Chapter 17 · Knots, ropes, and lashingsLoops and stopper knots
Chapter 17 · Knots, ropes, and lashings

Loops and stopper knots

3 min read

In this section (3)
  1. Bowline
  2. Figure-eight, figure-eight loop, and figure-eight follow-through
  3. Alpine butterfly

Bowline

What it is for: making a fixed loop at the end of a rope that does not slip or tighten: tying the rope to a tree or a ring, the ridgeline of a tarp, or around a person's chest to pull them in a ground rescue (emergency only). It is easy to untie even after carrying weight.

In red: what you move in this step.
Step 7 of 7

Tighten: hold the end together with its side of the loop and pull the standing part. Check: the end sits inside the loop and is long; the loop doesn't slip when you pull.

  1. Make the hole. Form a small loop in the standing part, with the part that goes to the working end on top.
  2. Set the size of the loop. What remains between the hole and the working end will be the loop; if it goes around a tree, wrap it around now.
  3. Go up through the hole. Pass the working end from below to above through the hole.
  4. Go around the standing part from behind.
  5. Go back down through the hole. The working end returns where it came out and ends up inside the loop.
  6. Tighten. Hold the working end together with its side of the loop and pull the standing part. Leave a long tail.
Figure 17.2. Bowline. Memory trick: "the rabbit comes out of the hole, goes around the tree, and goes back into the hole."

Figure-eight, figure-eight loop, and figure-eight follow-through

Figure-eight: a stopper knot at the end of a rope so it does not slip through a pulley, an eyelet, or a hole, and so it does not fray. Figure-eight loop (double figure-eight): the same shape made with the rope doubled; it gives a very secure fixed loop that is easy to check at a glance. Figure-eight follow-through: the same loop, but made around something that has no free end (a tree, a ring, a vehicle tie-down ring).

In red: what you move in this step.
Step 5 of 5

Tighten by pulling the standing part and the end together. Check: you see a clear 8 and at least 2 in (5 cm) of tail is left. Tied with the rope doubled, the same knot is the figure-eight loop.

  1. Figure-eight. Make a loop, pass the working end behind the standing part and then through the loop from the front. When tightened you see an "8."
  2. Figure-eight loop. Fold the end to form a long bight (the length of the loop plus what the knot takes up) and tie the figure-eight with both strands together. The bight that sticks out is the loop.
  3. Figure-eight follow-through. Tie a loose figure-eight leaving a long working end, pass the working end around the object, and retrace the figure-eight along the same path, in parallel, in the opposite direction.
  4. Check. The two strands must run parallel through the whole knot, without crossing each other. Tighten by pulling each of the four strands.
Figure 17.3. Figure-eight in two steps and finished figure-eight loop. The figure-eight loop repeats the same pattern with the doubled rope.
Figure 17.4. Figure-eight follow-through: first a loose figure-eight; then the working end goes around the anchor and retraces the knot.

After a heavy load the figure-eight loop tightens a lot and is hard to undo. If you need to release it easily, use the bowline.

Alpine butterfly

What it is for: making a fixed loop in the middle of a rope, without using the ends. It holds load in any direction (by the loop or by the two ends), unties well, and can isolate a damaged section of rope (the damaged section sits in the loop, with no load). It is the ideal loop for the trucker's hitch.

  1. Make a bight where you want the loop.
  2. Give it two full twists in the same direction: a figure "8" forms, with a large loop on top and a small eye below.
  3. Fold the large loop down in front of the crossings.
  4. Pass it through the small eye from front to back and bring it out upward.
  5. Tighten by pulling the loop and the two ends at the same time. The finished knot has two symmetrical "X"s and the loop comes out to the side.
Figure 17.5. Alpine butterfly using the two-twist method.