ROPE KNOTS

This selection of rope knots is for use by boaters, paddlers, scouts, search and rescue, and all outdoor pursuits. It includes a range of essential utility knots. Although there are literally thousands of different knots, the knots illustrated and animated here include the best knots from the three primary knot categories: Loop Knots (make a loop in the rope), Bends (rope to rope knots) and Hitches (rope to object knots).

Bear in mind that it is far more important to learn a few knots well than to half learn a whole bunch of knots!

Anchor Bend	A good knot for tying an anchor to a rope.	Backup Knot	Add security to a primary knot.
Better Bow Knot	A more secure shoelace knot.	Blake’s Hitch	Arborist ascending/descending knot.
Bowline	Forms a secure loop.	Bowline On A Bight	Forms a loop in the middle of a line.
Buntline Hitch	Tie items to the end of a rope.	Butterfly Knot	Form a secure loop in the middle of a rope.
Carrick Bend	Join heavy ropes together.	Cleat Hitch	Use to tie a rope to a cleat on a boat or dock.
Common Whipping	Whipping knot to keep end of rope from unraveling.
Clove Hitch	A simple knot to tie a rope to a post.	Cow Hitch	Tie a rope to a post or object.
Constrictor Knot	Tie up bundles of items.	Distel Hitch	Arborist friction knot.
Double Fisherman’s	Join two ropes.	Dbl Overhand Stopper	Easy to tie stopper knot at end of rope.
Figure Eight	The strongest knot for a loop at the end of a rope.	Girth Hitch	Attach a strap loop to an object.
Half Hitch	Basic overhand knot.	Heaving Line Knot	Adds weight to the end of a rope.
Honda Knot	The lasso knot.	Klemheist Knot	Climber’s movable loop knot
Marl	Arborist timber hitch.	Monkey's Fist	Decorative ball shaped knot.
Mooring Hitch	Quick release knot.	Munter Hitch	Climbing belay knot.
Pile Hitch	Attach a rope to an object.	Prusik Knot	Secures a movable loop to another line.
Rolling Bend	Secure a line to a post.	Rolling Hitch	Secure a line to a post.
Running Bowline	A slip knot.	Schwabisch Hitch	Arborist friction hitch.
		Sheep Shank	Use to shorted a rope.
Sheet Bend	Join ropes of unequal size.	Slip Knot	Another knot for a sliding loop.
Slipped Buntline	A quick release knot.	Slippery Eight Loop	Create a relativley secure adjustable loop
Stopper Knot	A stopper knot for the end of a rope.	Square Knot	Secure non critical items.
Tautline Hitch	An adjustable knot	Tautline to Rope	Tie a Tautline to rope for an adjustable line.
Timber Hitch	Secure a rope around a post.	Transom Knot	Lashing knot to attach two poles together.
Trucker’s Hitch	Excellent load securing knot.
Valdotain Tresse	Arborist ascending/descending knot.	Water Knot	Best knot for webbing.
Yosemite Bowline	A very secure loop knot.	Zeppelin Bend	Tie two ropes together.

