Tying A Hay Load Down

The other day I was visiting a feed and tack shop owner friends of mine. A older women, by the name of Mary, came in to buy some bales of alfalfa and when she loaded up I asked her if she was going to tie the load down.

She said she didn't have that far to go, but didn't have any rope to begin with or know how to tie knots. I grabbed up some loose baling twine and showed her how to tie a simple end of the line bowline on one tie down and a tension knot at the other other.

If you have been haling hay long enough, for hauling anything for that matter, you have probably lost a bale or something else at least once. I always tie my loads down no matter how big, or how well the load fits, or how short a distance I am going. Besides, it is down right embarrassing to be picking up hay bales on a State Highway,......right, Pat?

Plus knot tying is just a common skill all should have. I have tied anchor knots in helicopters in order to rapel out (that a descent on a rope from a hovering helicopter), and on mountains as an aid to get down in one piece.

Lots of good books, videos and sites on the internet to learn rope tying, just pick a knot, get a piece of rope and start twisting and tying. Craig Cameron, who we have talked about several times on this site, offers a knot tying video which I hear is very good.

Back to my hay load, I loaded up some hay and shot the following short video with my unpaid camera person (my daughter). I using a bowline (technically called an end of the line bowline) through a loop in the front of the truck bed, then a tension knot through a loop on the back end,.......... tighten it up and you're finished.