Teach Your Kids To Tie Knots!

NCFubar

NCFubar

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This afternoon I was helping a friend load up “stuff” to take to the dump. I tied a rope on my side and tossed it over for him to tie down the stuff so it wouldn’t fly off. A guy in his mid-30’s could not tie a simple hitch knot … he made what at best I’d call a rat‘s nest at best. I was nice and polite but asked if he knew how to tie at least a simple square knot … he didn’t. My kid learned to tie a square and slip knot by the time he was 6 years old … a fisherman’s knot right after that … and Scouts finished off his knot education.

I know kids aren’t likely to get excited about learning to tie knots but one day they are going to need to tie one …
 
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Very true. But knots is one of those things you don't use it you lose it. I used to be TR certified and we had to take a 8 hours knot class with practicals. I think I remember 4-5 of them.

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here is a book that helped
our family way back in the day:
51yQLXcdXyL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Knots and Ropework: Over 200 Tying Techniques with Step-by-Step Photographs: Budworth, Geoffrey: 9781844768912: Amazon.com: Books

The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Knots and Ropework: Over 200 Tying Techniques with Step-by-Step Photographs [Budworth, Geoffrey] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Knots and Ropework: Over 200 Tying Techniques with Step-by-Step Photographs
www.amazon.com
 
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Great web site for teaching.

www.animatedknots.com

Home

Animated Knots is the world's leading site for learning how to tie knots of any kind. From Boating Knots, Fishing Knots and Climbing Knots to how to tie a Tie, or even Surgical Knots — we’ve got it covered.
www.animatedknots.com www.animatedknots.com
 
turkeydance said:
here is a book that helped
our family way back in the day:
View attachment 348699

The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Knots and Ropework: Over 200 Tying Techniques with Step-by-Step Photographs: Budworth, Geoffrey: 9781844768912: Amazon.com: Books

The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Knots and Ropework: Over 200 Tying Techniques with Step-by-Step Photographs [Budworth, Geoffrey] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Knots and Ropework: Over 200 Tying Techniques with Step-by-Step Photographs
www.amazon.com
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i feel like we had that book too
 
I'm horrible at knots. The extent of my knot tying is my neck tie. Damned if I can't do a proper neck tie either.
 
I got into knot tying in my late 20s, really fun and inexpensive hobby. It’s definitely a diminishable skill.

Ratchet straps are great in some circumstances, but cumbersome and less versatile in others.

There are a handful of knots that will cover your ass in most situations, as I’m sure most of you know.
 
turkeydance said:
here is a book that helped
our family way back in the day:
View attachment 348699

The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Knots and Ropework: Over 200 Tying Techniques with Step-by-Step Photographs: Budworth, Geoffrey: 9781844768912: Amazon.com: Books

The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Knots and Ropework: Over 200 Tying Techniques with Step-by-Step Photographs [Budworth, Geoffrey] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Knots and Ropework: Over 200 Tying Techniques with Step-by-Step Photographs
www.amazon.com
Click to expand...
I have the same book. Knots 3D is a free app you can download on your phone, and show animations for tying the knots.
 
NCFubar said:
This afternoon I was helping a friend load up “stuff” to take to the dump. I tied a rope on my side and tossed it over for him to tie down the stuff so it wouldn’t fly off. A guy in his mid-30’s could not tie a simple hitch knot … he made what at best I’d call a rat‘s nest at best.
Click to expand...

If you can’t tie the knot, tie a lot.
 
I have knot blindness. Doesn't matter how many times I am shown or how much I practice I just can't tie knots worth a damn.
 
Dale Gribble said:
If you can’t tie the knot, tie a lot.
Click to expand...
My high angle instructor years ago said the same thing as we were lashing a classmate down in a stokes basket..... soon to be lowered off a 4 story tower. She didn’t see the humor.

I know my share but don’t practice as much as I should.
 
I can teach knots and rigging to anyone who wants to learn it. Been tying and rigging since before I could drive, and it is literally the backbone of my career/trade.

I’m also Comtrain certified as a “Competent Tower Climber” and an “In-House Instructor”.

I’m famous for my one-handed-behind-the-back bowline. [emoji38]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
mikehrl said:
Two basic knots, the square knot and the bowline. For the Bowline, my dad taught me " the rabbit goes out the hole, around the tree and back down the hole
'
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same story here, but it doesn't do you any good if you can't remember the loop to start with :)

1911gobang said:
Yes, but can you tie a garage door pull down?
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i often wonder how any of us survived grade school. We carried pocket knives, and played touch tag, and if anybody had a section of rope, it would be turned into a noose to play with.
 
1911gobang said:
I can teach knots and rigging to anyone who wants to learn it. Been tying and rigging since before I could drive, and it is literally the backbone of my career/trade.

I’m also Comtrain certified as a “Competent Tower Climber” and an “In-House Instructor”.

