# "favourite" climbing knots?



## chriscnc (Dec 4, 2009)

hi, just wondering what everyones "favourite" or "go-to" loops are to connect their rope to harness

At college i learned to use a bowline + prussic (passed through twice) combination.
We also used the figure of eight loop with prussic.

Although ive never had any real problems with either, (touch wood), i find the figure eight loop rather bulky (and it uses a fair bit of rope) and the bowline kind of flimsy... just wondering what other people use.

Thanks!


----------



## ECRUPPRECHT (Dec 4, 2009)

i use a spliced rope so no problem with knots, when there is no splice i use a double 8 it is a little bulky but very simple and secure


----------



## ddhlakebound (Dec 4, 2009)

Triple fishermans attaches my rope snap to my climbing line, I use a e2e split tail with double fishermans forming the eyes, and a mitchoacan as my hitch. 

IMHO the only way to improve on these is to use spliced eyes and the mitchoacan. 

I don't think of the bowline as flimsy, but don't like it in that application because of the possibility of cross loading after being unloaded.


----------



## grizzly2 (Dec 4, 2009)

Anchor hitch for me. It's fairly compact and doesn't require a lot of rope. I prefer the spliced eye, but I also like to rotate the working end of the rope (to more evenly distribute the wear) and I only have one end spliced.


----------



## grizzly2 (Dec 4, 2009)

Oh, yeah, and welcome to the site!


----------



## lumberjack333 (Dec 4, 2009)

Anchor hitch as well, nice a secure.. not too bulky.


----------



## bruce6670 (Dec 4, 2009)

Spliced eye on my main climbing line and an anchor hitch on my back up line.


----------



## TreeW?rx (Dec 5, 2009)

Tripple Fishermans to attach to my Rope snap, using a Bee-line split tail to run a blakes but playing with an E2E and a distel.


----------



## chriscnc (Dec 6, 2009)

cheers!


----------



## bagaman (Dec 7, 2009)

Spliced climbing line with hitch climber pulley. 2 biners, eye to eye prussic and distel hitch... clean, compact and super easy to use..love it. After going to this setup, I will never go back to knots and rope snaps.


----------



## Mikecutstrees (Dec 7, 2009)

Spliced eyes and beaners here..... Mike


----------



## pdqdl (Dec 7, 2009)

Vt, Distal, or Blakes for friction hitch.

Double or triple fisherman (Scaffold Hitch or several other names) for secure attachment to snaps & rings. Figure 8 or bowline for same application that needs to be untied.

Timber hitch for securing rope to wood; add a marl for extra strength. Cow Hitch when there is to be NO chance for wiggling out (short & heavy).

Clove hitch for tying throwline to rope, sometimes for implements to raise into a tree.

Bowline for loop at the end of a rope, "running" Bowline for remote attachment to branches.

Manharness for midline loop.

Two half hitches for an easy, reliable choker that stays put, add a stopper for long-term use.

Lots more knots for other things...


----------



## Tree Pig (Dec 7, 2009)

pdqdl said:


> Vt, Distal, or Blakes for friction hitch.
> 
> Double or triple fisherman (Scaffold Hitch or several other names) for secure attachment to snaps & rings. Figure 8 or bowline for same application that needs to be untied.
> 
> ...



I agree with everything stated above use all the same knots. Notthe VT as much as the others


*Except * I thought we discussed the YOU KNOW WHAT KNOT. I cant say it.


----------



## pdqdl (Dec 7, 2009)

Stihl-O-Matic said:


> ...I thought we discussed the YOU KNOW WHAT KNOT. I cant say it.






Still coughing, my head hurts now!


An afterthought: A military guy like yourself should have no trouble using the artillery loop!


----------



## md_tree_dood (Dec 8, 2009)

The only acceptable knots to dead end a carabiner are the double/triple fisherman knot or the anchor knot with a tail three times the diameter of the rope. this is what I was told at the isa competition. When dead ending with a snap you have to back up your bowline with a yosemite tie off.


