knots

outdoors topics > expedition skills toc = = = = = = The required level of competence and understanding to safely use knots cannot be gained from reading. Learning from and practice supervised by someone with the necessary skills are vital. = = =Knots = The main focus of this page is to cover knots to the extent required for the Mountain Leader award. The key uses are safe travel on steep ground (//without// getting into the province of technical climbing) and, to a lesser extent, for "survival".
 * Before using ropes and knots in a setting where a life depends upon their correct use, it is vital to have an understanding of different types of rope, their care and their uses. **

Running part
Free end used to hauling/pulling upon

Working end
The end which is used to form the knot

Standing part
Lies between the two above

Bight
Where the rope turns through 180 degrees

Loop
Where the rope turns through 360 degrees (e.g. to wrap around something)

Round turn
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Where the rope turns through at least 540 degrees (i.e. 360 + 180)

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">The training standard for members of Mountain Rescue teams in the UK is: //<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">"State the types of rope in common use and the required inspection and care. // //<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Tie these knots:- Bowline, Bowline on a bight, Figure of Eight on a bight, Overhand knot on a bight, Fisherman's bend, Double Fisherman's bend, Clove Hitch, Sheet Bend, Double Sheet Bend, Tape knot." //

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The "core" knots
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Those relevant to ML or MR training <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[|Knots used in MR]

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Bowline knot
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">The bowline is used to make a loop at one end of a line. The loop may pass around or through an object during the making of the knot. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">It is tied with the rope's working end. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">The knot tightens when loaded at (pulled by) the standing part of the line. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">A simple bowline is not 100% reliable so is not used, for example, for tying onto a harness. <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">**The bowline must not be used as an end line knot without a safety knot.** <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">It is, however, easy to untie again after it has been loaded. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">To be a "proper" bowline, the working end must be on the inside of the loop rather than the outside (that is a "cowboy knot")

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">For medical people tying a bowline, if you are struggling to remember which way to twist the rope, you need to grasp the rope with your (contralateral) forearm pronated and then supinate to create the correct loop. In other words, use your **<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">b **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">iceps to tie a **<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">b **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">owline.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">This was the best video of tying a bowline I could find, but be aware this is how someone who is left handed would normally tie the knot - if you are right handed the loop usually goes on the left. media type="custom" key="24153306"

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[|illustration of how to tie a bowline] <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[|another illustration of tying a bowline]

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">You should practice using the bowline in 2 circumstances: <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">1) tying around yourself (ie tying yourself into a line) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">2) tying someone else into a line (as below)


 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">If you may be using a bowline for confidence roping, you need to practice tying it onto someone else. **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Do this in advance - it does not inspire confidence if you have to practice tying the knot on yourself before doing around the person you're meant to be reassuring & helping. The orientation of the knot when tying someone else is in different and practice both ways is needed to acquire and maintain proficiency.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Alternative way of tying someone into a bowline
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">(this will be better with some photos - these are being worked on) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">The following is the description for a right handed person tying the knot - reverse left and right but not up and down if you are left handed.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">1) Pass the working end around the back of the casualty/group member from their right to left (so //your// left to right). The "free" end will be passing under their left armpit

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">2) Twist the standing part (the line running to their right - your left - armpit) to create a loop. The direction and lie of this loop is crucial. One way is to use you right arm to create the loop - hold the rope with a fully supinated (palm up for non-medics) forearm and then fully pronate the forearm (so the palm is facing down). Think of this stage as making the loop twist AWAY from the casualty. The loop should "point" to the working end (ie to your right) and the part going to the casualty must lie above the part going away from them.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">3) Take a small bight from //your// side of the loop and pass DOWN through the loop (a few inches is enough).

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">4) Take the working end and pass it UP through the bight then double it back (hold the working end //inside// the rope passing the the casualty to generate a true bowline. Pull this until the loop around the casualty is the right size (not too tight or loose).

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">5) Pull (with your left hand) on the standing part between you and the knot - the bight you created with the working end should now be pulled into the knot to create a bowline.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">6) Back up with a safety knot in case the bowline works loose.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Summary: twist away, bight down, working end up

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">The [|Yosemite backup] is a neat way of making the bowline safe

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">one-handed bowline
media type="youtube" key="NG_zJOHcOhU" height="344" width="425"

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Bowline on a bight
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Can be used to create a pair of loops in the middle of a length of rope

media type="youtube" key="BUJazd6OzGA?version=3" height="273" width="448"
[|illustration/animation of tying a bowline on the bight]

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Overhand knot on a bight
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Creates a loop at the end of a rope or piece of webbing. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Not that secure but tightens under load making it difficult to undo.

media type="youtube" key="hpyRlcFTh4A?version=3" height="390" width="480"

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Double overhand knot
The **double overhand knot** is simply a logical extension of the regular overhand knot made with one additional pass. The result is slightly larger and more difficult to untie. It forms the first part of the surgeon's knot (see below) and both sides of a double fisherman's knot (belwo).

