Knots!

[Shane769]

So I was wondering if anyone else was a big knot nerd like me? I was busy practicing for winter (mountaineering, ski touring and ice climbing) and decided to snap some pics of the knots that I know and mostly all use. Post any you know!

Started simple with the overhand stopper, and the double overhand stopper knots.

The classic Bowline, and Figure Eight.

Figure Eight on a Bight and Figure Eight Follow Through. Same in look, super different in tying.

Slip knot and Noose knot. Kind of messed up a bit on the pictures, since the tails should be showing. Tail is through the loop on the Slip, and from the twist on the Noose.

Double Fisherman's and Square knot.

Sheet Bend and Cleat Hitch. <--- Yes, the "cleat" is made of Lego

Girth Hitch and the Carrick Bend.

Clove Hitch and Constrictor Hitch.

Anchor Bend, and Round Turn and Two Half Hitches.

Rolling Hitch and Buntline Hitch.

Sheepshank (useless knot as I call it ) and Alpine Butterfly.

Trucker's Hitch and Timber Hitch

Monkey's Fist and Hangman's Noose (Not the full 13 loop one though) <-- Really just entertainment knots

Munter's Hitch


I can also tie the Prusik and Klemheist knots, just I currently don't have my Prusik Loops around near me.

I know for sure Dunc and Mr. Whippy know some knots, so how about the rest of you lot?

[ringzero]

Good job on showing all those knots, Shane769.

Once upon a time I could tie all of those knots except the Monkey Fist.

Recently I attempted to tie a Butterfly knot, but it's been so long that I couldn't remember how.

Other than the Butterfly and the Monkey Fist, I can still tie all of those.

Another knot I like is the Ascender Knot, which can be used in place of a Prussik for rope climbing.  Less tendency to jam and moves up the rope easier.  Sort of like half of a Prussik knot, secured on one end with a Bowline.

.

[Shane769]

Yeah, I think I have attempted the Ascender, but the Prusik is just quick and easy, and my harness always has at least one Prusik Loop on it anyway. As for the Alpine Butterfly, take the rope in your hand, near the thumb, twist behind your hand, and over your fingers, and again behind your hand. Then bring it back to the front between the two others on your palm. Grab the outside one, by your fingers, and pull it over the other 2, then back under. Pull tight.


Maybe I can make this a tutorial for people too... hmmmm

[ringzero]

Yeah, I think I have attempted the Ascender, but the Prusik is just quick and easy, and my harness always has at least one Prusik Loop on it anyway.

Actually, a Prussik is much easier and quicker to tie than the Ascender Knot.

The Ascender Knot is worth the added trouble only because it works better for climbing rope.

Far faster if you are going to be climbing a rope for any distance - climbing out of a deep pit when caving for example.

I sometimes tie Ascender Knots in the guy lines of tarps.  Very secure, easily adjustable, and have a sleeker look to them than Prussiks or similar.

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[Gareth]

You've got me beat on some of those but I do know most of them.  I'll try and think of a few more and snap some pics. 

[Shane769]

Sweet

I have never thought of using something like the Ascender as a guy line tie... that's an interesting though

[Mr. Whippy]

Shane,

You have me beat!  I use figure eights, retraced figure 8's (for tying prusiks and cordelettes), American Death Knot  , Munter hitch, clove hitch, autoblock, Kleimheist, prusk, mule knot (for escaping the belay), overhand, double/triple fisherman's bend (depending on type of cord/rope).

I know how to tie bowlines and its variations (double, french, triple) but for some resason, I haven't really used them in years.

I know how to tie monkey fists, nooses, etc, but again, I don't seem to use them much.

Rarely I've used alpine butterflies when I want the loop to move more, like with inexperienced climbers.  That's about it though.

[nuphoria]

I love knots and enjoyed your photos essay thank you

I could probably manage that lot as I practised quite a lot when I got in to paracord but I don't know many from memory these days. I can however make a mean monkeys fist as our bathroom light pull can attest 

I managed to get a pdf copy of Ashleys book of knots which is a fabulous collection of info and highly recommended for anyone who's seriously in to learning.

[Gareth]

OK so here are a couple I managed to snap.

Evenk Hitch

http://www.outdooridiots.com/features/200606/pitchingatarp/pitchingatarp4.asp

For the life of me I can't think of the name of this one but it's a friction loop, good for guy ropes etc.


Highwayman's hitch (yes I really do use this to tie up horses )

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highwayman%27s_hitch

Zeppelin Bend (sadly I've never used this to moor a Zeppelin )

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeppelin_bend

[Benner]

I can bearly tie my own laces.

[nuphoria]

Is that your bedpost Gareth?

[Gareth]

Is that your bedpost Gareth?

  Dinning room chair.

[Shane769]

  Nice knots. I think I could manage them if I looked for a bit. The Evenk Hitch looks super familiar... same with the friction one, but I can't remember the name either...

[Mr. Whippy]

Gareth,

I learned that friction loop as a "Tautline hitch".  Don't know if that's its official name, but it describes where I use it.

[ringzero]

Of all the knots you list, I only use a few regularly:

-Double Fishermans for joining two ropes of equal diameter.

-Square Knot for shoe laces.

-Figure Eight to make a secure loop in a line.

-Anchor Bend makes a solid anchor for one end of a line.

-Sheet Bend sees occasional use to join ropes of unequal diameter.

-Bowline - plain old Bowline almost never gets used for anything.

