[Fig. 85.] The Two Man Diamond Hitch is started by laying the middle of the rope lengthwise over the pack from head to tail with the free end of the rope at the head of the animal. Then the cinch hook is thrown under the animal’s belly and caught by the off packer. The near packer throws a bight over the pack and the off packer catches it in the cinch hook. The near packer pulls up on the rope, making it tight over the pack.
[Fig. 86.] The two ropes over the pack are then twisted one and a half times and a loop pulled through as shown. In this case the loop first formed between the rope lying lengthwise and the part crossing the pack is lowered over the near side of the pack.
[Fig. 87.] The hitch is then completed by the off packer, as shown. The difference between the one-man hitch and the two-man hitch is that they finish up on different sides of the animal. In the two Diamond Hitches shown, the final tightening pull is taken toward the head of the animal. Many packers tie the Diamond Hitch so that the final pull is taken to rearward of the animal. This can be done by laying the middle of the rope lengthwise of the pack with the end to the rear instead of toward the front of the animal.
[Fig. 88.] The packer’s knot as shown consists of a clove hitch made around a standing rope. The second half hitch is made with a bight instead of the end of the rope. One or more half hitches are then thrown over this loop to make it secure. This knot, if pulled tight in making, will hold very securely, without slipping, and is easily untied by loosening the half hitches, and pulling on the free end of the rope.
The One Man Diamond Hitch
[Fig. 89.] The one man Diamond Hitch is employed by one packer working alone and requires that he make two trips around the animal in tying it. The rope is braided into a ring on one end of the cinch. The other end of the cinch carries a hook. Standing on the near side of the animal at its shoulder he first lays the middle of the rope across the pack from forward to back with the free end of the rope forward. He then throws the cinch over the pack and catches the hook under the animal’s belly. A loop of the rope is then caught under the cinch hook and pulled tight. Some packers, in using the one man Diamond Hitch, find it helps to hold the hitch tight if they take a double turn around the hook in making the first tightening.
