How to Tie Basic Knots

[CraigHardy]

I've got my hands on an awesome book of knots and I intend to show you how to tie every last one - right here. I'll start off with the easy ones and then move onto the more complex of the bunch. The book says that there are over 200 knot tying techniques, but I'm not sure there are that many actual knots contained within. After I'm finished with this book. I'll purchase the arborist knot tying book as well. That one not only shows instructions for trying the knot in question, it also explains when you'd want to use it, which is super helpful. Okay, let's get going.

 

[CraigHardy]

Double Harness Bend with Parallel Ends​

This is another bend that (by definition) ties two ropes together. This is somewhat of a symmetrical knot as it's being tied, but after it's been tightened, it has a tendency to lose its symmetrical-ness. Either way, it holds the two ropes rather well. Let's get tying it.

To tie this knot, I placed both the orange and black rope down, with the black rope overlapping the orange.



After that, I took the working end of the orange rope and up and over the black rope, under itself, and then over the working end of the black rope.



They say you should take both rope and flip them over, end to end, and then continue tying the knot. I think it's much more practical to simply follow what I did below. Basically, I tied the identical knot with the black rope, but opposite. I took the working end of the black rope and fed it over and then under the standing part of the orange rope and then under itself and then over the orange. I know it sounds confusing, but if you look at the photo, it'll make sense. It's actually pretty easy.



To tighten the knot, I simply pulled on both working ends and standing ends. Once snug, I pulled tighter to set the knot. And that's all it took to tie this one!

 

[CraigHardy]

Strop Bend​

This is a fun knot that I've been trying since I was a kid. There's no right or wrong way to tie this one. If it gets done, it gets done. Just know that it's as secure as the strength of the rope that's used. If the rope breaks, obviously the knot will come loose and the two ropes will separate, but if the rope is strong, then there's no way it's going to come undone. This is a great knot to use when combining two ropes that have been tied to form loops.

To tie this knot, first overlap the two bends of two ropes.



Next, take the working bend and flip it up and over itself.



Then, take the standing part and feed it through the working bend.



I know the above two photos look alike, but if you inspect them carefully, you'll see that in the first photo, the working bend is above the standing part and in the second photo, it's beneath it.

Finally, pull the standing part until the working bend is tight. Then dress the knot so it looks like the one below. And that's it!

 

[CraigHardy]

Carrick Bend (Ends Opposed)​

This is another great knot that holds two ropes together. I actually really like this one. It's good looking when tied and does an excellent job of keeping the ropes together. This is a popular knot that they say is displayed in Ireland. Wherever it came from, I like it.

I was going to give step by step instructions for this one, but since it's so easy to put together, I decided to include only two photos. Take a look at this first one. Basically, all I did was make a bend with the orange rope and then a fed the black rope over the orange rope's bend, under its standing part, over its working end, under one side of the bend, over itself, and then under the other side of the orange bend. To tie this one, simply follow the pattern below.



And when that's completed, pull all of the ends and dress the knot so it looks like this.

 

[CraigHardy]

Carrick Bend (Ends Adjacent)​

This is the same knot as above, but with the ends on the same side as opposed to the opposite sides. All else applies. To tie this knot, I first made a bend with the orange rope and then fed the black rope underneath both sides of it.



Next, I continued to feed the working end of the black rope over the working end of the orange rope and underneath the standing part of the orange rope.



After that, I kept feeding the working end of the black rope through the orange rope. I went up and over the top part of the bend in the orange rope, under the standing part of the black rope and then back up and over the bottom part of the orange rope.



To tighten the knot, I pulled both the standing parts as well as the working ends. I made sure to keep the rope looking neat.



And finally, to set the knot, I pulled harder on the standing ends of both ropes.

 

[CraigHardy]

Vice Versa​

What an awesome knot. I really like this one. Upon first glance, I thought I'd have some trouble tying it, but it was no trouble at all. It was actually very easy and quite satisfying. What I like most about this one is the strength of it and the way it sits so neatly. I hear that you can tie two pieces of wet material such as leather with this knot and they won't slide away from one another. Take a look at the finished product and I think you'll see why. Lots of bends and turns in there.

To tie this knot, I first placed two ends of two ropes opposite one another. Then, I took the working end of the black rope and fed it under the orange rope. Then I continued to feed the black rope over the orange and then under itself, creating a bend.



Next, I took the working end of the orange rope and fed it over the black rope and then under it.



To make both ropes symmetrical, I continued to feed the orange rope up and over itself and the black rope and then I went under the working end of the black rope.



To finish this knot up, I took the working end of the black rope and fed it under and through the orange bend. Then, I took the working end of the orange rope again fed it through the bend in the black rope.



To tighten the bend, I simply pulled the standing parts of both ropes. I dressed the knot and that was it. Beautiful.

 

[CraigHardy]

Single & Double Sheet Bend​

They say this knot isn't meant to be used under loads because it's unreliable. I have to trust this, since I've never actually used it. I did, however, tie it and it seemed to be okay. I guess the problem lies with the fact that the larger rope doesn't actually have a knot tied in it. It's merely folded over, which can cause it to roll out. That seems to be an issue. So take this knot with a grain of salt and don't use it for anything that matters.

To tie this knot, I made a bight in the end of my larger braided cotton rope and then fed the working end of my orange rope under the bight.



Next, I took the working end of my orange rope and fed it up and around the bight of the larger rope. Then, I fed it under itself.



To tighten this knot, I simply pulled on the standing part of the orange rope.



Now, if I wanted to make this bend slightly stronger and able to handle more weight, I'd add another wrap to it before I pulled it tight, like in the photo below.

 

[CraigHardy]

One-Way Sheet Bend​

Have you ever wanted to pull another rope, wire, or something else through a pipe? Or perhaps tie a strap down on the back of a pickup truck? Have you ever wondered how to tie the knot that would accomplish something like this? Well, this is the one. It's a simple knot (or bend) and it's very similar to the two sheet bends directly above. Check it out.

To tie this knot, I made a bight in the white rope (the rope that needs to be pulled through or tied down) and then fed the working end of the orange rope under and around the white.



Next, I took the working end of the orange rope and fed it under itself.



And finally, I took the working end of the orange rope and wrapped it around itself and then through its own loop. To tighten, I pulled both ends of the orange rope.

 

[CraigHardy]

Heaving Line Bend​

This isn't a bend that's meant to hold a lot of weight. If you're an arborist, you might want to use this knot when attaching your climbing line to your throw ball line. This would be perfect for that. Otherwise, use this with caution as the bend may come apart on you.

To tie this knot, I made a bight in my larger white rope. Then, I placed the working end of my orange rope over that bight.



Next, I fed the working end of my orange rope over and then around and under the standing part of the white rope. I continued to feed the working end of the orange rope over itself.



After that, I fed the working end of the orange rope under the working end of the white rope.



And finally, I brought the working end of the orange rope up and around the working end of the white rope and then through the loop I created earlier in the orange rope.



To tighten this bend, I simply pulled on both ends of the orange rope and dressed the knot. Here's another view of this bend when it's tightened and flipped over.

 

[CraigHardy]

Racking Bend​

This bend is intended to hold different sized ropes together. It doesn't matter what sized ropes they are, as long as one is large and one is small. The goal is to keep the bight of the larger rope intact. In the example below, I use some paracord as the smaller rope and some larger cotton braided rope as the larger. You'll see this type of knot holding large ship ropes together as well as small twines.

To tie this knot, I first made a bight in the white rope. Then, I fed the black paracord over the bight and then under the working end of the rope. It's not important to feed the smaller rope over the working end, per se; it's just the way I did it.



At this point, I'll begin racking, which is simply what they call weaving in a figure eight style. I'll go under one side of the rope and then up and around and then under the other side. I'll repeat that a few times.





To finish the weaving, I'll tuck the working end of the smaller black paracord under one of the turns around the white rope.



To finish the bend, I'll tighten the paracord from the end toward the bend in the white rope. Then I'll pull the standing part of the black rope tight.



I suppose if you really wanted to make this knot strong, you can tie a stopper right after the tuck of the paracord. That will keep that part of the rope from sliding. I really don't think that'll happen though because this knot is tight as it is.

 

[CraigHardy]

Seizing Bend​

This is a great knot for connecting two ropes. It seems to be very strong and it looks good to boot. Again, like those above, this bend is meant to be used with one thicker rope and one thinner one, but I'm not sure that two ropes of the same size won't work. Also, to really finish the strength off with this bend, make a knot at the end of the thicker rope to hold everything in place. I don't think you'd need that, but it can only help.

To tie this knot, I made a bight in the thicker white cotton rope and fed the thinner orange rope under it.



After that, I made a turn around the bend in the bight with the orange rope.



Also, just so you're aware, you'll need to extend and adjust the length of rope as you go with this one. I had to keep giving myself slack with the orange rope.

Next up, I took the working end of the orange rope and began my first wrap around the white rope.



As I wrapped, I made sure that the working end of the orange rope turned over itself to hold itself down.



I then continued on with multiple wraps, ending up on top.



At this point, I pulled more of the orange rope standing part through the bight. I fed the loop I created into the crevice of the white rope.



Then I pulled the standing part of the orange rope tight and slid the orange rope wraps down towards the bend in the white rope. The knot was finished.



This is a more close up view of the top of the knot.



And this is the bottom of the bend.

 

[CraigHardy]

Albright (Allbright) Special​

I wasn't sure if I was going to like this knot, but after tying it, I fell in love with it. The reason I didn't think I'd like it was because it appeared that it was going to come undone by itself. After giving a first wrap, the wraps continue. The way the outer rope is set up, it looks like that first wrap would simply pull through. What actually happens is that the first wrap becomes much tighter and doesn't pull through in the least. This is a fantastic knot that can be trusted to hold two ropes together. This one is typically used with much thinner ropes, but for demonstration, I used big ones that are easily visible.

To tie this bend, I first made a bight in the thicker white rope. Then, I placed the thinner black rope over the bight, gave the white rope a wrap, and made sure that the working end of the black rope crossed over itself.

