the anchors and retying the roundturn with two half hitches.
Final testing. With caution, one crew member can get on the bridge as all lashings, anchors, and knots are observed by the safety officer and all other crew members. Make adjustments as required.
Safe operation calls for only one Scout to be on the foot rope of the monkey bridge and up to two on either platform at a time.
The pipe hitch has a variety of uses, but it really comes in handy to help pull out those pioneering stakes that were driven in deeply to maximize the holding power of the anchors. Using the pipe hitch for this purpose can eliminate a good deal of straining, banging, and possible damage when it comes time to take down the structures and disassemble the anchors.
Using the Pipe Hitch to Pull Out Pioneering Stakes (Click on the image for a larger view.)
You can make a couple of rope grommets out of 12-foot lengths of heavy line that can be set aside and reserved for use with a Pipe Hitch, for easier pioneer-stake-extraction.
Note: When stakes are driven in deeply, and especially when the ground is hard, the above technique will be very helpful, but also in conjunction with a process of first loosening the stakes by knocking them on the sides with a mallet.
The following text is by Adolph E. Peschke as presented in the 1998 printing of the 1993 edition of the Pioneering Merit Badge Pamphlet:
Using a rope to pull a pipe or spar can be difficult because you need all the gripping friction you can get to keep the knot from slipping off as you make the pull. One of the best knots for this type of task is a pipe hitch.
Most of the time, the pipe hitch can be tied with four or six turns. If this doesn’t hold, you can always lay on more turns to get the friction you need. Be sure to pull the turns snug as you make them so that you can get the full effect of their friction.
Keep in mind that when you use this knot for a hard pull or for a heavy weight, it should be tied with larger-diameter rope.
Pioneering Uses.
When considerable grip is needed for a lateral pull on a pipe or spar, or to pull a stake or post out of the ground
To hook a light tackle to use in lifting (see figure 27)
Pipe Hitch Diagram (One can actually perceive what’s referred to as the “standing end” to be the “running end.”)
Using a Rope Tackle, two Scouts tighten a hand rope on their monkey bridge.Click on the image for a larger view.
We apply a rope tackle, (also known as the Trucker’s Hitch, Lineman’s Hitch, Load Binder, and Harvester Hitch) where the guylines meet the anchors for pretty much all our pioneering projects. For safety reasons, Taut-Line Hitches should never be used in any pioneering work, because if the tension is eased the knot can slip.
The rope tackle is one of the many skills learned for pioneering that can be used in a variety of situations for many years to come.
Securing a load of spars to a flatbed for transport.
Frequently, we use a rope tackle when creating a ridge line between two trees for dining flies and tarps, and love using them whenever there’s an appropriate need to hold the strain on a line being tightened.
Simple Rope Tackle for a Low Stress Application using Braided Nylon Cord.
Rope Tackle for Pioneering Use
The following drawings and text have been extracted directly from the 1993 publication of the Pioneering Merit Badge Pamphlet written by Adolph Peschke:
When you want to lift or pull more than your own strength will permit, or when you want to make a heavy lifting job a little easier, the rope tackle is a device that can be used.
The idea behind a rope tackle is similar to that of a tackle using blocks and pulleys. In a rope tackle, one lead (end) of the rope has to be fixed. That is, it has to be anchored around a spar or tied through a ring or other piece of hardware that doesn’t move.
Loop knot. Then a loop knot is tied along the standing part of the rope. The Butterfly Knot and the Bowline on a bight are suitable for making a loop knot because they can be tied in the standing part of the rope and they are both easy to tie and fairly easy to untie even after being put under a strain. If you have no other reason to become proficient in tying these two knots, the rope tackle should convince you.
Vertical display, as for lifting or pulling an object.
Connect with the load. After you’ve tied the loop knot, it forms a fixed loop that acts as the wheel in a block. If you’re using the rope tackle to lift or pull an object, pass the running end through a ring or other hardware that’s attached to the object (load). The ring (or other hardware) is used so that the rope is free to slide as you pull on the hauling end of the rope as the tackle takes effect. If you want to use the rope tackle to tighten a line, pass the running end around a fixed object such as a spar, a stake, or a tree.
