Lashings...

Welcome to Lashings!

In pioneering lashings are the heart of all of our projects. without them we probably wouldn't have pioneering at all. Lashings only are useful if we tie them properly and if we use the right lashing for the job. There are many lashings and all are good selections for their proper application, but for our purposes we are going to concern ourselves with the ones that are used in the BSA pioneering merit badge book. The lashings that we will deal with will be the square lash, the diagional lash, shear lash, and round lashings.

The Square Lash

The Square lash is probably the most used lash in pioneering. Many times we have used a square lash in lieu of a diagonial lash. However we have a preference for the Philippine Diagonial lash. When doing the square lash the best thing to remember is that you only need three lays and two fraps. Any more than that is a waste and compromise's the lash's strength.

A square lash has several componets:

The starting hitch
The Rope lays
The Fraps
The finishing hitch

The square lash is used where ever we have two poles at a 90° to each other. We start the square lash with a clove hitch. I always pull the rope in the opposite direction of the clove hitch to get the clove to pull tight. The alternate hitch to use here if you do not want the lash to come loose under pressure, would be a constrictor knot. After you get your starting hitch/knot tied, wrap the rope under the spar and back over the upper spar. Continue this until you have three lays of rope over the spars. At this point frap the lash by wrapping the rope around the lays so as to pull them into each other. Frap only twice. Finish off the lash with another clove hitch by tying two half hitches as close to the center fraps as possible. Keep all of your lays in close to the center of the lash. If you get sloppy then one lay can come loose and then the whole lash will have no strength and will become so loose that it will not hold. Extra rope can be wrapped around the spar and then half hitched to get rid of the extra rope. If your poles move, then you need to loosen the fraps and pull tight again. Don't be afraid to put your foot on the spars and pull with your legs. The tighter the fraps, the tighter the lash.

The Diagonal Lash

The Diagonal Lash is used where we have two poles at extreme angles that need to be pulled together. Under no circumstance should you use the diagonal lash to support weight. if you need to do that then we suggest you use a square lash. a Philipine Diagonal lash can be used but by only someone who is use to tying the lash. You will start the diagonal lash with a timber hitch pulled in the opposite direction of the winds. Three lays around the poles and then change direction for three more in the other direction. frap twice and pull the fraps tight. The lash will be useless if the fraps are not pulled tight. Finish the lash off with a clove hitch using the two half hitch method explained in under the square lash section.

The Shear Lash and Tripod Lash

The shear lash is the most useful of all three lashes. Variations of the shear lash create tripod lashes, quad lashes and lashings that are used to hold teepee poles together at the top.

The shear lash is basicially several wraps around your poles and then fraping in between them(see the image). A variation of the shear is the tripod lash(see the image). this is the most used in pioneering. While they are two different lashes, they are really just a variation of the shear. Which lash to use depends on what you want to hold and how many poles there are involved and what kind of strength is needed for safety.

"Pioneering is not just knots and lashings but the proper application of those knots and lashings to create a functional and safe structure".

The Strop Lash

The strop lash is used for binding two structure pieces together where we need a strong but easy to tie lashing. A strop lash is nothing more than a round lash and tied off with a square knot. The amount of lays depends on how much strength you need for the lash. We use the Strop lash at the base of our double "A" trusses for our monkey bridges.The lash does an excellent job of holding the base of the trusses together while weight is being put on them. We use a modified strop lash, in as where we do the wraps but we frap between the poles and lock the fraps with a series of half hitches.

Other Pioneering Lashings

There other lashings which can be used in Pioneering. Some of the more useful ones are:

Japanese Mark II Square Lash:
A faster way to square lash. done with the rope on a bight and lash is finished with a square knot or several half hitches.


Filipino Diagional Lash:
A great replacement for a standard diagional lash. Also done on a bight this diagional
lash is finished by frapping the ends of the rope between the poles and finishing off with a square knot and locked with a half hitch. This one is not in the BSA merit badge book, but still is so effective that it probably should be.


West Country Shear Lashing:
this is done around two poles very much like a round lashing. However here you tie the rope around the poles in a overhand knot configuration with a half hitch front and back. do this several times and finish with a square knot and lock with a half hitch. There are others but don't overload your boys with stuff they won't remember.

Choose the right lash for the right job and none of your projects will fail and you will soon become a Pioneering Master.

PM