For demonstration purposes, I kept the black rope short in the following photo. In reality, it needs to be much longer to make all the required wraps around the white rope.



After that, I continued with about six or seven wraps around the white rope with the black rope.



I left enough of a tail on the black rope for this next step.

I tucked the tail of the black rope over itself and through the bend in the white rope.





Next, I carefully slid all the wraps of the black rope down as close as I could to the bend in the white rope. After that, I pulled on the standing part of the black rope and watched in awe as the entire knot tightened itself. The bend was complete.

 

[CraigHardy]

Simple Simon Over​

Now here's a knot I may actually remember how to tie in my lifetime. I've covered so many knots here, but I don't think I'd remember how to tie any of them if put on the spot. I think I can remember this one. It's easy and very strong. They say it's great for tying slick synthetic ropes. I guess that's because it's easy to tie and because it holds very well.

To tie this knot, I made a bight with the black rope and then took the working end of the orange rope and fed it into the black rope's bend, under the standing part and up and over the working end. Then, I fed it under the entire thing.



Then, I crossed the working end of the orange rope over itself.



With the working end of the orange rope, I continued around and under the black rope and through its loop.



To tighten this knot, I pulled the orange rope down into place and then dressed the knot.

 

[CraigHardy]

Simple Simon Under​

This knot is almost exactly the same as the one above. The only difference is that when crossing, you don't go over, you go under. Allegedly, this is a stronger version of the above knot in that the extra friction caused by the rope above the crossing holds in things in place more. Give this one a try, especially if you're planning on using wet of slick rope of different thickness.

To tie this knot, I again made a bight with the black rope and fed the orange rope through the loop, under the standing part, and around both parts of the black rope.



Then, after I gave the black rope a wrap with the orange rope, I crossed under, not over itself.



Next, I continued feeding the orange rope around the black rope and through its loop. Below is the finished knot, just a bit loose.



To tighten the knot (or bend), I pulled both ends of the orange rope and dressed the knot so it sat tightly.



If you really wanted to make this knot permanent and impossible to slip, you could tie an overhand knot in both working ends of the ropes.

 

[CraigHardy]

Simple Simon Double​

All of these Simple Simon knots were invented (or should we say popularized) by Harry Asher. In this version, you can use even stranger ropes. By doubling up on the turns and wraps, this bend can carry much more weight than its predecessors.

To tie this knot, I set the ropes up like I did above. I fed the working end, from above, into the bight I created with the black rope. Then I proceeded with two wraps around the black rope with the orange rope.



Then, with the working end of the orange rope, I continued wrapping around the black ropes and crossed the orange over the orange, underneath.



After that, I continued my way around the black rope with the orange, until the final wrap was fed under the working end of the black rope and through the bight again. This is the completed knot, in loose formation.



To tighten this bend, I held both ends of orange rope and pulled away from the black, all the while nudging the loop end of the orange rope towards the loop end of the black. These next two photos show a tightened Simple Simon Double bend, top and bottom.

 

[CraigHardy]

Shake Hands​

This is a great knot. It's essentially two overhand knots tied together. This is a strong bend that keeps two ropes together well. On top of that, it's relatively easy to untie. Once you learn this bend, you'll have a great and very sturdy knot in your arsenal.

To tie this knot, I first made two loops; one with each rope. In the below photo, notice the working end of each rope. The black end goes under itself while the orange end goes above.



To continue on, I took the working end of the orange rope and fed it through its own loop as well as the black's.



Then, I took the working end of the black rope and fed it through its own loop and through the orange's. Notice where both working ends end up. The orange rope goes through the loops and ends up on top and the same for the black, but down beneath.



To tighten this bend, I alternated the pulling of each rope. First I pulled both ends of the black rope a bit and then I did the same for the orange. By going back and forth between the two, I kept the knots clean and intact. This is the final Shake Hands knot.



And here it is up close.

 

[CraigHardy]

Tumbling Thief Knot, Center Tucked​

This is an interesting knot that will definitely not come undone. It's sort of complicated, so be sure to look at each photo I post below carefully. It matters where the working ends of each rope go. Take this one slowly and you'll find yourself holding a big beautiful knot at the end of your effort.

To tie this knot, I first made a bight with the orange rope. Then, I fed the working end of the black rope under and into the orange rope's bend. Then, I fed the same end out of the bend and under it. Finally, I went back into the bend and under it to exit. It sounds more complicated than it was. Just set your rope up like the photo below.



There are a few steps in this knot where all that needs to be done is to rearrange the rope. This is one of those steps. As you can see, I didn't really change anything below. I merely moved the ropes somewhat. I took the working end of the black rope and slid it under its standing end. Then, I took the working end of the orange rope and slid it over its standing end.



Next, I merely moved the ropes off of one another, so they are separate. I just pushed the orange rope in its configuration to the left and the black rope to the right. Be careful to keep the ropes looking just like they do in the photo below.



For this next step, I pulled the ropes back together, but in a different configuration. Sure, this looks like two steps ago, but it's different.



Now this is not really a complicated step, but it sure looks like that in the photo below. I'll try to explain what to do here as best I can. If you look at the above photo, you'll see a common space that's dead center of both ropes. It's almost like a square at the center. If I arranged the ropes a little better, I could probably make it a square. Anyway, all that needs to be done is two things. First, I took the working end of the black rope and fed it around itself and through the hole in the center. That's it for that one. Then, I took the working end of the orange rope and fed it under itself and up through the hole in the center. Take a look at the image below.



And that's it! To finish this bend, I pulled on each end of the ropes one by one until the entire knot was tight. Take a look at the top and bottom of this one.

 

[CraigHardy]

Alpine Butterfly Bend​

This bend is a version of the Alpine Butterfly Knot. It's actually quite simple to tie and is very effective.

To tie this knot, I first created two loops, one with each rope. If you notice, I placed the working ends of both ropes under their standing parts. The ropes are also intertwined with one another.



Next, I brought both working ends up and over themselves and through the common hole at their centers.



And that's pretty much it. From there, I gently pulled the ends of the ropes until the knot was snug. Here's the final Alpine Butterfly bend.

 

[CraigHardy]

Bowline Bend​

The bowline is an incredible knot. It doesn't slip when wet or when ropes of different thicknesses are used. I've always wanted to learn how to tie the bowline and now I know. What a simple and effective knot it is. And when used as a bend, you can be assured that your two ropes will remain connected, even under great strain. Arborists use the bowline all the time when cutting down trees.

To tie this knot, I first tied a bowline in one rope. I began with the black one. To tie the bowline, I made a loop in the black rope and then fed the working end under and through the loop. It's important to follow these instructions carefully. The over and under parts of the rope are critical.



Next, I fed the working end of the rope under the standing part.



And finally, I brought the working end up, over, and through the loop. In the photo below is the loose version of a completed bowline knot.



To tighten this knot, I pulled on the working end and the standing part, until everything was snug.



To tie the bend, I simply made another bowline with the other rope. I first made my loop with the orange rope and then fed the working end through the black rope bowline.



Again, I fed the working end through the loop and under the standing end.



Here is the finished bowline bend. It's a beautiful thing.

 

[CraigHardy]

Twin Bowline Bend​

This is an alternative bend to the one shown above. With that one, the ropes are weakened by their sharp angles. With this one below, those angles are absent. Also, this is a very strong bend. It'll surely hold some tension. And on top of that, it's really fun to tie. This is the type of bend that you look at and wonder if you can actually do it. I'm here to tell you that you can. It's very easy. Just follow the simple instructions below.

To tie this knot, I laid down the two working ends in parallel.



Then, I made a loop with the black rope and fed the working end of the orange rope through the loop, from the bottom. When following these instructions, be sure to closely follow where the ropes lie on top of one another. It's important to the final knot.



Next, I fed the working end of the orange rope under the standing part of the black rope.



Finally, I fed the working end of the orange rope up and through the black rope's loop. As you can see, this is a regular bowline knot, but with two ropes.



This is the final tightened two rope bowline. Up next, the other half.



To tie the second half of this bend, turn the entire arrangement around 180°, so it's opposite of what you just had. This makes it easier to tie. Then, begin tying the exact same thing as you just did earlier.



And then finish the knot. Here it is, all said and done. So easy!

 

[CraigHardy]

Pedigree Cow Hitch​

I have now moved onto the hitch section of my book. Apparently, hitches are knots that are used to tie ropes to objects, such as posts or links of some sort. Think of tying a horse to a post on main street in the old days. For today's knot, I preset the Pedigree Cow Hitch. This is a sturdy hitch that's good for ropes that approach their post at right angles. You'll see what I'm talking about below. This hitch is strong and would take a lot to pull out. If you wanted to make it ultra secure, you could always tie an Overhand Knot at the very end of the rope.

To tie this knot, I first draped my rope over the post, from front to back.



Then, I placed the working end over the standing part.



Next, I fed the working end of the rope back under the post and then over the front again.



And then through the bight.



To finish the hitch, I took the working end of the rope and fed it behind both wraps. This way, if tension is placed on the rope, it'll tighten around itself.



What I was referring to above was an Overhand Knot at the very end of this rope. If that was done, it would have no way of pulling out.

Here's a different view of this hitch.

 

[CraigHardy]

Cow Hitch Variant​

They say this variant of the above Pedigree Cow Hitch is stronger than that. I can't tell you one way or another. I can tell you that it's a bit less intuitive to tie. The previous hitch made sense, while this one is slightly cumbersome. I'm sure once you get used to it, it'll be fine. Either way, it's a good hitch.

To tie this knot, I first fed the working end of the rope over the post.



Next, I tied a half hitch.



Then, I continued bringing the working end of the rope over the standing part and then I fed it under the post, up and around back to the front and fed it through the wrap. This is the final knot.

 

[CraigHardy]

Figure-of-Eight Hitch​

This is a somewhat useless hitch, as I'm not sure it'll hold anything of consequence. It is easy to tie though and if the end of the rope is tied of with an Overhand knot, I don't think it'll come undone. With so many other great looking and performing hitches out there, I probably wouldn't use this one. However, I'll show it to you anyway.

To tie this knot, I first draped the working end of the rope over the post.



