Parallel Lashing

The parallel lashing is a great way to securely bind two parallel limbs together. It’s bigger and slower to tie than a column tie, but does a better job of keeping the limbs from rotating.

For lashing together two limbs that meet at a 90° angle, use the square lashing.

Step by step

We are looking down at the legs of a person in a white bodysuit seated in a chair. A doubled blue rope binds the legs together just above the knee. The bight of the rope lies just above the knee and the rope goes around the legs counterclockwise before making a reverse tension and reversing direction. It then makes two complete clockwise spirals, moving toward the body. Each wrap lies flat and adjacent to the previous one. The ends of the rope are pulled out of frame toward the body and to the right.

1Pass the bight of a 30' rope clockwise around both legs and make a reverse tension.

Start wrapping in a clockwise spiral around both legs.

Two more clockwise spirals have been added, making a total of five. After crossing of the the left leg at the end of the final wrap, the end of the rope goes down and out of sight between the legs.

2After the last wrap, go down between your legs.

The rope comes up between the legs on the far side, just below the knees.

3Come up between your knees.

The rope crosses over all the wraps, moving back toward the body. It then goes down between the legs again, right where it did the first time.

4Go down between your legs again.

Steps 2-4 created a frapping turn or frap, which tightens the lashing and makes it more secure.

The two ends of the rope have been separated. One comes up between the knees, right where it did previously. The other end has gone clockwise around the left leg. The two ends cross each other on top of the left leg.

5Split the ends of the rope.

Bring one end up between your knees and bring the other end up around your left leg.

The two ends have been tied together with a square knot that lies diagonally on top of the left leg.

6Tie the ends together with a square knot.

Pulling on the ends of the rope will cinch the frapping turns. Don’t do that!

Unfrapped version

1Pass the bight of a 30' rope clockwise around both legs and make a reverse tension.

Start wrapping in a clockwise spiral around both legs.

Two more clockwise spiral wraps have been added, making a total of five wraps. The wraps all life flat and neat next to one another. The ends of the rope rest on top of the right leg.

2Keep going until you have enough wraps or are almost out of rope.

The ends have been pulled through the U shape made by the reverse tension. They are pulled tight diagonally up and to the right, with about six inches of rope end remaining.

3Go through the reverse tension you made in step 1.

The ends have been doubled back and go under and around the standing part. They then cross under themselves, making a half hitch that secures the lashing.

4Finish with one or two half hitches.

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