Sam's Blog: How to Tie a Barrel Hitch

A barrel hitch is a simple but effective knot for suspending objects by forming a sling around the object, which supports it from below and from the sides. It is often used to hoist cargo aboard ships.^[1] The barrel hitch keeps an object vertical, while its sister knot, the barrel sling, suspends an object on its side.^[2] In this article, you'll learn how to tie a barrel hitch.

Steps

Loosely tie an overhand knot in a long rope, leaving plenty of free rope at the ends.
Where the rope crosses itself in the middle (see the red dot), grab the strand and pull it towards you.
Lay that piece of string down near the center of the loop. Place your object on top of it.
Slowly draw the rope up at the working and fixed ends to form a sling around the object. Tie the working end off using a bowline knot, tightening the sling to secure it.