Then, I brought the working end over the standing part, around it, and under it.



And finally, I fed the working end through the loop in the rope. This last part gives the rope some additional friction if it decides to try to pull out. As I said above, if you tie this rope off at the end, it won't come undone.

 

[CraigHardy]

Buntline Hitch​

This is a fun knot to tie. I like it because it's secure, even under vibration and wind. The tail that stems from the finished knot can wave around all it wants, but the knot still won't come untied. Also, if you look at the mechanics of this hitch, it's actually just two creatively tied half hitches. That's really all there is to it. Strong, secure, and fun to tie.

To tie this knot, I first fed the rope through and over the carabiner.



Then, I brought the working end of the rope over and around itself.



And finally, I continued bringing the working end of the rope around itself again, but this time, at the very end, I fed it through its loop.



To tighten the knot, I simply pulled on both ends of the rope.

 

[CraigHardy]

Clove Hitch, Tied in a Bight​

The Clove Hitch isn't a great knot. I've heard some guys say they like it, but I also know a lot of guys who won't use it at all. The reason they don't like it is because it's got a tendency to roll out, especially when used to lower limbs during a tree take-down. This knot, however, is a good one when used in conjunction with others. So if you were to use this knot, you could finish it with two Half Hitches or a Bowline. That would stop the rolling out effect. Personally, I like the Bowline because it adds equal loads to the rope. It's also easy to untie when the time comes.

To tie this version of this knot, I first placed the rope on a table and made two loops in the rope. Notice how I made these loops below. Notice how the rope overlaps itself. One over, one under. This is important.



Next, I took the loop on the right, lifted it about half an inch, and moved it to the left so it sat on top of the left loop.



And finally, holding both loops in place, I slid them over my demo log.



This is the final Clove Hitch. When I pulled the ends of the rope to tighten the knot, I noticed that it really did want to roll out. To counter this, I tied a Bowline on the tails. Check this out.



Now that's one heavy duty knot. The best part is, the way the Bowline is tied, equal pressure is placed on both tails of the Clove Hitch. Nice.

 

[CraigHardy]

Clove Hitch, Tied with a Working End​

This is the same exact knot as above, but just tied differently. Sometimes in life, we don't have the end of a pole or a log to slip a bight of rope over. In these types of cases, it's helpful to know how to tie the knot using just the working end of the rope. That's what I've done below.

To tie this knot, I first began by feeding the working end of the rope over and then under the log.



After that, I brought the end of the rope up and over the standing part.



Next, I wrapped the rope around the log on more time, keeping the crossover intact.



At this point, I have two options. I can either feed the working end of the rope straight under itself like so, for a traditional Clove Hitch.



Or, I can make a drawloop and feed that through. Either way, I'll get a Clove Hitch.

 

[CraigHardy]

Ground Line Hitch​

This is a great hitch to tie a smaller rope to a larger one. I used to use this knot when tying a thin throwball line to a thicker climbing rope when I used to climb trees. I was an arborist and this hitch came in handy just about daily. The best part was, the hitch stayed tight and was fairly smooth, meaning, there were no bulky knots to get caught up when, for instance, pulling the climbing rope through a crotch of a tree. Keep this one tucked in the back of your head.

To tie this hitch, I first placed the thick white cotton rope down on the table. Then, I placed some black paracord over the top of the rope.



Next, I wrapped the black rope around the white rope, going under and then over. I made sure to cross the black rope over itself.



After that, I fed the working end of the black rope under the white rope again.



To tie the actual hitch, I pulled the standing part of the black rope up to form a bight and then I fed the working end through it.



And finally, to tighten this knot, I pulled the standing part of the black rope to trap the working end down. I also dressed the knot.



If there was a super important load on one of the ropes, I'd tie the black rope off with an Overhand or another type of stopper knot.

 

[CraigHardy]

Highwayman's Hitch​

I'm not sure if this hitch can carry any weight, but it's sort of fun to tie. After I tied it, I gave a tug on the standing part of the rope and it held securely, but I wouldn't want to trust it for anything that mattered. Perhaps I'm wrong. If I am, please correct me. Anyway, this hitch is a bight in a bight in a bight. I'll show you what I mean below.

To tie this knot, I first formed a bight with the working end of the rope and placed that bight under the log.



After that, I took the standing part of the rope and made another bight. I fed that second bight through the first for a few inches.



Finally, I made a third bight, but this time with the working end of the rope. I fed that final bight through the second bight. Please note that I had to adjust the length of the working end of rope for this step. I kept it short for the first two steps so you could see the end of the rope in the photos. Adjust your rope length as necessary.



To tighten this hitch, I pulled on the standing part of the rope and the working end bight and things snugged down nicely.

Here's the final hitch.

 

[CraigHardy]

Rolling Hitch​

If you remember the Clove Hitch, you'll do very well with the Rolling Hitch. This hitch is just one more turn around the post. They say this hitch is meant to handle a pull from the side, so when setting this one up, make sure that the two turns around the post are facing the direction in which you'd like to pull the standing part of the rope.

To start off, I made a turn around the log and then crossed the working end over the standing part and made another turn, coming out of the bottom.



I then crossed over the standing part again.



And continued feeding the working end of the rope under the log one more time.



To finish up, I fed the working end under the last turn. I then pulled the ends of the rope to tighten the hitch.

 

[CraigHardy]

Ossel Hitch​

What a great hitch. It's simple to look at and to tie, but it sure holds tight. When you need to tie a rope to a post or the like that keeps moving, this hitch is a good choice to use. It's stood the test of time and has passed with flying colors. Originating in Scotland, it's been popularized by its under water use.

To tie this knot, I first fed the working end of the smaller rope under and then over the larger rope.



Then, I continued to feed the working end behind itself and over the larger rope again.



Once over the top, I brought the working end under the larger rope once more.



And finally, I fed the working end of the smaller rope through the first bend. To tighten this hitch, I pulled both ends apart from one another.

 

[CraigHardy]

Gaff Topsail Halyard Bend​

I'm not sure why they call this knot a bend, when it's clearly a hitch. I guess that's not important. What is important is how to tie this knot and how strong it is. I'll tell you right off the bat, if you're tying to a pole or an object that turns or rolls, don't use this hitch. If your pole is stationary, feel free to use this one. Personally, I wouldn't use it when you need a hitch that absolutely won't roll out. From what I have experienced, there's the threat of that, even when pulling the standing part at a 90° angle. To make this hitch much stronger and more secure, you may tie the working end off with an Overhand Knot. Just to be sure.

To tie this hitch, I made two bends around my log. I began from underneath and came up and around.



Then, I fed the working end of the rope under the standing part and through the two bends.



I pulled the standing part to tighten it and I was finished.

 

[CraigHardy]

Vibration-Proof Hitch​

They say this hitch will resist vibration from the standing part. Not only that, but it'll actually get tighter, the more vibration there is. At first, I thought this one was difficult to tie, but after looking at it for a while and watching a video, I see that it's not difficult at all. As long as the instructional photos are followed, I think you'll get it. If you have any questions, please let me know.

To tie this knot, I made a bend around the log with the rope once, starting on top.



I continued around the log and came out the bottom.



This is where it initially seemed tricky, but it really wasn't. I fed the working end around and through the second bend. Remember, I went outside the bend and fed the working end around and then back in.



And finally, I continued to feed the working end over the standing part and then under the bend again. To finish the knot, I pulled the standing part until it was snug.

 

[CraigHardy]

Snuggle Hitch​

At first, I hated this knot. The book I'm using made far too many bends around the post. It was confusing and completely useless. After watching a video on YouTube, I figured out a much more simple method that holds nice and tight. I'm sure the first method would have held tight too, if I could have figured it out. Oh well. This version is awesome though, so give it a shot. The best part about this hitch is that it keeps tucking the working end underneath existing bends, clamping down on the rope overall. I gave the standing part a good pull when I was finished with it and it worked very well.

To tie this knot, I made a bend around the log, starting from top to bottom.



I continued to bend around the log, going from top to bottom again.



Next, I fed the working end of the rope under the second bend.



I continued to bend the rope around the log, going from top to bottom once more.



Finally, I lifted the original bend from the log to give space to feed the working end through.



After pulling the standing part to tighten the rope, I had a completed Snuggle Hitch.



Obviously, I took this last photo from another effort at tying this knot. It's a good one though.

 

[CraigHardy]

Boom Hitch​

This is a fairly bulky knot that's easy to tie. Essentially, the rope wraps around the post and overlaps itself a few times to create friction. It works well and stays in place. I don't think this one will pull out, due to all the bends.

To tie this hitch, I made a bend around the post from top to bottom.



I crossed the working end over the standing part and made another bend.



I crossed the working end over the standing part again and made another bend, but this time, inside the original bend. Follow the rope closely.



Again, I crossed over the standing part and made another bend, this time, outside the second bend.



And finally, I brought the working end up and tucked it under the second bend.



This is the final Boom Hitch.

 

[CraigHardy]

Timber/Killick Hitch​

This hitch goes by two names. The timber part comes from the logging industry and the killick part comes from the naval industry. They're one and the same and both hitches hold or pull long objects. This is actually a great little hitch that's fun to tie. At first, it appeared daunting, but as I began tying, it became apparent that this one is actually very simple. The best part is, it holds tight and can be easily trusted.

To tie this knot, I made a bend around the log with the working end of the rope, from bottom to top.



I crossed underneath the standing part of the rope and continued around it and then through the bend.



After that, I made another wrap around the rope with the working end. I pulled the standing part to tighten what I had already done.



To finish up, I took the standing part of the rope and brought it down the log a bit. Then, I made a bend around it.



Finally, I took that end of the rope and fed it up and around the bend and pulled tight. This is the completed Timber/Killick Hitch.

 

[CraigHardy]

Clinging Clara​

Here we've got another great hitch that holds tight. It's perfect when you'd like to attach a thinner rope to a thicker rope. I tied this and pulled as hard as I could to separate the two ropes to no avail. It's easy to tie too, which is always nice.

To start off, I placed the thicker rope down on the table. Then, I gave it two wraps with the thinner (orange) rope.