Finally, the running end of the rope is passed through the fixed loop in the loop knot. The running end becomes the hauling line which is pulled to make the tackle work.
Principles. The rope tackle works on the same principles as any other tackle using mechanical blocks or pulleys. The rigging method shown on the left develops twice the lifting or pulling power that’s applied to the hauling end. In other words, you can lift a fifty-pound weight using only twenty-five pounds of force on the hauling end.
To determine how much force is needed to lift a weight, the general rule is that you count the number of ropes passing through the ring where the object (load) is. In this case there are two ropes passing through the ring that’s attached to the load. Then divide the number into the weight being lifted. Let’s assume that the weight being lifted is fifty pounds. The answer is twenty-five pounds, which is the amount of pull required to lift the fifty pounds with the rope tackle.
When you take into consideration the friction of the ropes rubbing together, you will have to apply a bit more than the twenty-five pounds to make the lift. But even with the loss caused by friction, the rope tackle is quite effective.
Sometimes it is better to actually experience the effect of how the rope tackle works than it is to understand the technical explanation of the process. Setting up a rope tackle will convince you.
Tying off the Rope Tackle & Maintaining the Tension on the Line
Tying off. When using a rope tackle, if you want to hold the position of a load being lifted or pulled, or if you want to hold the strain of a line being tightened, form a bight in the hauling end of the rope and tie it off with a tight Half Hitch below the fixed loop in the Butterfly Knot.
Types of rope. The type of rope you choose for a rope tackle should have a low stretch factor, such as pure manila rope. Ropes that stretch like polypropylene and nylon, even though they are strong, require that you pull the stretch out of the rope before your tackle takes effect.
Note: When in use, the rope tackle can put considerable strain on the fibers of the rope. Therefore, repeated use of the same section of the rope for this purpose should be avoided. The ropes used to make the tackle should be inspected for damaged fibers on a regular basis.
Uses of the rope tackle. The wide range of uses for a rope tackle by a number of different craftsmen speaks for its effectiveness. Each craft seems to use a slightly different knot or hitch to form the loop that makes a rope tackle. The Lorryman’s Hitch, the Lineman’s Hitch, the Stagehand’s Hitch, are all samples of different knots or hitches used to form the loop. The only difference between these hitches is that in some of them the type of knot used to make the loop is more easily untied than others after a hard pull. But they all do essentially the same thing. That is, they form a fixed loop for the rope to be used as a tackle.
The extent to which the rope tackle has been used by craftsmen and tradesmen in their daily work can be better understood from the following list of uses and by the various names by which it is called:
The Linesman’s Hitch is used to put strain on a line in the process of stringing electric or telephone lines. It was used as far back as the building of the telegraph lines that opened up the western states during the 1800s.
The Stagehand’s Hitch is used to adjust the height of the curtains on a theater stage.
The Wagoneer’s Hitch is an English reference to the hitch used to secure the load on a wagon or lorry.
The Load Binder is is what the farmer called the hitch he used to tie down a load of hay on his wagon.
Pulling a log. One of the uses of a rope tackle is to pull a heavy load such as a log. To do this, you need two ropes. Tie a short (6′ to 8′) length of rope to the end of the log with a Timber Hitch. Then tie a bowline at the other end of this rope.
Pulling a Log or Other Heavy Object
To pull the log, tie a long line to a tree or other anchor point with a Roundturn with Two Half Hitches. Then tie a Butterfly Knot in the long line to form the loop for a rope tackle. Run the end of the long line through the Bowline and back through the fixed loop in the Butterfly Knot. Then pull on the end of the long line to pull the log.
Pioneering Uses
To adjust the strain on the guylines of a pioneering project or a flagpole (see figures 98 and 99)
To put the strain on a picket line used for tying up horses or canoes
To tie down and secure your equipment on a trailer or truck (see figure 100)
To hoist or lower equipment in rock climbing
To tie a line to air your sleeping bag or to make a clothesline for wet clothes
To tighten hold-down ropes on large tents and flies
SCOUT PIONEERING 