-Bowline on a Bight is one you don't show.  With multiple waist wraps, this is still my favorite knot for quickly tying a person securely onto the end of a rope.

The plain old Bowline and the Sheet Bend aren't the most secure knots, having a tendency to capsize under intermittent loading.  Learned those knots in Boy Scouts, but nowdays tend to avoid them if possible.

.

[Gareth]

Gareth,

I learned that friction loop as a "Tautline hitch".  Don't know if that's its official name, but it describes where I use it.

I don't think it is quite the same as a tautline but it certainly preforms the same role. 

[Shane769]

I have a Tautline Hitch in my photos, but it is labelled as the Rolling Hitch, since that is how I was taught to name it. The photo shows it joining 2 ropes, but it also works good for guy-lines on one rope, and is tied the exact same either way.

[ringzero]

How's about a pic of a Bowline on a Bight with multiple wraps?

Any of you guys ever use that knot?

Good for attaching yourself to the end of a rope when you don't have a harness.

.

[Mr. Whippy]

How's about a pic of a Bowline on a Bight with multiple wraps?

Any of you guys ever use that knot?

Good for attaching yourself to the end of a rope when you don't have a harness.

.

Only in practice rescue classes.  Have learned two or three large loops with bowline tied with an extra hand loop before tying it off AND learned to tie a bowline with a looped back end of the rope for two large loops. (Hard to describe  ).

Mostly I use a bowline to make emergency leashes.

[Shane769]

Yeah I don't find the bowline to be all that useful to me outside of rope rescue, and even then there are much better alternatives.

[Screwtape]

How's about a pic of a Bowline on a Bight with multiple wraps?

Any of you guys ever use that knot?

Good for attaching yourself to the end of a rope when you don't have a harness.

.

I gave this a go once out of curiosity, since then round my parts it's know as the chaffing know

[Anthony]

I really want to learn that truckers hitch/knot.  There's a vid on youtube I've seen, it might still be up there.

I can tie a Bowline and Noose knots, and that's about it...and of course the ol' Granny knot..

[Shane769]

Ahh the good ol' granny

The trucker looks more complicated than it really is. If you can't find the video....

You tie the rope you are using to the tarp/canoe/whatever you are securing, and just down from there, however far you want really, twist the rope into a loop, and then twist it again, so it twists 2 or 3 times with the loop still there. Then from the still loose end, make another loop fairly close to the original one, maybe 4 inches or so. Push that loop through the original one. The still loose end should still be outside the original loop, and that is what you loop around the hook you are securing too. Once you have looped that around the hook, pull it through to secondary loop, and double back towards the hook, pulling until desired tightness. Then just throw in 2 half hitches to make sure it isn't going anywhere, and you got yourself a Trucker.

And here are some pictures, taken from me securing my tv stand to my lamp. The lamp is the hook for this purpose.

Twists in the rope for the original loop.
Secondary loop right after.
Through each other.
Attached and back through secondary loop.
Pull to desired tension.
Two half hitches to secure the whole thing, and also shows full structure.

[django.cj]

Bowline collapsing?  That's probably my most used knot, I don't think it's ever failed me.

[Shane769]

Yeah the bowline is good for never failing

Kind of hard to untie after it has been loaded though, at least compared to others.
What do you use it for if I may ask?

[django.cj]

Yeah the bowline is good for never failing

Kind of hard to untie after it has been loaded though, at least compared to others.
What do you use it for if I may ask?

um well everything that a clove hitch or two half hitches isn't good for. Basically it's the one I excelled at in Scouts and seems to work for most anything. I really don't think about knots too much, those 3 handle tying everything down in the bed of my pickup.

[Mr. Whippy]

If I'm gonna use a bowline to tie into my harness, I throw in an extra loop before tying it and then add a backup in the bowline loop.  Actually, I think it unties better than a retraced figure 8 after shock loading, BUT when tired or in the dark, it's easier to tie wrong 

[ringzero]

Bowline collapsing?  That's probably my most used knot, I don't think it's ever failed me.

Check out this article for a more in depth look at the Bowline Knot.  Excerpted from Outdoor Idiots article on the Bowline:
http://www.outdooridiots.com/features/200605/bowline/bowline.asp

But have you noticed that just about every source that describes how to tie the Bowline, will, in a very brief sentence at the end, mention that there may be certain "issues" with it?

If you search the Internet for "Bowline Knot", or look through any books you have that describe how to tie it, you won't get far before you start hearing these little negative comments. Comments like "can slip," "not suitable for heavy loads," "doesn't perform well when subjected to a three-way load," "you must always tie a stopper knot in addition," or "easy to mis-tie."

So, if there are all these problems with the Bowline knot, then how come it is still a knot which people use to tie in to a climbing harness, for example? Why trust your life to a knot with "issues"?

I know that the bowline is commonly used because it's quick and easy to tie and untie after loading.

Also, the Boy Scouts used to teach the Bowline to every scout as a knot to be used for critical applications.  Sometimes known as the "hero knot" because it was commonly used in rescue scenarios, IIRC.

However, there are much better knots to tie one end of a line to an anchor.  And better knots to tie into a climbing harness.

.

[Shane769]

I don't think I would ever tie into a harness with anything other than a Figure Eight Follow-Through.

And yeah, I don't think I ever actually use it, even in rope rescue, although I know how to use it in that situation.

[Anthony]

Shane I think you got some of those pics mixed up...pic one and two are identical