32
votes
Accepted
Most practical knots for hitching a line to an object while keeping the bitter end as tight as possible, without sag?
I use a truckers hitch it is easy to make and create and pull tight. It is not difficult to untie but does stay in place well. It is a great knot when you need to cinch something down.
Image ...
23
votes
What is the strongest knot using a steel-thimble to make a steel-eyelet at the end of the line?
The absolute strongest? That would be an eye splice.
It's the most effective and strongest form of making an eye in a rope and it's what the thimbles are designed to work with.
It's nigh on ...
21
votes
Most practical knots for hitching a line to an object while keeping the bitter end as tight as possible, without sag?
I agree that the trucker's hitch will certainly do the job. That said, if your special situation requires retightening if things start to sag, you might consider the tautline hitch.
It's a great ...
20
votes
Accepted
How do you tie in to the centre of a rope?
The easiest way is to tie a fixed loop in the middle of the rope (figure 8, alpine butterfly, bowline on a bight, etc) and then clip the climber in to that loop using two locking carabiners. Two ...
19
votes
Accepted
Crevasse rescue with knots in the rope
In a 3:1 (Z-pulley) haul, the victim's rope is used for hauling directly. As you point out correctly, a surface rescue is impossible if you have knots in the rope, since the rope is under tension and ...
18
votes
Hanging water bags for bathing without tree damage
Instead of using the branch as a pulley, lift the bag into position with one hand while pulling the slack out of the rope with the other. If the bag is too heavy to lift over your head with one hand, ...
15
votes
How do you tie in to the centre of a rope?
A knot that's simple and easy to use, explicitly for the purpose of tying in to the middle of the rope, would be the Alpine Butterfly.
Tie it, then put it to your belay loop with one or two locking ...
14
votes
Accepted
Figure-8 Followthrough Question
Yes, regardless of how as you dress it, that is still a figure 8 knot.
It's not going to matter either, because once the knot is weighted, it will be pulled into the same configuration regardless of ...
14
votes
Hanging water bags for bathing without tree damage
Using anatolyg's idea of the carabiner, I think this will work. Thank you Anatolyg!
13
votes
Accepted
How to tie an EBSB bowline?
You just needed to look a little farther on the PACI site for a step by step instuction on how to do the EBSB.
Check out this pdf on page 37 - pw Copyright
http://www.paci.com.au/knots.php
13
votes
Most practical knots for hitching a line to an object while keeping the bitter end as tight as possible, without sag?
As others have commented, Trucker's Hitch (with an Alpine butterfly) would be the best. Note that it would be enough to do it on one side only; I usually tie an Anchor Hitch at the other side.
...
13
votes
How to tension rope between two trees?
At one end, I tie the rope any old how. It can be loose even. Then I go to the other tree and pull as hard as I can on the rope until it's really tight. Then, holding tight, I walk around the tree ...
13
votes
Accepted
Climbing indoors: emergency situations
P.S.: I just noticed the question explicitly said indoors! My answer ended up being considerably more general than required... But well, the logic is the same as in case (a): Indoors the bolts are ...
12
votes
Accepted
Why are eye friction hitches not commonly used in rock climbing?
The main reasons is simplicity and habituation:
A prusik made from a loop is easily taught and controlled. This is a point that many experienced climber forget about often: When people start they may ...
12
votes
Accepted
How do I know when to choose between a Klemheist or prussik knot?
As already stated, these are very similar knots regarding their use. So there is not much that differentiates them from each other, or to other friction hitches. The advantage of the prusik is the "...
12
votes
Accepted
How to use a Munter hitch to belay and rappel?
To answer your question as to the ideal break position when using the munter: It depends. It depends on your comfort and experience with the knot, its application and the situation.
I have rappeled ...
12
votes
Which type of rope is to be used to practice knots?
3 to 7mm utility cord. It is designed to be tied. If you go to a climbing retailer you can typically buy by the foot.
12
votes
Knot for adjusting the length of a loop using both ends of a cord
A double fishermans can be adjusted for length by pulling on each knot and sliding them along the strand. You can also adjust the tail lengths and increase the number of turns to improve the ...
12
votes
Accepted
How to tie a bull hitch using end(s)?
The bull hitch is just a cow hitch (aka girth hitch) with an extra round turn.
Bring the working end over and around the bar then over itself.
Make a turn around itself.
Bring it behind the bar.
...
12
votes
How to tension rope between two trees?
Although you asked an outdoors question, I'm going to give you a physics answer that might shed some light (with an outdoors note at the end.) When you string an ideal rope (with zero stretch) ...
12
votes
Accepted
Hanging water bags for bathing without tree damage
Make a figure-8-on-a-bight knot on the center of your rope; clip a carabiner into the knot. Clip the center of a second rope into the carabiner.
Toss your first rope over the tree branch using the ...
11
votes
What knot tightens under pressure and is difficult to untie under tension?
Slip knot will work fine, but if you want a more secure knot then I would probably recommend the Poachers knot. It's essentially a slip knot tied with a double overhand instead of a single.
11
votes
Accepted
Alternative to midshipman's / taut-line hitch for modern ropes
First, try with more 'coils', when you tie the taut-line hitch; every coil adds some friction.
An alternative, that I, myself, like a lot, since I find it easier to tie, is the Farrimond Friction ...
10
votes
Accepted
Which knot to use to hold a rope in a loop, tight, around a large object?
I would go with either a barrel hitch or a barrel sling depending on the exact purpose.
With the added constraint that the rope can only go around the object once the the "magic" needs to be in the ...
10
votes
How to use a Munter hitch to belay and rappel?
A Munter hitch can brake regardless of the orientation of the brake strand. It provides the greatest braking force in the "closed" position (the brake strand running alongside the load strand), and a ...
10
votes
Accepted
Quick release knot for attaching kit
Girth Hitch
I think the knot you're using is appropriate if the idea is not to lose your kit, another knot may run you the risk of losing something because it came untied without your blessing.
If ...
10
votes
Accepted
What's a good resource for learning to tie knots for climbing?
Animated Knots By Grog
Arguably the best resource online for knot tying is Animated Knots by Grog, it's used by virtually every avid knot tyer I've known. They have excellent step-by-step animations ...
10
votes
Knot for pulling two branches of a tree together
I wouldn’t
While I could think of a number of ways to tie a string the way you want, a cam buckle strap would be super simple and (more importantly) damage the bark considerably less.
Even without a ...
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