After that, I brought the working end of the orange rope over and around the standing part.



Next, I brought the working end over itself and fed it through the second bend.



I pulled both ends of the rope and dressed the hitch and I had the final knot.

 

[CraigHardy]

Lighterman's Hitch​

Boat operators use this hitch with their mooring lines to dock their boats. Barges even use it to pull other boats (berthing). Tremendous pressure is put on the knot. Because of all the tension involved, whichever hitch these types of people use, it's important that it untie easily. And because the Lighterman's Hitch never actually ties all the way, it comes undone remarkably well. It also holds like a charm. What an interesting knot.


Let's pretend that my piece of wood is a post on a pier. I'll be tying my mooring line to it.

To tie this knot, I first made two bends around the post.



After adjusting for more slack on the working end, I partially pulled that end through to make another bend. This time, in the rope itself.



Next, I flipped that bend right over top of the post.


And finally, after adjusting for more slack on the working end, I brought the end around the standing part and around the post once again. When finished, I simply let the working end drape over the standing part.



Obviously, I had to keep adjusting the rope as I took these photos. If I began with a very long working end, I wouldn't have been able to show which end of the rope was which. In real life, I would have started out with a lot more rope.

 

[CraigHardy]

Pile Hitch​

A very handy hitch indeed. This knot is extremely versatile and easy to tie. And as you'll see, almost impossible to come loose. I would think this hitch would be useful when tying a boat to a dock or any other circumstance where you've got a post with a top you can reach.

To tie this knot, I made a bend in my rope and fed it around the log, from top to bottom.



I made sure the bend was fed under the standing end.



To finish the hitch, I simply flipped the bend around the top of the post, or in this case, log.

 

[CraigHardy]

Knute Hitch​

This hitch has been around forever. If you're a camping enthusiast, you'll love this knot. If you have items that you'd like to hang, then this is for you. Basically, if you have an item with a small hole in it, you can tie a stopper knot at the end of your lanyard or paracord and you can use the Knute Hitch to hang the item or do whatever you wish with it. You'll see what I'm talking about down below.

For this example, I used a frying pan that has a hole at the end of the handle. I also used some black paracord I had laying around. I first tied a stopper knot in the paracord. Any stopper knot would do, but I used a two-stranded overhand knot with a loop. I wanted it to be as bulky as possible. To start off with, I made a bight in the working end of the rope and then pushed that bight through the hole in the handle.



Then, I fed the working end of the paracord through the bight.



And that's it. The Knute Hitch. To tighten, I simply pulled the standing end of the rope.



As long as the stopper knot is larger than the hole, this is a great hitch.

 

[CraigHardy]

Double Pile Hitch​

This is the same exact knot as the Pile Hitch above, but with another wrap around the post. I won't spend any more time on this than necessary. I'll simply leave the photos below.

First, I gave the post two wraps with the doubled up rope.



Then I flipped the bight in the rope over the top of the post and pulled the standing parts to tighten the hitch.

 

[CraigHardy]

Bale Sling Hitch​

This is a great little hitch that's extremely easy to tie. It's perfect if you've got some sort of a loop strap or a short rope that you've tied like the one I've tied in the photo below. You can secure a sleeping bag, sack, or just about any other object that's able to be secured with this hitch.

To tie this knot, I first placed the rope down and then placed the object on top of it.



Then, I fed one end of the rope (bight) through the other. And that's it.



Ignore the Square Knot in the above photo. I merely tied the rope to make it endless.

 

[CraigHardy]

Ring Hitch​

Here's another super easy, yet secure, hitch to try out. You can tie this one with either a loop rope or a regular one. It's perfect for lanyards on knives, canteens, etc... Pretty much anything that you'd like to attach a rope to, as long as there's a hole in your object.

To make this hitch, I fed the bight in the rope through the carabiner, from top to bottom.



Then, I took the working end and flipped it over so it sat on top of the standing part.



And finally, I pulled the top of the carabiner and the standing end of the rope in opposite directions to tighten the hitch.

 

[CraigHardy]

Icicle Hitch​

This is a great hitch to use when you've got to attach a rope to something smooth. If you're concerned about your rope sliding or slipping on your post, this is the hitch to use. The book says you can tie this hitch to a fireman's pole and it won't slip. And that you can pull a tree that's had the bark torn off it. It's that good. We all know barkless trees are slippery.

To tie this hitch, I first made four turns around my post.



Then, after adjusting the rope to add more length to the working end, I took that working end and brought it up the backside of the log and then draped it over the front.



Doing this created a bight in the rope. You can see that in the above photo. It's the one that looks like a smiley face.

After adjusting the rope to add more length again, I took that bight and fed it over the right end of the log.



Here is the final Icicle Hitch.



It looks a bit of a mess, but it's a great knot. If I were to pull on the standing end of the rope, the knot would snug down on the log and it would set tight.

 

[CraigHardy]

Cat's Paw​

This is a handy hitch that adds some friction to a regular Ring Hitch. While the Ring Hitch is turned over once, the Cat's Paw is turned over three times. If one of the lines breaks for some reason, this hitch has a lot better chance of staying attached to the load because of the additional turns.

To tie this hitch, I first made a bight in my rope.



Then, I folded the bight over on top of itself.



Next, I took each loop that was created and turned them backwards towards me two additional times.





After that. I gave each bight another half turn and attached them to the carabiner.



I pulled the standing parts of the rope to tighten the hitch and I had a finished Cat's Paw.

 

[CraigHardy]

Anchor Bend (Fisherman's Bend)​

This is my all-time favorite bend, or knot, or hitch - whatever you want to call it. I use this for climbing trees regularly, although, the version I use is slightly different. I'll get into that in another post. For now, I'll show you exactly how the book does it.

Fisherman used this hitch back in the day (and probably still do) for docking their boats when their ropes got wet and slippery. This bend locks down tightly and is very secure. If you really want to secure it so the rope has no chance in coming out, simply tie a safety knot (Overhand, Figure Eight) in the working end.

To tie this knot, I first made a bend and fed the working end through the carabiner from top to bottom.



Then, I repeated the process for a total of two round turns.



Next, I fed the working end through both round turns.



I pulled both ends of the rope to tighten the knot and to give the working end some slack. Then, I tied a Half Hitch.



And finally, I dressed the knot for a wonderful looking Anchor Bend.

 

[CraigHardy]

Anchor Bend Variant with Safety Knot​

I don't trust knots from sliding out, so I like to tie safety knots on working ends if possible. Also, the more wraps I can make a post, carabiner, or whatever, the better. For climbing trees and attaching my climbing rope to my carabiner, I like to use the Anchor Bend. It's a favorite knot of mine. Sorry, but just because someone on the internet says a knot is secure and won't slip, it doesn't mean I'll trust it. I use my brain when climbing and when I'm hanging from a rope I just tied.

For this Anchor Bend variant, I added a few safety features. If you look at the knot directly above, you'll see the traditional Anchor Bend that's finished with a Half Hitch. That final Half Hitch doesn't do much for me. Because there's no weight on it, it can come loose easily. Below, I'll show you how I compensate for this.

To tie this knot, I first tie the exact same Anchor Bend as above, except for the Half Hitch at the end. Instead of the Half Hitch, I feed the working end through the round turns an additional time.





As it stands, this is a very secure hitch, but not secure enough for me. When tying this knot, I like to leave long enough of a tail so I can tie an Overhand Knot on it.



The working end is on the left. I could have tied a Figure Eight Knot as well, but this is fine. I'm very comfortable climbing with this knot to connect my rope to my carabiner. This one is common among arborists.

 

[CraigHardy]

Halter Hitch​

This was a fun hitch to tie. It looks very complicated, but it's really not. Broken down, it's a cinch.

They say this is a good general purpose hitch. I tend to agree. I tied this one and gave the standing part a good pull and it felt secure. I'm not sure how easy it would be to untie this knot, but seeing that there are a few bends that can be unfolded to loosen the rope, I don't think there would be too much difficulty.

To tie this knot, I first made a bend around the post (or rolling pin).



I fed the working end of the rope over the standing part. Then, I fed the working end under both sides of the bend.



Next, I took the working end and made a bight in it. I fed that bight partially through the loop that was created a step earlier.



Then I took the remaining working end and fed it up and over the rope and through the bight.



To finish and dress the hitch, I pulled on the standing end until everything was tight.

 

[CraigHardy]

Half Blood Knot​

What a great way to attach a rope to a post, carabiner, hook, or just about anything else. This is a secure hitch that's been traditionally used by anglers to connect their fishing lines to their hooks. Easy to tie and very strong.

To tie this knot, I first brought my rope through my carabiner and made a bend in the rope.



After pulling the rope through about 12 inches more, I began twisting the working end around the standing part. I gave the rope about six twists.



I then brought the working end back to the carabiner and fed it through the loop.



And finally, I held the twists in one hand and pulled the standing end with the other. The twists compressed into coils and those coils tightened on the working end and held it in place.

 

[CraigHardy]

Mooring Hitch​

This is a knot that's commonly used to tie a boat to a dock. The reason folks like to use this one is because it's easily adjustable and simple to untie. To untie it, all one needs to do is pull the working end and the entire thing will unravel. After tying this knot, I gave it a good pull and it seemed plenty secure.

To tie this knot, I first made a bend with the rope under and then over the log.



Next, I made a loop with the working end, over the standing end.



Pulling the working end for more slack, I then made a bight in the working end.



I fed the bight into the loop, under the standing part and then back out of the loop.



To finish, I pulled the standing part tight and then dressed the knot.

 

[CraigHardy]

Palomar Knot​

When researching this knot, I found that it's almost exclusively used to tie a fishing line to a hook, so I guess that's what it's used for. I actually like this knot. It's very easy to tie and is very strong. And I don't think it'll ever come out if you don't want it to.

To tie this knot, I first made a bight in the rope and fed it through the carabiner.



Then, I tied a simple Overhand Knot.



After that, I took the carabiner and fed it through the loop in the rope.



I continued doing that until the loop had passed over the entire carabiner and the knot itself. Then, I dressed the knot and tightened it.

