Gnat Hitch

The Gnat Hitch is a compact, secure hitch used to attach a rope to a post, ring, branch, or other fixed object. It was developed as a simple alternative to hitches like the Buntline Hitch, offering similar security with better resistance to jamming and easier untying after loading. The knot requires only a single pass of rope around the anchor object, making it efficient with rope length.

The Gnat Hitch performs well across a variety of anchor shapes and is largely unaffected by the cross-sectional profile of the hitching object—round, square, or irregular shapes all work. It has found a home among arborists and tree climbers as a general-purpose attachment hitch, and it serves well for camping, bushcraft, and any application requiring a secure temporary tie that won't bind up when it's time to untie.

The Gnat Hitch was introduced on February 8, 2012 by 'Roo' of the Notable Knot Index and appears to be the first documented presentation of this knot. It generated considerable discussion in the knotting community, including the IGKT Forum, the Tree Buzz arborist forum, and Canopy Chatter, because new, useful, and genuinely simple knots are relatively rare discoveries. Roo, the knot's creator, noted that the name derives from the knot's small, compact form and the appearance of tiny wings and a body when viewed from certain angles—resembling a gnat.

To tie the Gnat Hitch, pass the rope around the anchor object and tie a Half Hitch around the standing part. Then pass the working end behind the standing part and tuck it back through the loop of the Half Hitch from front to back. Tighten the knot form against the hitching object before applying load.

The Gnat Hitch is structurally related to the Crabber's Knot (ABOK #1987), essentially being the same configuration tied in the opposite direction. The Gnat Hitch is also comparable to the Buntline Hitch, which does a similar job but tends to jam more severely under heavy load.

The Gnat Hitch is secure and holds well under load, with excellent resistance to working loose even under cyclic or intermittent tension. Its primary advantage over similar hitches like the Buntline is that it resists jamming and remains relatively easy to untie after being heavily loaded. Forum discussions among arborists and other users have noted that the Gnat Hitch unties more easily than the Buntline after extreme strain.

The knot is not entirely jam-proof. Under heavy strain with very small diameter anchor objects, jamming can occur, and untying may become more difficult with smaller diameter ropes. For critical loads, leaving a longer tail on the working end is advisable to account for any minor slippage during initial loading. While the Gnat Hitch has performed well in practical use, it is a relatively new knot and has not yet accumulated the extensive field history of traditional hitches. Users in safety-critical applications should evaluate it accordingly.