Fifteen Knots for Fieldcraft.

FoxholeAtheist said:
Hiya Sr. Gringo. Yah, I have both editions. I linked to the "Expanded" edition in my post, but it looks like it's out of print. I almost bought "The Complete Visual Guide", but it didn't look like it had many/any additional knots, but was rather the same material in a slightly different format. I've also got a few of Budworth's books, but I find the illustrations in Pawson's to be more clear. YMMV
Click to expand...

You sure did. I only toss that info out to those Ebayers out there who might be searching for the book. Thanks for the link. I'm trying to find a decently priced copy now. My son's and I just got into tying knots together. I role play with it like tying a bowline to rescue an injured action figure. They think it is great. He's starting kindergarten next year and he'll probably be able to tie 5 knots by then, including the elusive shoelace knot.
I think this thread has been great timing right now at this moment in my life. Thanks for all who contributed.
 
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Ah, gotcha. Yeah, the Expanded one is the one to get if you have a choice. It includes several knots missing from the original version.

For shoes, I like the "Better Bow" :)
 
Knots I use often
Square
bowline
figure-8
truckies-hitch
clove hitch
cow hitch

Knots I know but don't use as often
bowline-on-a-bight (also called double bowline loop)
alpine butterfly
Prussic
Evenk hitch (Siberian hitch)
sliding tentioner knot (not sure of its proper name)
Theater knot (truss knot, basically a cow hitch to an object, then over a pipe, and a bow to hold it)

Knots I'm trying to do often enough to remember
zeppelin bend
I find that its not just knowing the knot, but knowing which knot to use on which rope. my practice ropes are very slick, but I work with cotton sheathed rope normally, so a knot that won't really lock on 550, is impossible to remove from the work rope. That said, even a half hitches hold like the dickens even on a wet rope with the stuff I use at work.
 
Maybe not a knot, but I was raised with idea that rope lashing skills were an important skill to learn and master for out in the bush.

diagonal_lashing.gif


Also whipping, and skill I don't hear much about, was also a skill practiced and used back in the day.

fig4.gif
 
It's refreshing to see this list because I started brushing up on my knot tying about 3 months ago and always wondered which ones I could do without memorizing (too much junk crammed in my brain). As it turns out I hand picked quite a few of these as ones I needed to refresh myself on. Good to see I was headed in the right direction.
 
My top 5, which have gotten me through just about everything I've ever needed a know (or a hitch) for:

Trucker's
Clove
Bowline
Sheet bend
Variations of a figure 8 (single, double, on a bight, etc)
 
Yeah, I only use a few too, that seem to work for nearly everything I've needed to do outside (and often, in, too). Off the top of my head:

Bowline (regular and quick method around an object using a slipped loop/half-hitch)
Buntline hitch (usually slipped)
Trucker's hitch (usually slipped)
Clove hitch
Tautline hitch (ABOK #1856) for thin cords for ease of adjustment, Midshipman's hitch (ABOK #1855) for paracord and larger cords
Figure 8 and Figure 8 follow-through
Alpine Butterfly
Prussik Knot
Constrictor Knot
Loop-to-loop or Girth hitch for connecting two loops or a looped cord to a webbing tieout
 
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