 

[CraigHardy]

Jansik Special​

This is a very strong attachment knot. It's great for use when you'd like to connect your rope to a ring, carabiner, or something like that. With its multiple turns around both the ring and itself, it's proven to be extremely durable and efficient.

To tie this knot, I first made a turn through the carabiner and passed the working end of the rope under the standing part.



I then repeated the previous step.



Next, I took the working end and fed it through the loop I created with the two bends.



I repeated the previous step twice more, making sure that each bend was passed over itself.



Finally, I carefully pulled both the standing part as well as the working end to tighten down the knot. When I was finished, I had a wonderful Jansik Special.

 

[CraigHardy]

Turle Knot (Turtle Knot)​

This is a simple knot used for things like pictured below. When you would like to tie a rope to a pot handle, this would be good. A fish hook - good as well. The reason this knot is so effective is because of the added friction applied to the first bend around the handle with the second knot. It works well and is easy to tie.

To tie this knot, I first fed the working end of my rope through the hole in the handle of the pan.



Then I passed the rope around the handle.



After that, I tied what appears to be an Overhand Knot. The first one of two.



Next, I tied another Overhand Knot. This time, it was with the tail of the working end.



After pulling both ends of the rope to tighten the knot, I had a wonderful looking Turle Knot.

 

[CraigHardy]

True Lover's Knot​

This is a very handy knot to know if you need to make a loop of a certain size in your rope. Essentially, you would tie one Overhand knot in the rope to use as sort of a stopper and then tie another Overhand knot as another stopper. What you end up with is a fairly strong loop. This knot is handy for hanging items in your garage or attaching a hook to your fishing line.

To tie this knot, I first tied an Overhand knot about a foot from the end of my rope. Then, I fed the working end of the rope though the carabiner.



Then, I passed the working end through the loop in the Overhand knot.



After that, I tied another Overhand knot, but this time at the end of the working end. I made sure to tie this knot around the standing part.



And this is the final True Lover's knot after I tightened both knots and pulled them close to one another.

 

[CraigHardy]

Ashley's Stopper Knot​

If you've got a larger hole that you need a stopper knot for, this one might be perfect. It's about twice the size of a regular Overhand knot or a Figure 8 knot. It holds well too, which is a benefit.

To tie this knot, I first made a bend in the rope, leaving the working end over the standing part.



Then, I placed the working end under the bend entirely.



Making sure I had long enough of a tail, I pulled the working end through the loop to create a bight.



After that, I fed the working end through the bight.



To tighten the knot, I pulled both ends of the rope.

 

[CraigHardy]

Figure of Eight Knot​

This is a super simple to tie, super great stopper knot. I use this all the time when I need a safety knot to keep my Prusik or Blake's hitch knots ultra secure. If you're into camping, climbing trees, or just about anything else that might require knot tying outdoors, I think you should learn and get used to this one. It's very handy to know.

To tie this knot, I first made a loop with my rope.



Then I gave the loop a twist.



That makes the first (sort of) figure 8. After that, I took the working end of the rope and fed it under and through the first loop.



To tighten, this stopper, I pulled both ends of the rope.

 

[CraigHardy]

Stevedor's Knot​

This is merely another good stopper knot, once used to halt a rope that was used with a pulley system from pulling through. This is bulkier than a regular Overhand knot or a Figure of 8 knot, so it may be beneficial in some instances.

To tie this knot, I first made a loop in the rope.



Then, I twisted the rope three times.



I then took the working end of the rope and passed it through the loop, from under to over.



And finally, I pulled the working end and the standing part to tighten the knot. After that, I dressed the knot until it was fully tightened.

 

[CraigHardy]

Crossing Knot​

If you've got to cross ropes and would like to keep them in position, this knot is a great one to use. You'll see bakers take advantage of this knot when tying up boxes full of cookies. It's also valuable when roping off areas on which you don't want others to trespass. And finally, if you'll notice, this knot is the same as the beginning part of the Anchor hitch and it's essentially the same thing as the Munter hitch, both my favorites.

Tying this knot is simple. To start, I made a bend with the orange rope over the white rope.



Then, I took the working end and brought it over the standing part of the orange rope and then under the white rope. And that's it. Done.

 

[CraigHardy]

Prusik & Double Prusik Knot​

These are must-know knots for both tree and rock climbing. You won't be doing either of these activities without intimate knowledge of sliding knots such as these. Luckily, you can purchase separate prusiks that are pre-sewn to use exclusively as sliding knots. I use one all the time while climbing trees. The benefit of using a prusik over a Blake's hitch is that the prusik slides and locks in both directions. Just be sure to use high friction/high wear ropes when using this knot.

Tying this knot is simple. You'll be using a climbing rope as your primary and then you'll tie your prusik onto that, using the Prusik knot. For this example, I first began by making a bend in my prusik rope (loop) and then wrapping that bend around the large rope. I also fed the working ends through the bend.



Then, I repeated the step above.



To finish the Single Prusik knot, I would simply pull the working ends to snug the thinner rope around the thicker one. To tie a Double Prusik knot, I would give the thicker rope one additional wrap with the thinner one and then pull the ends to tighten things up.





If I wanted even more security, I could always continue wrapping, but that's most likely not necessary.

 

[CraigHardy]

Bachmann Knot​

This is another handy sliding/locking knot that's used for climbing. The difference between the Bachmann knot and the Prusik knot is that this one requires a carabiner and it's only uni-directional, meaning, it only locks when sliding in one direction (down). The Prusik is omni-directional, meaning, it locks while sliding in both directions. Both are excellent knots to consider, so think about your needs and then choose one.

I do want to mention on thing before I begin with the instructions. Typically, you would use a prusik loop or a prusik rope with eyes along with a climbing rope. In the photos below, you'll see a prusik with a cotton braided rope. I used the braided rope because it's the thickest one I have. It's not a climbing rope by any means.

To tie this knot, I first made a bight in my prusik loop.



Then, I attached that bight to my carabiner.



I gave the prusik loop a wrap around the climbing rope and clicked that wrap into the carabiner.



To finish up, I continued with the wraps. You can wrap the prusik loop around your carabiner as many times as you can fit. In my case, I did three wraps.



That's it. When you're ready, attach the prusik loop to your other carabiner and harness to put weight on it and to lock it in place.

 

[CraigHardy]

Klemheist Knot​

This is just another version of a sliding locking knot. I believe this one, just like the last one, is uni-directional, meaning it's only useful in one direction.

To tie this knot, I first made a bight in my prusik loop (black rope). Then, I slid it under my climbing rope (white cotton rope - not really a climbing rope).



Then, I began wrapping the black rope around the white rope. I made four wraps in all. This knot is fine with anywhere from three to five wraps.





When I was finished with the wraps, I took the standing part of the black rope and fed it through the loop in the end I was just wrapping.



Then, I pulled on the standing part to add some weight. And that's the Klemheist knot.

 

[CraigHardy]

Mariner's Knot​

This knot isn't used on the open sea. The name is thought to be derived from the man who invented the knot. This is one rescuers use when attempting to relieve the weight from a climber who has fallen. It's used in conjunction with either the Prusik knot or the Klemheist knot.

To tie this knot, I first made a bight in my rope and then made two wraps around the carabiner.



Then, with the working end of the rope, I made a pass over the standing part.



After that, I made a wrap around the standing part with the working end.



And finally, I tucked the working end through the ropes of the standing part.

 

[CraigHardy]

Penberthy Knot​

I've seen this knot tied a few different ways, so I picked one. If you have a different method, please let me know by responding to this post. This is somewhat of an esoteric knot. I swear, sometimes I think people sit around coming up with new ways to do something just for the heck of it. I'm not sure why anyone would want to tie this knot, but here it is.

To tie this knot, I first wrapped the thicker rope five times with the orange thinner rope.



Then I made a loop with the standing part of the orange rope.



After that, I fed the working end of the orange rope through the loop in the standing part.



I went around the loop and through again.



Finally, I pulled both ends tight and this is what I ended up with.



As I was researching this knot, I did find a variation. This one below is probably correct. As I went through the loop, I missing one step. Take a look.



This is a corrected version of mine above.

 

[CraigHardy]

Munter Friction Hitch​

If you don't own a figure 8 repelling device or if you only repel a few times here and there, the Munter Hitch is an excellent option for using your climbing rope and a carabiner to get yourself down a cliff or down a tree. This is a safe hitch that has great stopping power. The only downside of it is that it adds a lot of friction to a climbing rope, which can wear it out. There's less rope on rope friction when using a figure 8. But, if a carabiner is all you have, you may want to use this.

There are many methods for tying this knot and what I'm going to show you below isn't necessarily the best. I would personally hook into this differently if I were in a tree, but this is fine for today's demonstration.

To tie this knot, I first made a bend in my rope. Notice exactly which part goes on top and which part goes underneath.



Next, I clipped the carabiner around the standing part of the rope.



Next, I took hold of the bend and flipped it over. I brought the top part toward me and the bottom part away. I then clipped through the loop.



I pulled the ends tight and that's it.

 

[CraigHardy]

Double Munter Friction Hitch​

If you've got a thinner climbing rope, you may want to try out the Double Munter Hitch because it'll give you more friction due to the additional rope surface area. The single version of this hitch might not give you enough stopping power. This is actually an easier version to tie than the previous one because there's no "flip" of the loop. It's merely making two loops and then clicking your carabiner onto the rope that does the trick.

To tie this knot, I first made two loops with my rope. Notice which direction the rope ends go.



I then clipped the carabiner onto the standing part of the rope.



Next, I brought the top part of the carabiner under the bottom part of the loops and clipped them into it.



I pulled both ends of the rope tight and I was finished.

 

[CraigHardy]

Heddon Knot​

This knot is very similar to the Prusik knot as well as the Penberthy knot in that it can lock one rope to another while climbing either cliffs or trees. I actually like this knot. I've never heard of it nor have I ever seen it before, but it's simple to tie and it appears to be effective. One thing to note; it only works in one direction, so keep that in mind.

