Make the small bowline in the end of your line. Then take your line around the item you want to bundle or strap in place.
With this done you can take the loose end (A) through the bowline (B) and pull on A until the desired tension is achieved.
What this does for you is gives you a mechanical advantage in the same way that the Truckers hitch does, except on a closed loop.
Having done the above, pinch the tension line at B and pass end A under the line as illustrated.
Leave the resulting loop open as shown in the illustration and continue the pinch in the line at B.
The tricky part comes now. Bend the loose end in the manner shown and pass it through the "eye" formed in the previous stage.
A little practice will make this easy to do. Just use your sleeping bag in a stuff sack as your "practice dummy".
There are many uses for this tie, limited only by your imagination.
One final note:
Once this is drawn up the result is a half bow of sorts. The easy part is undoing it. Just pull the A end and the hitch comes undone.
JK 2/97