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Figure of 8 knot
retied figure of eight knot to tie into a harness

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[|Tying a figure of 8 knot (BMC)] <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[|Animated figure of 8 knot]

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Thompson knot
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">This is used to improvise a harness from rope <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">It should not be used unless it will be loaded throughout the descent <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Each lopp should be as big as the tallest person who might need to use it + 20cm <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">The overhand knot should be tied about one third of the way along the loops <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">The two shorter loops are the leg loopes <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">The longer loops are for arms but must be cross diagonally at the back <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">The knot should be at the level of the sternum

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Fisherman's bend
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">When joining two lines the double (at least) rather than a single knot should be used. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">A fisherman's //hitch// (a hitch is a knot that fastens the rope onto something) is shown below. media type="youtube" key="gqgz4P1tMzw" height="390" width="640"

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Double fisherman's bend
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Commonly used to form a Prusik loop, where the Prusik is in the centre and the two ends are joined with this knot. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">A bend is a knot that joins two lines (or two ends of the same line) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">This knot is more reliable for joining two lines than the overhand knot join or figure of eight equivalent.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">The best knot to use to join two lines together **

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[|illustration/animation of double fisherman's bend] - NB the direction coils are made

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Clove hitch
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">This video does not have a commentary - watch carefully which way each loop is twisted <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">media type="youtube" key="na-8lj26mCs" height="344" width="425"

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Sheet bend
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Used to tie two ropes, especially if they are of different widths. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[|Animated guide to tying it.] <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">The thicker rope is simply put into a bight and the thinner rope "does the work". <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">The "tails" should lie on the same side

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Double sheet bend
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">This is used when there is a big difference between size of two ropes being joined. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">The thinner rope is passed twice round the bight of the thicker one to make the knot more secure. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">(there is a photo at the link above for the sheet bend)

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Tape knot (aka water knot, ring bend, double overhand bend)
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Used to make a length of webbing into a loop media type="youtube" key="tEwiSAk7KbA?version=3" height="324" width="432"

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">The "tails" must be at least 3 inches long, as cycles of loading and unloading tend to cause the knot to untie. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">It MUST be checked before every use.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">**<span style="color: #008000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Pete Hill (International Handbook of Techical Mountaineering) **
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">"It is a fairly weak knot" **

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">[|another animation]

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Sledge knot
Used, for example, to tie two logs together. Very strong once tied. Do not expect to be able to undo it afterwards Photos[| here]

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Reef knot (square knot, Hercules knot)
Tends to jam when loaded. Never trust it with a life.

media type="youtube" key="BT3baAYTT64" height="344" width="425"

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Surgeon's knot
Similar to the reef knot but with an extra throw the first time - makes slippery material less likely to slip media type="youtube" key="ldyWE3ROfLk" height="344" width="425"

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Prusik knot
[|Tying a Prusik knot] Video of Prusik knot media type="youtube" key="P0d8-Fxdx8Y" height="344" width="425"

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Alpine Butterfly
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Used to create a loop in the middle of rope. It is more secure than alternatives when pulled along the length of the rope and is less likely to jam on being loaded. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">There are at least three ways to tie this knot: <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">1 The **"wrapping" technique** is the one I favour but should be avoided if the rope may be suddenly loaded (that would injure the hand) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">First wrap the rope loosely around your non-dominant hand from wrist to finger tips so it passes over the palm three times. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Take the rope closest to the wrist and move this distally (towards the fingers) over the other two pieces of rope so that it lies closest to the finger tips. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Do the same thing with the rope now closest to the wrist but after moving to the finger tips pass it back again under the other two pieces. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Keep hold of that loop and pull to tighten the knot.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">2 The **"twisting" technique** is widely described but requires dexterity - not ideal for cold fingers or mittens! <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[|Twisting method of tying alpine butterfly]

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">3 A **variation on the "wrapping" technique** media type="youtube" key="gX1dWKg6Ttc?hl=en_US" width="560" height="315"

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Links
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[|Knots for climbers] <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[|Basic climbing knots] <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[|Climbing knots] (with videos) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Site showing [|how to tie knots] (with animations) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[|BMC booklet on climbing knots] <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[|knots for tree surgeons]