Bends (Tie Two Ropes Together)
	Backup Knot	Add security to a primary knot.	Carrick Bend	Join heavy ropes together.
	Common Whipping	Whip the end of a rope to keep it from unraveling.
	Double Fisherman’s	Join two ropes.	Dbl Overhand Stopper	Easy to tie stopper knot at end of rope.
	Heaving Line Knot	Adds weight to the end of a rope.	Monkey's Fist	Decorative ball shaped knot.
	Sheep Shank	Use to shorted a rope.	Sheet Bend	Join ropes of unequal size.
	Square Knot	Secure non critical items.	Stopper Knot	A stopper knot for the end of a rope.
	Water Knot	Best knot for webbing.	Zeppelin Bend	Easy to untie knot for joing two ropes.
Loop Knots
	Better Bow Knot	A more secure shoelace knot.	Bowline	Forms a secure loop.
	Bowline On A Bight	Forms a loop in the middle of a line.	Butterfly Knot	Form a secure loop in the middle of a rope.
	Figure Eight	The strongest knot for a loop at the end of a rope.	Honda Knot	The lasso knot.
	Running Bowline	A slip knot.	Slippery Eight Loop	An adjustable loop knot.
	Yosemite Bowline	A very secure loop knot.
Hitches (Tie a Rope To an Object)
	Anchor Bend	A good knot for tying an anchor to a rope.	Blake’s Hitch	Arborist ascending/descending knot.
	Buntline Hitch	Tie items to the end of a rope.	Cleat Hitch	Use to tie a rope to a cleat on a boat or dock.
	Clove Hitch	A simple knot to tie a rope to a post.	Cow Hitch	Tie a rope to a post or object.
	Distel Hitch	Arborist friction hitch.
	Constrictor Knot	Tie up bundles of items.	Girth Hitch	Attach a strap loop to an object.
	Half Hitch	Basic overhand knot.	Klemheist Knot	Climber’s movable loop knot
	Marl	Arborist timber hitch alternative.
	Mooring Hitch	Quick release knot.	Munter Hitch	Climbing belay knot.
	Pile Hitch	Attach a rope to an object.	Prusik Knot	Secures a movable loop to another line.
	Rolling Bend	Secure a line to a post.	Rolling Hitch	Secure a line to a post.
	Schwabisch Hitch	Arborist friction hitch.
	Slip Knot	Another knot for a sliding loop.	Slipped Buntline	A quick release knot.
	Tautline Hitch	An adjustable knot.	Tautline to Rope	A movable knot on another line or object.
	Transom Knot	A lashing knot that ties two poles together.	Timber Hitch	Secure a rope around a post.
	Trucker’s Hitch	Load securing knot.	Valdotain Tresse	Arborist ascending/descending knot.

Ways to Make a Loop in a Rope
- Tie a loop in the end of a rope	Bowline, Yosemite Bowline,Figure Eight, Slippery Eight Loop
- Make a loop in the middle of a rope	Butterfly Knot,Bowline On A Bight
- Make a lasso	Honda Knot
- Make a sliding loop	Running Bowline, Slip Knot
- Make a double loop	Bowline On A Bight
How To Join Two Ropes
- Tie two similar ropes together	Double Fisherman’s, Zeppelin Bend
- Join lines of unequal diameter	Sheet Bend
- Join strings to tie a package	Square Knot
- Join two ends of webbing	Water Knot
- Join two large lines or hawsers	Carrick Bend
- Tie your shoe laces	Better Bow Knot
Tie a Knot at the End of a Rope
- Tie a stopper knot	Figure Eight, Dbl Overhand Stopper, Ashley's Stopper
- Tie a temporary stopper knot	Slippery Knot
- Tie a bulky stopper knot	Ashley’s Stopper
- Tie a knot for weighting the end	Heaving Line Knot, Monkey's Fist
- Whip the ends of rope	Common Whipping
How to Tie Ropes to Objects
- Tie a line to any object	Figure Eight Follow Through, Buntline Hitch
- Attach a rope to a post	Clove Hitch, Pile Hitch, Cow Hitch, Rolling Hitch
- Attach a line to a cleat	Cleat Hitch
- Attach an anchor to a rope	Anchor Bend
- Temporarily attach a rope to a post	Mooring Hitch, Slipped Buntline
- Tie an adjustable tension knot to an object	Tautline Hitch
- Tie webbing loop to a rope or post	Girth Hitch
- Tie a sliding rope to another rope	Blake's Hitch, Klemheist Knot, Prusik Hitch, Munter Hitch, Valdotain Tresse, Tautline Hitch to Rope, Distel Hitch, Schwabisch Hitch
- Tie a load down on a car or truck	Trucker’s Hitch
- Tie a shackle to the end of a rope	Buntline Hitch, Two Half Hitches
- Tie up a bundle of sticks	Constrictor Knot
- Lash two tent poles together	Transom Knot
- Tie a rope to a log	Timber Hitch, Rolling Bend, Marl
- Emergency rappel down a rope	Munter Hitch
- Haul on a line with another rope	Rolling Hitch