Non-jamming adjustable hitch?

Practical Knots
1

I work at a scout camp in the summer. Every year when we take out the canvas tents out of storage we have to replace some of the old tent lines. Because Boy Scouts set up the tents last all of these have “Taut Line Hitches” (By this I mean ABOK #1857) tied in them, Most of them jammed. The tent lines are made out of natural rope. Is there an adjustable hitch that does not suffer from this issue. I was thinking that a slipped adjustable grip hitch might work but I don’t know how to test if it jams or not. Any advice?

2

For a tensioner, you might try out some variation of a Versatackle:

https://knots.neocities.org/Versatackle.html

There are also many hardware-based tensioners available that have been around for ages. The one shown below can be made with a drill and a saw:

http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0421/5069/products/tent-accessories-20-wood-tensioners-200-poly-rope-2_grande.jpg?v=1451690003

I’m a little surprised that your tents use natural fiber. Usually the rot-resistance of synthetics wins out for tent cord selection.

3

One thing that have being working for me is to use bowline on a bight instead of “regular loops” in versatacle. In most cases, that make it easier when untying the rope after work is done - and also I believe it causes a little less wear on the rope.

4

Or use a truckers hitch.

SS

5

I’m surprised that you cannot loosen and untie
these knots; perhaps there is some from-use tightness
increased by shrinkage of the natural-fibre cordage?!
–and a problem avoidable by untying the knots prior
to storage.

Rather than another knot, one might guard the load
into the taut-line hitch by making a single or double
turn, which would take much of the load but be unjammable.
–orient simply as a double turn, or jam 2nd turn into
first as per some versions of midshipman’s h./awning h.
–cf. www.animatedknots.com/midshipmans-hitch-knot

–dl*

6

What about the farramond hitch?

7

I think slipping the hitch will allow you to undo the knot. I’d give it a shot.

8

2xRound/2xRound Clove like, Z cross bar type jams??
Untie open side 1st?
Slide to slacken, push some slack into Hitch?
Or bend/leverage rope part on off side/not main side of stake for slack, pinch to stake to keep purchase, then push/serve baby bit of slack into Friction Hitch to aid release?
.
Might try 2/2 Cow like , straight cross bar, kinda open Prusic ABoK#481.
Forms with reverse/counter torque (Cow base) rather than continuous(Clove base) turns jam less .
But still if problems would look to breakout in same fashion.