For this knot, I'll be using a prusik loop. Either the loop or a prusik with eye ends is fine. The orange rope will be the prusik loop and the white rope will be the climbing line.

To tie this knot, I first made a bight in the orange rope and placed that bight under the climbing line.



I then folded the bight downward and took the standing part of the orange rope and made a half wrap around the climbing line to cover the bight.



I continued to feed the standing part of the orange rope around the climbing rope.



Finally, I continued wrapping the standing part of the orange rope around the climbing rope and fed it through the bight.



To tighten this knot, I pulled the standing part away from the climbing line.

 

[CraigHardy]

Double Heddon Knot​

The Double Heddon knot is the same as the Single Heddon knot, but with one additional wrap. This is an abbreviated post because I already gave away most of what you need to do directly above. Obviously, being a "double" version of a knot, it's going to be stronger. Beware though; because there's an additional wrap with this one, it's more difficult to loosen to use while climbing. So there's a trade-off.

To tie this knot, I first placed the bight in my orange prusik beneath the white climbing rope.



Then, I gave the climbing rope two wraps with the orange prusik.



After that, I fed the standing part of the prusik through the bight.



And finally, I tightened and dressed the knot.

 

[CraigHardy]

Square Knot​

This isn't your regular Square knot. This is a more elaborate version. It's also called the Rustler's knot, Japanese Crown knot, Japanese Success knot, Chinese Cross knot, and the Chinese Good Luck knot. That's a lot of names. I'm not sure when you would want to use this knot, but it sure is fun to tie and to look at. People would most like use this for ornamental purposes, but it is quite strong as well.

As it isn't the easiest thing in the world to write out how to tie this knot, it may be more straightforward to just look at the pictures and try to tie it yourself. I will attempt to explain the instructions though.

To start off, I made bights in both ropes. Then, I interwove those ropes. Notice which part of each rope is on top and on bottom.



Next, I took the working end of the orange rope, bent it again, and placed it on top of the working end of the black rope.



Then, I bent the black rope over the working end of the orange rope and then fed the working end of the black rope through the first bend in the orange rope. This is a loose version of the Square knot.



To finish the knot, I carefully and slowly pulled all of the ends of the ropes. Eventually, they tightened into this beauty.

 

[CraigHardy]

Granny Knot​

We've all tied this knot. It's an easy one. It's a knot they say is no good. They say it tightens so tight that it can never be untied or that it slips out and is completely worthless. I wouldn't advise using this knot, but it's helpful to know what it is. This is the knot you basically use to tie your shoes, but when doing that, you'd add two draw loops. When those loops come loose, you end up with this.

To tie this knot, I first crossed the two ends of the rope.



Then, I wrapped one around the other.



Then, I crossed the two ends again. Notice which end is on top of which.



After one more wrap, I've got a loose Granny knot.



After pulling all of the ends to tighten it, I'm done.

 

[CraigHardy]

Reef Knot (Square Knot)​

The Reef knot is very similar to the Granny knot above, but according to the book, this one holds better. They say you shouldn't use this to attach two ropes together, only to bind something. It's an easy knot to tie. So easy, in fact, that I'm going to leave the beginning photos out of this post. It's almost identical to the knot above. When viewing the photos below, keep an eye on where the ends of the rope lies. On top and on the bottom make a difference.

When tying this knot, follow the instructions for the Granny knot above. At the point of crossing the rope ends a second time, place the right side over and the left side under, as opposed to the other way around. Then finish tightening the knot by pulling the ends.

 

[CraigHardy]

Thief Knot​

Here's a question for you. What's the difference between the Reef knot and the Thief knot? The answer is, the working ends of the ropes are on the same side with the Reef knot, but opposite sides with the Thief knot. Neither of these knots is very good at staying tied. I just finished tying the Thief knot and when I was done, I pulled both ropes apart. The working ends twisted right out, so I wouldn't depend on this one for anything that truly matters. It's fun to tie though.

To tie this knot, I first made a bend in one end of my rope.



Then I fed the working end of the other side of the rope through the bend.



After that, I fed the same working end under and around both parts of the bend.



I continued feeding that working end up and around the standing part of the bend, and then back through it. To finish, I pulled all ends until the knot was tight.

 

[CraigHardy]

Grief Knot​

This should be called the Good Grief knot. It's probably the worst I've ever tied. Once completed, it rolls right out when the ends of the rope are pulled. And it doesn't even take any strength to do so. It's worse than the Granny knot, Thief knot, and the Reef knot. I'm not sure why they teach this one; probably to show people what not to do.

Anyway, to tie this knot, I first made a bend in one side of my rope.



After that, I took the working end of the other side of my rope and fed it through the bend.



Then, I fed that working end around and under the working end of the bend. I continued to feed it over the standing part of the bend.



Finally, I fed the working end around and under the standing part of the bend and then through the bend again.



I pulled tight on all ends of the rope and had myself a completed Grief knot.



Looks interesting. Terrible knot.

 

[CraigHardy]

Pole Lashing​

This is a fun knot to tie. It's really meant for a number of poles, rods, or anything else that needs to be held together. Think of tent poles or the like. This knot squeezes the individual objects together to keep them in place. For this example, I used my trusted log because I didn't have poles.

Anyway, to tie this knot, I first made two bends with my rope and then placed the log on top of them. You'd place your tent poles on the rope instead of a log. Unless, of course, you'd like to bind some logs together.



I then flipped one of the bends up and over the log and fed the same side working end through the bend.



I did the same for the other side and pulled the working ends tight, so the rope was snug.



Then, with the two working ends, I began tying a Reef knot.



When I finished tying the Reef knot, I had a completed Pole lashing.

 

[CraigHardy]

Bag Knot​

This is a great little knot that's easy to tie. It's surprisingly secure too. All it takes is a few turns around the neck of your bag, a tuck, and you'll be all set. This knot can be tied with a draw loop or not. Both are good options. By using the draw loop though, you'll be making things a lot easier for you when it comes time to untie your knot. It's up to you though.

For this example, please pretend that my log is a bag. I didn't have one of those pretty canvas bags we see in the pictures, so I used the log instead. It's just as good though.

To tie this knot, I first made a bend around the log.



Then I made another bend, making sure I crossed the working end over the standing part.



After that, I took the working end and crossed it over the first cross.



And finally, I made a bight in the working end of the rope and tucked it under the very first bend. I pulled both ends of the rope to tighten.

 

[CraigHardy]

Sack/Miller's Knot​

This is another handy knot you can use to tie closed a sack or a bag. It's effective, stays tight, and is easy to tie. There's no draw loop, so if it gets too tight, you may have a job on your hands getting it untied.

To tie this knot, I used a log as opposed to a sack again. I first placed the working end on a point of the log and then wrapped the rest of the rope around the log, making sure to cover the working end with the rope.



Next, I fed the end of the rope I just wrapped around the log over itself and then under the first wrap. And that's it! Pull to tighten and you've got yourself a Sack or a Miller's knot.

 

[CraigHardy]

Constrictor Knot​

This is an awesome knot for tying the ends of frayed ropes. It's perfect for holding things in place and it's very secure. This is an ancient knot that has been used for all sorts of things. It can be tied in a few different variations to assist with loosening it or it can be tied the way I'll show you below to be used in semi-permanent situations.

To tie this knot, I first wrapped my rope around the log once, making sure to cross the working end over the standing part.



I continued wrapping the working end around the log until it came out underneath.



I then created some space underneath the intersection of the wraps and fed the working end up and over the standing part and then under the intersection.



And finally, I pulled both ends to tighten the Constrictor knot.

 

[CraigHardy]

Transom Knot​

This is a great knot to use when building a fort in the woods. If you're trying to tie together branches for walls and a roof, some twine along with this knot will do the trick. For my example, I used my heavy cotton rope in a cross formation, but sticks, pipes, or poles would probably be more suitable. Not to mention realistic.

To start this knot off, I fed the working end of the orange rope over the horizontal stick, under the vertical stick, and then back over the horizontal stick.



Then, I fed the working end over the standing part and under the vertical stick.



And finally, I brought the working end back over the working part and under and through the intersection of the ropes.



To tighten, I pulled both ends of the orange rope.

 

[CraigHardy]

Double Constrictor Knot​

As if the single Constrictor knot wasn't enough, we've now got a double. This is one legit knot. I don't think this one will come undone if tied correctly. They say this knot is more suitable when binding larger and oddly shaped objects. I would have to agree. I like it.

To tie this knot, I first made a wrap around my object, which, in this case, is my doubled up white cotton rope. I wrapped with the orange rope.



I continued to wrap with the orange rope, making sure to cross the working end over the standing part.



I continue on, making another wrap with the orange rope, following the path I already made. I wrapped over the object and then under it.





At this point, I loosened both wraps a bit; just enough to allow the working end to slide under them. Then, I fed the working end of the orange rope under the wraps.



At this point, the knot is very good. But it can be better. To make it so, I pulled on the standing part to give me some space to work.



Next, I took the working end and fed it around and through the loop I created in the standing part.



And to finish the knot, I pulled both ends of the orange rope tight.

 

[CraigHardy]

Spade End Knot​

Some fishing hooks don't have eyes, meaning, there's no hole to feed your fishing line through. They have spades instead, meaning, the end of the hook is enlarged as to not allow the fishing line knot to slip over it. The only issue is that you need to know which knot to tie to the spade end hook. That's what I'm here for. I'll explain it down below.

Okay, let's pretend that the white cotton rope is the fish hook. The spade end is on the right and the hook itself on the left. The orange rope will be the fishing line and ultimately, the tension will be coming from the right. So that's the way I'll tie this knot.

To start off, I made a bight in my orange rope. The part I'll be wrapping around the hook will be longer than the other part.



Next, I place the bight on top of the hook and begin making a wrap with the working (longer) end of the orange rope.



I'll make five or six wraps.



When I'm finished with that, I'll take the shorter end of the rope and feed that through the loop.



And finally, to tighten the knot down, I'll pull both ends of the rope with some good pressure. I can also trim the excess rope off the left side.

