Questions tagged [knots]
Questions relating to the use of knots in performing activities in the great outdoors such as climbing and fishing.
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Can an overhand loop be used to shorten nylon webbing as a personal anchor?
Is it safe to girth-hitch nylon webbing through my harness tie-in points and then shorten the webbing via an overhand loop (assume it is too long) and clipping the non-bight part to the bolt in the ...
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Are there vines in nature that are naturally capable of being used as a whip (weapon), rope or as strings? [duplicate]
Natural meaning, no human alteration to them besides chopping them off from a tree or any type of plant.
Ways I'm wondering if natural vines can be used.
As a weapon, such as such as the bullwhip.
As ...
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Munter hitch + prusik for rope solo lead climbing
Disclaimer
This is a question regarding a theoretical technique, and not a tutorial, advice or recommendation.
This technique has not been tested, and might potentially be completely unsafe.
Climbing ...
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loop knot vs slip knot vs hitch knot around a tree when camping
When camping, I often need to tension a rope between two points, and it starts by tying the rope to the first point, which can be a tree. In this situation, I can use a bowline or a Siberian hitch or ...
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How to tie rope around a tree branch with a hanging loop for a punching bag?
I want to hang a punching bag from a tree in my backyard. Since I would only put it up when I need it, I think that using rope would be the best way to not damage the tree while having a "...
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Which knot is best for connecting loose ends and attaching carabiner?
I have a short climbing rope and two carabiners. I want to use it as a strap to carry something (it is not intended for climbing). As the rope is too long, I fold it once. At one "end" I make a figure ...
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What quick release knots would work to release a medical kit attached to a horse if I'm unmounted during trail?
I go horseback riding for long hours on back trails. I have a first aid/little survival kit in a Nalgene water bottle and one in a 38 oz steel bottle. Both have loops to attach a carabiner. I want ...
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Please explain this cryptic instruction on soloing related knots
I am trying to decipher a text from this page on rope solo leading:
The other way you can tie in is to create a higher tie in point between your harness and chest harness, meaning you have less ...
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Alternative to midshipman's / taut-line hitch for modern ropes
A taut-line hitch is used to tying tent ropes to a stake. It can be manually slid up/down the standing part of the rope, so as to adjust the tightness in the line, but it holds well under tension.
...
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Making a Make-Shift harness from Tape-Slings
I have some common knowledge about knots used for Climbing and Rope-care.
There was an incident last week, where I needed a Seat-Harness which I didn't have with me. I needed one for tying up a ...
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What knot should I use to tie the middle of a smaller rope to a large rope?
I have a spool of smaller 3mm rope that has its end attached to a ball. My intention is to use this smaller line as a throwline that gets thrown over a tree branch which is then used to drag a ...
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Bowline knot, end at the inside or outside?
Why is it advised (here at Outdoors) to tie a bowline knot with its ending on the inside ("Standard Bowline") and not at the outside ("Cowboy Bowline")? See pictures below.
If you're unlucky the end ...
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What would be a good knot to tie a clothesline to a tree?
I like the smell of sun-dried clothes/blankets/etc, and I got some line to make a clothesline. I've got a device that you pull the line through and it stays where you pulled it, which will be on the ...
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How to make it easier to untie a figure-8 knot after finishing a climb?
If you tie a figure-8 knot while rock climbing and fall a few times (especially if they're dynamic lead falls), the knots will become so difficult to untie that you sometimes have to use a carabiner ...
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Top Rope Anchors - is a figure-8 on a bight stronger or just easier to untie than an overhand knot?
I've been learning to build basic TR anchors; a sling clipped to two bolts with a master point in the loop of a figure-eight on a bight. While learning this I struggled to get a tidy figure-eight ...
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Stopper knots cinched on both sides of a hole
I'm running a rope through a grommet and would like stopper knots on both sides so that the rope is secure and not movable either way. I've done an overhand stopper knot on the entering side then ...
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Tying a loop on a bight to a ring or rail without the ability to go 'over' the ring
Is there a knot that can be used to encircle a 'fixed' ring or rail from the middle of a line without having access to the end of the rope or to the object that is encircled? For example, if I wanted ...
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What knot or hitch can be used to lift a heavy load and secure it?
I have a punching bag that normally hangs vertically, but I want to lift it up out of the way when not in use. The bottom of the bag has a strap that I can attach a rope to, and I have set an eye-hook ...
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How to tie a bull hitch using end(s)?
I have found the bull hitch really great for tying my paracord to secure to an object, like a stick, branch or other long object. The reason I like it is that compared to other hitches like the girth ...
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seeking stopper knot that is easy to tension and easy to untie
I have first looked at other questions/answers here on stopper knots here and tried all of the ones suggested but I am seeking something better. My application is a single line through a hole. I want ...
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Overhand versus underhand loop in tying up a bowline knot [duplicate]
I have never seen any experienced climber tie up a bowline knot starting up with an underhand loop (*). Bowline knots are most typically started with an overhand by flipping the standing part of the ...
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Must you always have something in the master point of a belay?
When building a belay with a sling, and tying an overhand knot to create a master point, I’ve seen it stated that you must always have something in all the master point loops. I assume this is to stop ...
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How to tie an EBSB bowline?
According to the most comprehensive reference ever written on bowlines, the EBSB bowline (which is a variation of another variation, called the EBDB bowline, together with a sort of Yosemite finish) ...
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Hanging water bags for bathing without tree damage
When I hang my water bag to heat water in the sun for family bathing, I do so by tying a weight to the end of the rope and throwing it over a tree limb. Then I lower the weight, tie the water bag to ...
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What are the things I need to know when fashioning a sling?
