What knots do you find most useful backpacking?

[RockStar]

What knots do you find most useful while backpacking. What do you use them for.

[Appalachian Tater]

http://www.rayjardine.com/ray-way/tarp-nettent/butterfly/index.htm

I practiced this but never used it.

[emerald]

The 5 knots learned by most Scouts are square knot, sheet bend, two half-hitches, taught-line hitch and bowline. I may have them listed in descending order of usefulness to A.T. hikers. I can imagine applications for all of these knots in the course of a long hike on the A.T. for those who know them.

[Pedaling Fool]

Bowline knot is the one I use most. The line will part before this knot comes undone and it's very easy to untie regardless of the strain placed on it.

[Roland]

I've spent quite a bit of time messin' around on boats. I've used all the knots mentioned. They all serve a purpose. But when hiking, the most useful knot is the knot I use to tie my shoes. :D

[Kerosene]

I frequently use a clove hitch (http://www.animatedknots.com/cloveboating/index.php?LogoImage=LogoGrog.jpg&Website=www.animatedknots.com) to secure the line to my food bag to the trunk of a tree; a bowline (http://www.animatedknots.com/bowlineboating/index.php?LogoImage=LogoGrog.jpg&Website=www.animatedknots.com) and taut-line hitch (http://www.animatedknots.com/rollinghitchboating/index.php?LogoImage=LogoGrog.jpg&Website=www.animatedknots.com) for tent guylines; and of course a square knot (http://www.animatedknots.com/reef/index.php?LogoImage=LogoGrog.jpg&Website=www.animatedknots.com) for various applications, including securing rope to the object I found in the woods to throw over the branch while bear-bagging. Sometimes I'll use 2 half-hitches (http://www.animatedknots.com/roundturn/index.php?LogoImage=LogoGrog.jpg&Website=www.animatedknots.com) also.

[Froggy]

For those of you who might use a bowline to hold a very critical load with one of the fancy, ultra-stong high-tech lines like Kevlar, Spectra or Vectran, beware. The bowline won't hold the full strength of the line.

One of the most useful knots is a simple old daisy-chain. Make a slipped half-hitch, slip another in the loop, slip another in the loop, repeat until you're happy or the line's used up, then lock with the bitter end in the final loop. Easy to untie becuase the final loop's never under load, and uses up a lot of excess line.

[emerald]

I've spent quite a bit of time messin' around on boats. I've used all the knots mentioned. They all serve a purpose. But when hiking, the most useful knot is the knot I use to tie my shoes. :D

If I remember correctly that knot is started by tying what's called an overhand knot.

Kerosene, I now recollect also learning the clove hitch when a Scout.

:-? I believe people who know how to tie knots find ways to use their knowledge. Oftentimes, those who don't know how to tie knots get by fine without this knowledge.

[hopefulhiker]

surgeon's knot, square knot, clove hitch, taut line hitch were the ones I used most.. surgeon's knot to tie my shoes....

[Monkeyboy]

Round turn with two half hitches.....it's like two half hitches, but doesn't loosen if it slides around whatever you've tied it to.

Wrap the rope around whatever you are tying complete 360 around and then tie the two half hitches.

[squeeze]

Taught-line hitch and bowline.

[RockStar]

http://www.rayjardine.com/ray-way/tarp-nettent/butterfly/index.htm

I practiced this but never used it.


You are like my very own personal encyclopedia. Everytime I want to know something you end up posting it. I have been trying to remember what this knot is called to look it up.

Thanks everyone. I am learning knots and wanted to know the most useful rather than waste time learning a bunch of fancy knots that are redundant.

I JUST used the bowline to tie my line to my tarp ends.

[Rain Man]

The Prusik knot is probably one I use second to the bowline and the plain ol square knot.

The Prusik knot is great for being able to tighten a line, such as when pitching a tarp.

An animated prusik knot being tied (note, line does not have to be a loop)--
http://www.abc-of-rockclimbing.com/climbing-knots/prusik-knot.asp

Another, with photos of a prusik knot (page 10)--
http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/FCRR-JD-0402.pdf/$file/FCRR-JD-0402.pdf

A "modified" or fake prusik knot--
http://www.outdooridiots.com/features/200605/prusik/prusik_6.asp

All the ol cavers out there will be familiar with the prusik knot, I bet.

