Allen - 50 Knots You Need to Know: Learn 50 knots for sailing, climbing, camping, and more

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. A CIP catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress and the British Library. eISBN: 978 1 911026 31 0 ISBN: 978 1 909313 56 9 Printed in China Editor: Rosie Lewis Designer: Jerry Goldie Illustration: Kuo Kang Chen except pages 11, 40, 41, 83, and all cover artworks by Stephen Dew contents Knot for the
Faint of Heart Knots. Its easy to take the little guys and gals for granted. You need one thing attached to another. Nope. Nope.

You need proper Knot Knowledge. And, friend, youve come to the right place. Knowing how to tie things together properly is more than just a skill. Its a magic trick and a super power combined in a little bundle. Luckily, what is true of knots is true of nearly everything in life: if you practice, youll get better at it. So read the book.

And the next time youre adrift at sea or facing a menacing bear, with a piece of rope in your pocket, youll be the one who can save the day. A basic glossary Heres a selection of basic knot lingo for the would-be lion hunter, mountain conqueror, camping guru, or peg-legged boat captain. The bight is a curve or arc, often caused by slack. It is not to be confused with a loop: the critical difference is that the two sections of rope have not crossed, but are next to each other. The loop is just thata loop in the rope, wherein the ends of the rope cross over each other and a circle is created. A turn is where a rope wraps around another object 360 degrees.

Well talk about turns a lot in this book. Ends are the ends of the rope. Standing rope is the unused part. The working end is the opposite end from the standing ropethe part youre using to tie the knot. There are limitless knots, but they fall into a very small number of categories:Hitches fasten ropes to objects, such as bears legs or (rather more mundanely) tent poles. Stoppers stop stuff, like the rope (or another rope) from traveling or fraying. Stoppers stop stuff, like the rope (or another rope) from traveling or fraying.

Finally, decorative knots are very pretty! Tips for the
First-time
Knot Tier (Knot basics) Whether you are attempting to trap a wild bear, setting up a trip wire to trap some poachers, or just making camp in the woods, there are some basic skills that should be in the arsenal of every aspiring knot specialist. Much of what follows seems simple, but all knots benefit from being pulled apart, both literally and figuratively. The most rudimentary are the building blocks for the rest, or in some cases are examples of stumbling blocks that are mastered in order to be properly cast aside. Since they count as basic rope skills, a few techniques for caring for your ropes have been included here. Basic Over hand
(or Thumb Knot) and
Double Overhand A knot thats a
good place to start When learning to tie knots, its smart to begin at the beginning, often with the most basic of ideas. Like the simple song of adventure that all sailors, hikers, and climbers hear, calling them to action, there is one knot that we all just sort of know when a rope is put into our hands.

The Overhand is truly the most basic thing you can do with a rope in your hand. Although it is useful as a stopper, Ashleys Stopper Knot () is better, and easy and pretty, too. The Basic Overhand is most practically used as a quick way to prevent the end of your rope from fraying. The first knot in the book and its one you already know how to do! See, its easy this knot business. Form a loop in the rope. Tighten it to form the Overhand knot. Tighten it to form the Overhand knot.

Its a simple stopper knot! Verrrrry simple indeed. To form a Double Overhand instead, pass the end through the loop twice in step 2 above and pull tight, forming a larger stopper knot. Its better than the Basic Overhand, but still not great. A knot that loves company Moments of haste occur in all knot-masters lives. This will work if you need to secure your trusty horse, boat, dog, or bicycle in a hurry, but it will lead to their inevitable theft or escape, so dont rely on it too heavily. * While the Half Hitch can be used by itself, it shouldnt be.