I was trying to make a sling the other day to entertain my kids (yes this is a terrible idea) and although the finished product worked (sort of) it occurred to me that this, like all ancient handi-...
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Adjustable mid-line knot?
I'm looking for a knot similar to a sheepshank but adjustable and stable under load on both ends.
Think of two poles that have the two ends of a rope permanently attached to them but you want to ...
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Which knot for climbing: figure eight, yosemite bowline, bowline on a bight?
This is a topic often discussed online, but all I could find so far was people sharing their opinions (including numbers) on what tie-in knot is the best. Here's what I've found out from different ...
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Climbing indoors: emergency situations
We should always do the partner check and tie a stopper knot, but...
Lead climbing:
If you are half-way up a climbing wall and see that your knot, which attaches you to the harness is loose/untied/...
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What knot was used by my mountain guide to tie me in to the middle of a rope?
Twice now I have been out winter hiking with a guide and another person and I'm trying to work out what knot they used to tie the middle person onto the rope.
Let's say the guide is in front, my ...
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Yosemite bowline - stopper knot?
I would like to switch to the Yosemite bowline knot. I don't want to compare the pros and cons of figure 8, double bowline and Yosemite bowline.
I am interested in single-pitch climbs and gained some ...
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Terminology for different ways of tying bends?
One way to categorise common knots to join two ropes together (i.e. bends) is:
Bends tied as if there were only one rope: by holding the two ropes together (side by side, parallel, both ending in the ...
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How to lash a corner of a bamboo pergola?
I'm considering building something akin to a bamboo pergola and tying it together with a rope. What would be the best method for tying its 'corners' where three poles meet?
From the Wikipedia article ...
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Have a couple basic Q's on climbing-line (1 on safely descending/rappelling, another on using multiple lines and/or hardware to achieve "1+1=2"?)
Hoping to ask a couple basic Q's before my order arrives, I suspect I may've gotten insufficient gear..
1 - Is doubling-up ropes, or hardware, ever acceptable in climbing? IE, my 8mm prusik cord is ...
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Fly fishing rig knots
I have been fly fishing with my dad for a number of years but recently I went on my own and hit quite the stumbling block... I didn't know how to set the kit properly, normally I drive the boat while ...
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What is this knot?
My 6 year old daughter was playing with ropes today and tied a knot of her own creation. I tried to demonstrate to her the importance of learning to tie good knots that don't slip, but when I went to ...
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What's a good resource for learning to tie knots for climbing?
If I wanted to learn how to tie certain knots, or learn about new knots and what they're used for, what are some good resources to look up?
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How to lock a trucker's hitch without losing any tension?
What is the best technique to lock a trucker's hitch in a strong way that's also easy to release, but most important, that doesn't loose any (or the least amount of) tension in the line, when I lock ...
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Which mid-line knot is best suited for a trucker's hitch?
I've been using a trucker's hitch knot for a very long time (camping, strapping stuff down, line length adjustment, pulley system)
I've always switched my mid-line loop when I've come to not trust ...
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How to tension rope between two trees? [duplicate]
I often need to tension a rope between two trees, usually 20-30 ft apart. I am not skilled with knots so it is often sloppy and the tension doesn't hold even very modest weight (such as clothes or ...
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Most practical knots for a bend (tying two ropes together) while pulling to create tension?
My personal favorite for tying two ends of a rope together is the Flemish Bend. It's simple, strong, does not slide, does not require stopper knots (unless used for life-critical applications), allows ...
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Most practical knots for hitching a line to an object while keeping the bitter end as tight as possible, without sag?
Say, I want to tie a rope between two trees, and I want it to have as little sag as possible. I have attached the rope to one tree and I'm trying to tie it to the other tree while pulling it to create ...
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Does anyone recognise this knot?
I came across this knot when it was used to tie a guy wire to a newly purchased light weight tent. I am reasonably knot savvy but have never come across it. It forms a non-slip loop when pulled up ...
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Knot to tie handle of a bag
If you have full stuffed bag full of laundry with two handles, how would you tie the handles?
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Tradeoffs between different stopper knots
Because a number of accidents have occurred when a climber was lowered or rappelled off the end of a rope, it is wise to tie a stopper knot in the end(s) of the rope. My question is what stopper knot ...
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What's an easy way to fasten/unfasten to bind two horizontal poles?
I need a knot that can be fastened and unfastened as quickly as possible (like a toggle on a jacket; twist and release). I also need to be able to tighten or loosen the rope easily. Basically, I want ...
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What is the strongest knot using a steel-thimble to make a steel-eyelet at the end of the line?
(to be clear, I know I can just check knot-strengths for a general end-of-line attachment, it's the inclusion of the steel thimble - I'll find a link to add to end of post - it's that inclusion that ...
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Climbing-line "rope-thimbles", unsure how to utilize these (got several 1/2" 'steel rope thimbles' with my climb-rope!)
I got some 1/2" steel-thimbles for my climbing-rope but sadly I'm not sure how to safely use them, I'd thought "I can just tie a knot at just the right spot so that the thimble is securely nested in ...
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What knot is this that starts off like a taut line hitch but ends differently?
I thought that Les Stroud was about to make a taut line hitch. But at the end he did a couple of things a little different. What is this knot? Does it hold better than a taut line hitch?
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Does inside vs outside make a difference in a bowline on a bight?
This question asks whether the bowline knot is better with the tail inside or outside the loop.
When climbing and tying in with a bowline on a bight, does it make a difference whether one starts ...
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How safe is the bowline knot in different situations?
The bowline knot (picture below, source) has a great reputation as a very safe knot. Is it really completely safe in all situations and loads, or are there use cases where it may fail?
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