I’m famous for my one-handed-behind-the-back bowline. [emoji38]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

mikehrl said:
Two basic knots, the square knot and the bowline. For the Bowline, my dad taught me " the rabbit goes out the hole, around the tree and back down the hole
'
Click to expand...

I would suggest 3 knots.
1. the bowline ( An emergency survival knot ), b/c you can use it to raise or lower a buddy, w/o it closing down / tightening up on their chest.
2. the trucker's hitch to pull tent / tarp/ loads down tight
3. the clove hitch to fasten one end a rope to a tree & use a trucker's hitch on the other end to pull it tight to another tree.
Those are the 3 I use most. The bowline & trucker's tie down knot are worth learning, if you don't learn anything else.
 
1858 Remington said:
I would suggest 3 knots.
1. the bowline ( An emergency survival knot ), b/c you can use it to raise or lower a buddy, w/o it closing down / tightening up on their chest.
2. the trucker's hitch to pull tent / tarp/ loads down tight
3. the clove hitch to fasten one end a rope to a tree & use a trucker's hitch on the other end to pull it tight to another tree.
Those are the 3 I use most. The bowline & trucker's tie down knot are worth learning, if you don't learn anything else.
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Id add an alpine butterfly as it does two things really well.

You can use it to add a loop to the middle of a rope or use it to join two ropes. It actually works very well as the intermediate knot in a truckers hitch.

The clove hitch is just one of those things you should know just because, but you should also know it’s limitations.
 
frakncylons said:
Id add an alpine butterfly as it does two things really well.

You can use it to add a loop to the middle of a rope or use it to join two ropes. It actually works very well as the intermediate knot in a truckers hitch.

The clove hitch is just one of those things you should know just because, but you should also know it’s limitations.
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I used alpine butterfly to hang my steel targets. one at each end, and another in the middle lets me hang at 2 different heights. and since i have a bunch of hooks, i can make that a lot of different heights.
problem is that paracord doesn't hold up well to spalling.
and if I can't use a clove hitch, use a bowline. it won't loosen up on me.
 
I saved a couples backpacking trip earlier in the month. Their tent pole had broken where the span hooked into the front hoop. So the tent was not going to stay up at all. I went over and tried to help once, but focused on fixing the pole. Left and came back with a better idea. We put his trekking poles inside the tent. Then took the hank of cord he had and I had him tie it to a tree. Put a hitch on the top of each trekking pole. Then I used a truckers hitch to pull tension on the poles. Basically used the cord to guy out the tent with some spiffy rope work.

How to tie and use a prussik loop has been very handy for me in the woods. Tarp suspensions, guy out points, and one high angle rescue on Devil's Courthouse.
 
My first career was on the water, tied jus' about every knot tha's useful or fun. In addition to Ashley's Book of Knots, I like Hervy Garret Smith's "Arts of the Sailor". I love Animated Knots by Grog when teaching young people to tie knots.
 
Me. said:
You can get through a long and successful life knowing only these knots:

Square knot
Tie-your-shoelace knot
Tie-a-necktie knot


Unless you have a hobby that has more specific needs, you can handle 99.99999999999% of all knot needs with a square knot (or the first half of a square knot).

Are there often more appropriate choices than the square knot? Sure. But the square knot will get it done.


99.999% of all knot-related problems (such as your buddy’s) can be solved by knowing to use a square knot and not a granny knot.
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True, but it’s like having the right tools for the job, there is a joy in that.
 
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NCLivingBrit said:
I have knot blindness. Doesn't matter how many times I am shown or how much I practice I just can't tie knots worth a damn.
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Years ago when I was working with the Cub Scouts I didn't really have enough planned to fill the meeting time. So we started learning a few knots, just 2 or 3, nothing really complicated. Once everyone seemed to have it figured out I had them try to tie the knot behind their back. Then I turned out the lights. Then I had them try it using only one hand. As expected some did better than others. But they discovered a few ways to practice they didn't realize before.

.
 
Me. said:
You're saying if I go to clip-on ties I only need one knot to get me through life?! Sweet!
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It’s kinda neat that when you start learning knots you see elements of the fundamental knots in more complicated ones. The four in hand basic necktie is really just a buntline hitch. The buntline hitch is just a clove hitch around the standing end, but the clove hitch is backwards.

The buntline is one of my favorites, especially if you tie it slipped so all you have to do is pull the end and it is untied.
 
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1911gobang said:
I can teach knots and rigging to anyone who wants to learn it. Been tying and rigging since before I could drive, and it is literally the backbone of my career/trade.

I’m also Comtrain certified as a “Competent Tower Climber” and an “In-House Instructor”.

I’m famous for my one-handed-behind-the-back bowline. [emoji38]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Learned the "one handed bowline" in sea scouts. It was a major hit when I was a scout leader years later.

I would add the taut-line hitch to the list...
 

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