 

[CraigHardy]

Angler's Loop​

This is an easy knot to tie and it's very secure. It's a fantastic loop knot that's got a long history. It's perfect for tying with all types of rope and won't come loose very easily at all.

To tie this knot, I first made a loop with my rope.



Then, I tied an Overhand knot, leaving a loop with the working end.



After that, I fed the working end of the rope under the standing part.



Finally, I fed the working end of the rope through the core of the knot.



To tighten this knot, I pulled the loop as well as the working end away from one another.

 

[CraigHardy]

Figure-of-Eight Loop​

This is a very secure loop that can be made even more secure by tying the working end to the standing part when finished. Some people don't like this knot because it's tough to untie with some ropes, but if you're using a modern climbing rope, that shouldn't be a problem.

To tie this knot, I first made a bight in my rope. Then, I folded the bight over the standing part.



I continued to bring the bight around the standing part.



And then I brought the bight up and I fed it through the loop that was just created. To tighten, I pulled both ends of the rope.

 

[CraigHardy]

Bowline Loop​

The Bowline is a great loop knot. It holds firmly and is used very commonly in the trades. At first, it's a bit confusing to tie, but once you begin using it on a regular basis, it becomes second nature.

To tie this knot, I first made a loop with my rope, saving enough of the working end to make the final loop. In my case, that was about 12 inches.



Next, I took the working end and fed it through the loop.



And then I fed the working end under the standing part.



And finally, I took the working end and brought it around the standing part and through the loop again.



I pulled both ends to tighten the knot down.

 

[CraigHardy]

Eskimo Bowline Loop​

This knot also goes by the name Boas bowline. It's more secure than the traditional bowline, but in the beginning, it's slightly more challenging to tie. I had to redo my efforts a few times before I got it right. If you follow the photos below though, you should get it just fine. And much more quickly than I did.

To tie this knot, I first made a loop with my rope.



Then, I made another loop.



I then fed the working end of the rope under both loops.



And to finish things off, I took the working end of the rope and fed it around the second loop and under the first loop, otherwise known as the standing part. Then, I took the working end and continued over both loops. The second loop is actually the loop of the knot. That's the one you'll pull to make larger.



To tighten the knot, I pulled on the second loop, the working end, and the standing part.

 

[CraigHardy]

Double Bowline​

This is the same exact knot as the single common Bowline, but with an added loop at the beginning. Because of the added loop, this is a stronger knot than its little brother. For not much more work, this is a more worthy knot.

To tie this knot, I first made two loops with my rope, leaving a 12 inch tail.



Next, I took the tail (working end) and fed it through the loops I just made.



Then I fed the working end under the standing part.



And I continued to feed the working end around the standing part and back through the double loops.



To tighten the knot, I pulled on the working end, standing part and the newly formed loop.

 

[CraigHardy]

Water Bowline​

We're now splitting hairs with these Bowline knots. This next version is almost the same as the previous, with one small difference. It's in the two loops that are created at the beginning. In one knot, they're compressed together and in the other they're apart, separated by the rope. It really makes no difference though. These are both great knots that form wonderful loops. It's up to you to decide which you like better.

To tie this knot, I first created a loop with the working end of my rope.



I then fed the working end through the loop.



After that, I made another loop with the standing part.



And I continued to feed the working end through the loop and under the standing part.





Finally, I fed the working end through both loops.



To tighten this knot, it'll take some dressing. I pulled both ends of the rope, along with the loop as well. Then, I dressed the knot itself until it was tight.

 

[CraigHardy]

Manharness Knot​

This is an excellent knot for tying a bight in the middle of a run of rope. There are many occasions you may want to do something like this; when attaching multiple animals to a single line, when lowering a chainsaw from a tree, when holding posts in position; the list goes on. This is a sturdy knot that doesn't slip. It's also easy to tie.

To tie this knot, I first made a loop in my rope. For this knot, there is no working end and standing part.



Next, I took the left side of the rope and placed it under the loop.



I then brought that same part of rope that I just brought under the loop and continued bringing it above the right side of the loop.



After that, I took the right side of the loop and fed it through the opening at the center.



Finally, I pulled on the part I just brought through the center as well as both ends of the rope. That tightened the knot.

 

[CraigHardy]

Alpine Butterfly Loop​

This is one of my three favorite knots. First is the Anchor hitch, second is the Bowline, and third is the Alpine Butterfly loop. This is such a handy knot for a number of reasons. Climbers of all types use it for a variety of reasons. They can attach a carabiner to it and hang off it. It's great for rescue operations. If a climber is in a tree, this knot is handy when the ground-man needs to pass something to the climber. If a rope is partially cut and that part of the rope needs to be taken out of use and isolated, simply make it part of the loop area. This is a strong knot that's very popular out there in the rope world.

To tie this knot, I first made a bight somewhere in my rope and then gave it a double twist.



Then, I took the loop that was formed at the top of the rope and folded it underneath the twists. This created two loops; a larger one and a smaller one.



I took the bottom part of the larger loop and passed it up and through the smaller loop.



To tighten this knot, I pulled on the loop as well as both ends of the rope.

 

[CraigHardy]

Three-Quarter Figure-of-Eight Loop​

I have no idea who made this knot up, but I'm not a fan. It's complicated to tie and I'm not even sure how you would use this one to tie a loop in a long rope. I did it with my short piece and succeeded because I was able to use both ends. If I didn't have that second end, I'd be in trouble. But be that as it may, here it is, in all its glory.

To tie this knot, I first made a bight in my rope and placed it on the table. Then, I placed the standing part of the rope over the bight and draped the working end over the standing part.



After that, I fed the working end under and through the bight loop.



Next, I took the working end and fed it around the working end and through that same loop. To see this, follow the loop that's all the way to the right. That's the end of the rope I'm referring to here.



Finally, I pulled on the loop that's to the left and held the ends of the rope in place. That tightened the knot down.

 

[CraigHardy]

Bowstring Knot​

This is a handy little knot that has its uses. They say it's popular with tying and adjusting tent pole lines. It is adjustable, but you need to remember to tie a stopper knot if you are looking for security. With this knot, there's nothing holding the working end in place but friction, so it's important that you stop that end from pulling free under tension.

To tie this knot, I first made a loop at the working end of my rope.



Then I continued to tie an Overhand knot.



I made a gap between the working end side of the overhand knot and then fed the working end through that gap.



I'm including the next photo to show you which end of the rope you need to pull to make the ultimate loop. It can be confusing for first timers. The loop will be made with the working end portion of the rope. Take a look.



So really, the longer the working end, the larger the loop.

Finally, after pulling the working end loop enough to tighten the rest of the knot, I had a completed Bowstring knot.

 

[CraigHardy]

Midshipman's Hitch​

If you're looking for a sliding lock knot, this is a good choice. It's similar to a Blake's hitch, but perhaps a bit lighter. As the name suggests, this knot is used at sea. It's very handy.

To tie this knot, I first made a loop with my rope. I took the working end and fed it around the standing part.



I continued feeding the working end all the way around.



After one full wrap, I gave it a second wrap.



I then took the working end and fed it under itself.



Next, I took the working end and fed it through the second wrap.



After pulling everything tight, I had a finished Midshipman's hitch.

 

[CraigHardy]

Tarbuck Knot​

This is another sliding lock knot. It's similar to the one directly above, but it mixes things up for the final step or two. I've actually used this knot without even knowing it. I hung a shelf in my trailer with some paracord a few years ago and used this locking knot to even out each rope. After all this time, the knots are holding strong.

To tie this knot, I first made a loop with my rope. I made sure to feed the working end around and under the standing part.



I then made another wrap around the standing part with the working end for a total of two wraps.



After that, I took the working end and fed it back up and around the standing part.



And to finish things off, I kept going around the standing part and back over the working end itself. I fed the end of the rope around and under the working end.



I slowly tightened all part of the rope and was left with a wonderful Tarbuck knot.

 

[CraigHardy]

Adjustable Loop​

Here's another example of a friction tightening loop knot that can come in handy while rock climbing or tree climbing. It tightens when put under load and is adjustable in both directions.

To tie this knot, I first tied a simple Overhand knot.



Then, I gave the loop another wrap with the working end.



I then made one more wrap and fed the working end underneath the large loop.



I continued bringing the working end around the large loop and I fed it under itself.



To tighten, I pulled gently on both ends of the rope.

 

[CraigHardy]

Hangman's Noose​

This is an incredibly useful and strong knot. It's very secure and can be used on a variety of occasions. At first, it took me a minute to get how this was tied, but after a few tries, it was like second nature.

To tie this knot, I first made a simple overlap with my rope.



I then took the working end and came up and around the overlap.



I then gave the parts of rope a few wraps, nice and tight.





When I had just a bit of rope left after the wraps, I tucked the end into the nearby loop.



And finally, I pulled the loop on the right side (the hangman's loop) until it sucked the working end into and underneath the wraps.

 

[CraigHardy]

Arbor Knot​

This is another excellent sliding loop knot that's perfect for securing a rope to something with an eyelet, such as an anchor or a fish hook. This one is especially easy to tie and it's strong to boot.

To tie this knot, I first placed my rope on the table and made sort of a half loop with the rope's end.



Next, I made a loop with the working end and placed the working end over the standing part.



After that, I brought the working end around the standing part and fed it through the loop I made earlier.



And then I went around a few more times.





And finally, after pulling on the loop some, the wraps tightened and left me with a perfect Arbor knot.

 

[CraigHardy]

Portuguese Bowline​

I think another name for this knot could be the "double looped" Bowline. It's basically a simple Bowline with two loops as opposed to just one. I'm sure it's nice and strong. I'm not sure how much stronger than it's little brother, but it feels pretty good in my hands.

To tie this knot, I first made a loop with the end of my rope.



After that, I made another loop, right around the first loop.



I then began feeding the working end under the outer loop.



And then I fed the working end under and through the inner loop as well.



Next, I brought the working end up and around the standing part and then through the inner loop again.



To tighten the knot, I held the two outer loops in place and pulled the standing part so it tightened just the inner loop.

