What are your top 5 favorite knots?

peripatew

peripatew

Joined
Jul 31, 2007
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- Trucker's Hitch
- Jug knot (finally figured this one out today!)
- Bowline of course
- Figure eight w/ a loop or a square knot
- Taut Line Hitch


For some reason, I just couldn't ever do the jug knot. I never really spent that much time working it, but finally got it today!

What other knots do you use or depend on in the wild?
 
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The one's that stay tied:D

Actuall for me they are slip knot's and half hitches. They work pretty well for anything I do and are very simple to learn and use.
 
naked said:
- Taughtline Hitch
- Jug knot (finally figured this one out today!)
- Bowline of course
- Figure eight w/ a loop or a square knot
- A knot to be named later, I use it for tightening tent flys, canoe rope, etc... It easily slides in one direction, but not in the other when under pressure.


For some reason, I just couldn't ever do the jug knot. I never really spent that much time working it, but finally got it today!

What other knots do you use or depend on in the wild?
Click to expand...

Now that you learned the jug knot, learn the Asher's Equalizer to make a self adjusting carrying cord. Everytime I buy a large bottle of pop, I tie the jug knot with the Asher's Equalizer just for practice and ease of carrying the bottle. Check-out clerks think I'm a bit strange though - probably right!

Knots are a much overlooked topic. They are one of man's oldest tools. One thing I've been messing around with quite a bit are toggled knots. A good example would be a Marlinespike Hitch. I have come up with a couple of adaptations which I will post later once I have made some drawings or taken pictures.

Anyway top 5:
Buntline Hitch
Angler's Loop
Strait Bend
Bowlines (Single, Double, Water, Slipped Knot, One-Handed, In a Bight)
Sheet Bend (for net making)

Doc
 
Let's see. . . Even though I've never found a need to use it I think the icicle hitch is probably gotta be on the list. The marlinespike hitch that Doc mentioned is pretty cool too.

icicle hitch
marlinespike hitch
figure 9 loop (bulkier than a bowline but easier to untie after it's had a load put on it)
alpine butterfly
the good ol' square knot. . . possibly the most improperly used knot ever, but still a great little knot as long as you understand its limitations.

Narrowing it down to 5 was hard. The first three were pretty easy. I left off the hangman's noose, monkey's fist and double fisherman's bend, and there are probably a couple of others that I would have liked to put down if I had a bit more time to think about it.

I need to relearn the jug knot and asher's equalizer. I learned them a long time ago but didn't practice them enough.

Hey Naked, that 5th one that you're talking about sounds like some variation of a Prussik or Klemheist knot.
 
Taut-line hitch, bowline, Buntline hitch, two half hitches, and the "chicken" knot are about all I use.
Not sure about the technical name, but the chicken knot is basically a simple overhand loop with a bight(like a half finished bowline on a bight), with the free end passed around whatever is being tied down and back through the loop, cinched down tight, and tied off.
 
Well I don't know how to tie much knots--I need more practice for sure.
But for general uses do these count...
1. Overhand knot
2. Double overhand knot (like double knotting your shoes)
3. Half clinch knot (for tying fishing lures)
4. Rapalla knot (again for tying fishing lures on).
5. Geez I really suck at this
Learning to tie different types of knots are on my list to do. Any recommentations on a good knot resource and which type of knot is the most versitle that one should learn first?
 
Double figure 8
Bowline
Sheet bend
Constrictor knot or clove hitch
Farmer's hitch

Knot tying is the easiest skill to practice. You can literally do it anywhere.
 
The degree to which I hold a knot as being a favorite is more a matter of what knot is appropriate for the task at hand. That said, here are my "5 most frequently used knots":

-Overhand (Most of my footwear has laces)
-Half Hitch (My #1 general purpose knot)
-Improved Clinch Knot (I fish a lot)
-Snell Knot (See above)
-Bowline (Loops come in handy)
 
Salamander42 said:
Let's see. . . Even though I've never found a need to use it I think the icicle hitch is probably gotta be on the list. The marlinespike hitch that Doc mentioned is pretty cool too.

icicle hitch
marlinespike hitch
figure 9 loop (bulkier than a bowline but easier to untie after it's had a load put on it)
alpine butterfly
the good ol' square knot. . . possibly the most improperly used knot ever, but still a great little knot as long as you understand its limitations.

Narrowing it down to 5 was hard. The first three were pretty easy. I left off the hangman's noose, monkey's fist and double fisherman's bend, and there are probably a couple of others that I would have liked to put down if I had a bit more time to think about it.

I need to relearn the jug knot and asher's equalizer. I learned them a long time ago but didn't practice them enough.

Hey Naked, that 5th one that you're talking about sounds like some variation of a Prussik or Klemheist knot.
Click to expand...


Hey Sal,

Sounds like you and I are in a similar place when it comes to knots. I also had problems narrowing it down to 5 but I went with the 5 I use the most.

I agree about the Icicle knot - that is some cool stuff!

Since you know the Marlinespike Hitch, try this, instead of tying the hitch in the single standing part, lead your rope around the anchor point and tie the Marlinespike Hitch not in the single standing part but hold the standing part and the working end as one and then tie the knot. What you have is a secure hitch that undoes by removing the toggle. I hope this makes sense. I'm working on a diagram.

Doc
 
I can tie alot of knots but I don't remember any of their names.:o I mostly do decorative knots though so I only know like 8 knots that can be used in the wilderness.
 
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