----------



## pdqdl (Dec 8, 2009)

Oops! I misspoke, used the wrong name. I said:



pdqdl said:


> ...
> 
> Cow Hitch when there is to be NO chance for wiggling out (short & heavy)....



I meant to say Stilson Hitch. A cow hitch would be all wrong unless the tail was secured with another knot, probably two half hitches.


----------



## pdqdl (Dec 9, 2009)

md_tree_dood said:


> The only acceptable knots to dead end a carabiner are the double/triple fisherman knot or the anchor knot with a tail three times the diameter of the rope. this is what I was told at the isa competition. When dead ending with a snap you have to back up your bowline with a yosemite tie off.



Well...only if you believe everything ISA tells you. If you want a secure hitch that chokes down on the carabiner, there are all of these too:

Buntline hitch (preferred over Anchor hitch, I believe)
Two half hitches with a stopper knot (not the best, but very well known)
Round turn & two half hitches (big improvement!)
Highpoint hitch (not the slipped version)
lobster buoy hitch (uncommonly used, but probably as good as any others)
Clinch knot (runaway favorite for small rings like fish hooks)
Vibration-proof hitch (seldom used)
Pedigree Cow Hitch (I never heard of this one until today. Pretty good knot! http://www.scoutingresources.org.uk/knots/knots_hitches_cow.html#pedigreecowhitch)


----------



## WalterTreeCare (Dec 14, 2009)

i use the "XT", i use to work with a guy that was with aspen tree company, Mark Chisolm came up with this "XT". Bee-line and Velocity 11mm, Butterfly harness with a hitch climber pulley works really well for me, ill have to post some pics later, similar to the VT


----------



## ChipDoogle (Dec 15, 2009)

buntline, uses the least amount of rope and i can tie faster than the anchor hitch

http://www.atlantickayaktours.com/Pages/expertcenter/equipment/knots/Buntline_Hitch.shtml

here is a good pic of it


----------



## davej (Dec 15, 2009)

chriscnc said:


> At college i learned to use a bowline + prussic (passed through twice) combination. We also used the figure of eight loop with prussic.



There is an inexpensive book you should obtain -- The Tree Climber's Companion by Jepson. It only costs about $15 and virtually every tree climber owns a copy. It describes all the basic knots and introduces closed hitches.


----------



## grizzly2 (Dec 16, 2009)

davej said:


> There is an inexpensive book you should obtain -- The Tree Climber's Companion by Jepson. It only costs about $15 and virtually every tree climber owns a copy. It describes all the basic knots and introduces closed hitches.



Just a quick sidenote, we should all receive a commission. I've personally recommended that book on here a bunch of times, and I know a ton of others on here have recommended it as the 'go to book' for anybody just starting out climbing. Makes me wonder how many copies have been sold from us giving free advertisements. Sorry, just saying.

Also, I think SherrillTree's website has a nice list of knots.

http://www.sherrilltree.com/Learning-Center/Knots


----------



## grizzly2 (Dec 16, 2009)

ChipDoogle said:


> buntline, uses the least amount of rope and i can tie faster than the anchor hitch
> 
> http://www.atlantickayaktours.com/Pages/expertcenter/equipment/knots/Buntline_Hitch.shtml
> 
> here is a good pic of it



Do you have any issues breaking the knot when you're untying? That's my biggest concern with the buntline vs. the anchor. I know I can easily break the anchor hitch. Thoughts?


----------



## outofmytree (Dec 16, 2009)

grizzly2 said:


> Do you have any issues breaking the knot when you're untying? That's my biggest concern with the buntline vs. the anchor. I know I can easily break the anchor hitch. Thoughts?



If its a termination on a karabiner then slip it off the krab. Doesnt matter which cinching knot you use when its off the krab its way easier to untie.


----------



## grizzly2 (Dec 16, 2009)

outofmytree said:


> If its a termination on a karabiner then slip it off the krab. Doesnt matter which cinching knot you use when its off the krab its way easier to untie.



That's true, but I have never had a problem breaking an anchor hitch while still on the carabiner. So, I was just wondering. Thanks.


----------