Rain:sunMan

.

[Pedaling Fool]

For those of you who might use a bowline to hold a very critical load with one of the fancy, ultra-stong high-tech lines like Kevlar, Spectra or Vectran, beware. The bowline won't hold the full strength of the line.
This is interesting. I'll have to get some of this stuff and play with it. Roughly speaking, how much force does it take to undo the bowline knot with this "fancy line", i.e. how heavy does your food bag have to be?

[SteveJ]

for me, in ~ descending order of use:

* hennessey knot
* 2 half-hitch
* taut-line hitch
* clove hitch
* prolly square knot...

[jlb2012]

I documented the ones I find useful in the WB article on knots: http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?p=99057#post99057

[RiverWarriorPJ]

Those animated knot sites are great.....never seen them b/4 now ..
..(wishin' they were around when I was a Boy Scout}..

[mrc237]

[QUOTE=Appalachian Tater;388208]http://www.rayjardine.com/ray-way/tarp-nettent/butterfly/index.htm

Don't see the need for this extra loop or whatever for this knot. If used this way for a tent peg without the extras when the peg is pulled from the ground the hitch slides right off. Ray's invention? Yeah right!!! Besides taut-line hitch is the proper knot for this task!

[RockStar]

I documented the ones I find useful in the WB article on knots: http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?p=99057#post99057


Didn't even see the article. Thanks for pointing that out. It's still nice to get members opinions and experiences. Thanks all.

[gold bond]

Two halve hitches, taughtline and boweline are the ones I use the most.

[Pennsylvania Rose]

I've never really learned to tie knots properly. I can tie my shoes and a trucker's hitch, and everything else is made up while I'm doing it. It's hard for me to learn out of context (in context is someone showing me exactly what to do during a specific situation). For example, the only reason I know a trucker's hitch is because I helped a friend tie her kayak to her car roof a couple of times. Any recommendations about how to learn what knots are useful in what situations, why, and how to tie them?

[Pedaling Fool]

... Any recommendations about how to learn what knots are useful in what situations, why, and how to tie them?
Go to this website:
www.animatedknots.com (http://www.animatedknots.com)

[JackRabbit]

The knot most people use to tie their shoes is a square knot on a bight (SP?).

Mostly I use that, taught line hitch (guy lines), clove hitch (bear bag), and a variant of a taught line hitch that has the excess line wrapped around the loop and ended in a half-hitch (hammock suspension line, lets me tighten everything down and when I add the wraps the weight is spread over 10+ wraps instead of the just the taughtline increasing the friction so that it will not slip no matter what). Really, the only time I use others is when I am teaching them to the Scouts.

[jesse]

According to Ray Jardnes "Tarp Book" I use the taut line for my guy lines if tying to a tree, and the clove hitch for the stakes. I learned the "butterfly method for the clove hitch, but did not find it useful.

[trippclark]

For me Tautline is most used . . . for guylines, clothesline, etc. Many uses.

Also I use a sheetbend when joining two ropes or traps to ropes/lines.

Less often I use clove hitch, square knot, and timber hitch.

[Smudge]

Trucker hitch, bowline, clove hitch and an assortment of half hitches....

[gearfreak]

Here's another source for animated knots. I maintain this site for my son's Boy Scout troop. http://www.troop822.us/knots.htm

[Roland]

Here's another source for animated knots. I maintain this site for my son's Boy Scout troop. http://www.troop822.us/knots.htm

That's an impressive website, Ray.

I've been out of scouting for decades. I'm amazed at the quality of resources, available now, that we didn't have in the 60s.

[7Sisters]

Bowline for me. There are so few things you can't use it for. It's great for tying food bags, for tent stakes......

It's a fairly easy knot to learn as well.

Enjoy

[Monkeyboy]

That's an impressive website, Ray.

I've been out of scouting for decades. I'm amazed at the quality of resources, available now, that we didn't have in the 60s.



Like fire!

Just kidding....

Cool site, Ray