 

[CraigHardy]

What Are the Best Books on Knots?​

A while back, I became fascinated with tying knots. I went camping in the woods twice and during those times, there were a few knots I needed. I think one of them was to hang a clothesline and the other was to hang a tarp over my tent. I forget what I used for both of them, but they weren't correct. I know that. Looking back, I think I should have used a Blake's Hitch to secure and then adjust the lengths of those ropes (paracord for the tarp). That knot would have been perfect as I've used it on many other occasions. I use it in tree climbing a lot. That's where I learned it.

Anyway, I'd like to buy a book on knots. I don't need a huge one that will teach me every knot under the sun, I just need about 20 good knots that are useful for the outdoors and every day life. Any ideas?

I used to own The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Knots and Ropework by Geoffrey Budworth, but I have no idea where that went. It was too big anyway. Lots of useless knots in that one. Great explanations and photos though. I've also read that The Ashley Book of Knots by Clifford W. Ashley is the one to own. Have you seen that though? Talk about overkill. I'd be swimming in useless knots if I owned that. Also, if memory serves, I don't think there were good photos in that. Just illustrations.

What would you suggest if you were going to go out and buy a book on knots today?

COMMENT: Now you're speaking my language. The first knot book I ever owned was the best one, in my opinion. It was simple and to the point. It didn't inundate and overwhelm the reader with an entire collection of esoteric knots that no one will ever use. Just handy practicality.

The book was called The Klutz Book of Knots and it's available on Amazon right now. The pictures are easy to read and the book even comes with two pieces of rope that you can practice with. So very cool. I'll remember that book forever. It seems like books were so much more fun back then.

Basically, instead of giving the reader a knot for each and every scenario they may come across (many knots), they give a knot that will handle a bunch of things well. So they're easier to remember that way because there are fewer of them. The knots they gave were for very common uses, which was great. For the person (like you) who only wants to learn a few really great and useful knots, this may be the best book.

I actually just looked this book up on Amazon for prices and the paperback is pretty cheap. Brand new, they want $7.06 and used you can get it for $3.08, plus shipping, I'm sure. That's for the paperback though, so there's not much special about that. The spiral version is the fun one with the ropes. That goes for $33.27 though, so that's pretty expensive. Much more than I paid when I was a kid. I think I got mine at a book fair or something and I can guarantee you that I didn't pay $33.

You can check out the book here: https://amzn.to/3mmG7S1

The reviews are great. Everyone loves the book. It gets 4.4 stars from 51 ratings, so that's gotta say something. Good luck.

PS - And yes, that bible put out by Ashley is overkill, big time.

COMMENT: Thank you for the recommendation. I swear that was the book my father told me about. I just got off the phone with him and he was talking about something that came with ropes. It's got to be a popular book.

I think what I'm going to do is look for a book that shows popular tree climbing knots for arborists. Those are the ones I'm very interested in and I think many of them can translate over to other situations. I found a book called Knots at Work that was put out by Jeff Jepson that might do me well, but I can't seem to see inside of it. The "Look Inside" doesn't work for this book. You can see the book here: https://amzn.to/2KwCADb.

The book says it's got over 50 arborist knots, so that would be awesome if they were all the popular ones. I also wonder if arborist knots are the same ones that rock climbers use. That would be good too. There can only be so many knots out there. I'll let you know what I decide.

 

[CraigHardy]

Prusik vs. Split Tail for Tree Climbing Descent​

I have a question that I haven't been able to find an answer for as of yet. Let's say that I've spiked up a tree to attach a single rope to be used as a pull rope for a take-down cut from the bottom. All I want to do is climb (spike) the tree a good ways up, attach the rope to the stick and then come back down to make my cut from the base. A groundman will pull the rope to help the tree fall in the direction I desire.

As far as I know, a rappelling device such as a traditional figure 8 or a figure 8 with ears is a great method for descent as opposed to spiking back down while using my lanyard to assist. Also, as far as I know, it's smart to have a backup for the figure 8, such as a prusik, in case anything goes wrong, such as loss of control, loss of consciousness, etc... The last thing I want is to be free-falling to the ground because I got myself knocked out by hitting my head on a branch or something like that.

So here's my question: popular opinion says that a prusik is a popular device to use as that backup, but can't I just use a split tail to do the same thing? Let's say I am still tied in with my lanyard and I set up my figure 8. Instead of setting up the prusik, I can clip my split tail to my harness and then tie a Blake's hitch to the pull rope and descend from there. What's the difference? I haven't heard this idea or suggestion anywhere out there and I'm starting to think I'm missing something. Is it because of the friction of the Blake's hitch? Are prusiks made out of different more high temperature rope? That's the only thing I could think of as both would be suitable as a backup. Or perhaps the Blake's hitch needs to be set by the arborist to remain tight, else it will slide too fast.

Please let me know.

COMMENT: I don't think anyone would argue with you if you wanted to use a split tail as opposed to a prusik for backing up your descent with a figure 8. Either one is good. The thing is, even owning a prusik or split tail depends on which type of climbing system you use. If you own and use a full length lanyard that's got a floater (prusik) already, that prusik will be at your disposal when you need it to use elsewhere. Not everyone uses an open climbing system where they'd own a split tail. So that's one reason right there. I do think both would work well and you could take advantage of whichever one you own. I also think that the whole "using a prusik backup while descending" thing has somewhat become gospel in the arborist world. Good question though. I wish more people would think outside the box like this.

Check out these two videos I found of the topic.

Using a Figure 8 for Descending the Tree - WesSpur's Niceguydave Demonstrates a Classic Tool

Using the Floater on Your Lanyard for Better Positioning

The videos don't exactly cover what I was referring to above, but they do give some good background on descending and using the lanyard prusik as a positioning aide when climbing.

COMMENT: If you already own a split tail, then use it for your decent backup. What's more, you don't even need to buy a figure 8 to use as a descender. You could use your carabiner and a Munter hitch. When using the Munter, I give the carabiner two wraps instead of one. The knot is the same as the Anchor hitch until about half way through. That's how I remember how to tie it. I know the Anchor hitch like the back of my hand. Instead of passing the working end through the turns, you pass it through the carabiner instead. Obviously, because the working end will likely be about 100' long.

 

[CraigHardy]

Tree Climbing Termination Knots​

There are a lot of knots to learn when it comes to climbing trees. Many of them have to do with the climbing itself, some have to do with lowering branches, and some have to do with all the other odds and ends you find yourself doing when you're an arborist. Instead of discussing every single knot one might have to learn while working in the tree business, I've decided to focus this thread strictly on termination knots. This type of knot is my absolute favorite - I'm not even sure why. Perhaps it's because termination knots are generally easy to tie and are extremely secure. Whatever the case, there are a fair number of them and as time passes, I'll do my best at explaining each one (with pictures) on this page. If you've got any suggestions or knots you'd like to share, please don't hesitate adding to the discussion down below.

 

[CraigHardy]

Anchor Hitch​

This is my go-to termination knot for tying my climbing rope to my carabiner. Because it's a cinch knot, it doesn't run or come loose. The more weight that's put on the rope, the tighter the knot becomes. The only thing you need to make sure of is to have enough of a tail on this one. For cinch type termination knots, you need at least five rope widths of a tail. Personally, I just make a long tail and then tie a stopper knot in it (Overhand or Figure Eight). I always use stopper knots with my termination knots. The last think I want to do while up in a tree is worry about my knots.

To tie this knot, I placed my carabiner on the table as if it was attached to my harness and then I brought the climbing rope through the carabiner, from front to back. I brought the rope around the carabiner twice.



Next, I took the working end and fed it behind the standing part. Please note that I adjusted the length of the rope as I tied this knot. I had to keep the working end short for the sake of photography.



After that, I brought the working end all the way around the standing part and fed it through both turns in the rope.



And finally, I pulled both ends of the rope to tighten it. By the way, this is the stiffest rope I've ever worked with. It's not real tree climbing rope. It's cheap stuff from Amazon that's used for making tree swings.





PS - I want to mention one more thing in regards to tying this knot. If you'll notice, I began this knot by running the rope down the spine of the carabiner. This will keep the weight where the carabiner is strongest. It's important to remember small details like this when tying arborist termination knots.

 

[CraigHardy]

Double Fisherman's Knot​

The second knot I'd like to show you is called the Double Fisherman's knot. This is another favorite of mine. It may actually tie the Anchor hitch in its security and ease of tying. The Double Fisherman's is an excellent termination knot for use with a carabiner when climbing. There's no way this knot is coming out. And because of its security and ability to cinch down on whatever it's tied around, many tree and rock climbers use this knot when making homemade prusik loops. It's pretty much the go-to knot for making terminations of this type.

By the way, I had to go back to my soft orange rope for these demonstrations. The white rope was just too stiff. It wouldn't stay in position when I let go of it.

To tie this knot, I first placed my carabiner on the table as if I were wearing it on my climbing saddle. Then, I brought the working end of my rope down and through the carabiner, from back to front.



After that, I made a bight in the rope and took one wrap around the standing part.



Next, I made one full wrap around the standing part.



And then another wrap, for a total of two.



I brought the working end to the front of the knot and fed it through, underneath the wraps.



To tighten the knot, I pulled on both ends of the working end.

 

[CraigHardy]

Buntline Hitch​

The Buntline is another awesome termination knot that's used for climbing. It's a good one too because, unlike the Anchor hitch, this hitch only uses one piece of rope that's fed through the carabiner or clip. So if you've got a clip with a small hole in it, where two wraps around would be too much, try out the Buntline hitch. It's very easy to tie.

Also, the Buntline is really just a Clove hitch in disguise. I'll show you what I mean in the photos below.

To tie this knot, I first placed my carabiner on the table as if I had it attached to my climbing saddle. Then, I fed the working end of the rope through the carabiner, from back to front. I made a bight and began bringing the end of the rope around the back of the standing part.



I continued bringing the standing part around the front of the rope.



And then I fed the working end around the back again.



This is the part that's most important. Do you see how I made an "x" in the rope above? Well, the working end needs to be fed under that x. Take a look below.



To finish up, I pulled the ends of the rope tight until the knot tightened. Look for the Clove hitch below.





And then I cinched the loop down on the carabiner.