Becket Hitch (for Hammocks)
A Very Useful Temporary Knot
Richard Rathe September 2026 (How_To)
It has taken me a couple of years to fully understand this knot. The Becket Hitch provides a strong but temporary way to tie a rope or webbing onto a fixed loop (such as a hammock). It is basically a slipped
version of the venerable Sheet Bend (shown below).
Passing a Loop under the standing end provides a quick release.
Passing a Second Loop thru the first provides an easy to undo lock
for extra protection.
Shown here is a Becket Hitch tied with webbing to a rope loop. (The hammock is to the left.) The small red rope helps when it comes time to undo the knot.
To add a lock simply thread a second loop thru the first and pull the first loop snug (it doesn't have to be tight).
Caveat
It is very easy to tie this knot incorrectly as shown below. The same procedure produces a similar knot—but it is outside the loop! What you see here is just a slipped half-hitch that is likely to fail.
