So I was recently on a campout with my son's scout troop and because of gusting winds we needed to secure the dining flys (10'x10' tarps over steel tent frames) to keep them from actually flying!

As I walked around and inspected each patrol's efforts I saw all sorts of knots put to use. Bowline, taut line hitch, trucker's hitch, and half hitches seemed to be most frequently used. (I may be forgetting a few) Doing this inspection lead me to wonder about knots.

I suppose I really have two questions for our forum as you all seem the sort to know and use useful things like knots.

1. How many knots do you KNOW?
2. Which knots do you USE frequently.

For me, Bowline, trucker's hitch, half hitch, taut line hitch, figure eight, and square knots seem to get used more than anything. Bowline has to be the knot I use the most.

Square knot and the bowline here. It's surprising how many people have no idea about the bowline - it's an extremely useful knot. I know how to tie a lotta knots and even how to do splices.

Square, slip, bowline. Sometimes a granny, by accident, which is as good as a square, if I won’t need to untie it.

I know a knot knot. Yep, I'm clueless. Instructions would be helpful. Willing to learn.

Daily: Bow square knot for my shoes or boots.

Every couple of days (fishing): Improved cinch knot 99% of the time, then palomar knot.

Other: Figure 8, square knot, half hitch, bowline.

Anything else I have to look up.

Eagle scout here. Bowline is probably most used. Square & others follow behind.

I use the surgeon's knot often. Sometimes a bowline or half hitch. Vic Dunaway's uni-knot for fish hooks and lures. Otherwise when unsure I tie a lot.

In addition to those above, tautline hitches are useful too.

I've never had the ability to remember knots. My father was a great knot tier, was extremely nautical.

In the past I have used the Highwayman's Hitch, Half Hitch, Bowline, Improved Clinch Knot, Palomar, Snelled hooks, Bimini Twist, Spliced lines, Prussic knot. don't ask me to tie any of these today!!

I have been around sailboats for 50 years and learned a few. A bowline, square knot, figure 8, half hitch, sheet bend, and cleat hitch will handle almost any knot requirements. In real world applications bowline, square knot and half hitch are most common for me.
Rant about cleat hitch: All that is needed is one complete turn and 2 half hitches. And get the damn hitches correct. And don't wrap the remaining 20 ft of damn line around the cleat. Rant off.

A lifetime working with horses and packing them. Square knot, half-hitch, and bowline, frequently. Love the trucker’s hitch, but to be honest, every time I need it, I have to go look it up and learn it again.

Forgot the clove hitch, which I most often used to tie a horse. My experience was that if a horse sucked back, it was almost impossible to get a “slip knot” undone. A clove hitch can be loosened up, even after a horse sits back on one. Sometimes even better is a clove hitch with a bight, followed by a half hitch over the bight.

Tying to a trailer, or some kind of tie ring, often used a “raid knot.” Probably goes by other names as well.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: TMats,

Half hitches/round turn w/ half hitches, bowline, square and clove hitch.

quote:

Originally posted by craigcpa:
I know a knot knot. Yep, I'm clueless. Instructions would be helpful. Willing to learn.

Craig, check out YouTube and look up "bowline knot" in my opinion it is the most useful rope knot around.

The Palomar knot is a great and easy fishing line knot as well.

I learned how to tie knots twice in my life, once during EOD school in the rigging section and once during confined space rescue training. From that I remember and use one knot, the square knot. One thing that stuck in my mind over the years from the training “ if you can’t tie knots tie lots”.

Half Windsor (Sundays only), Bowline, Square, Half Hitch and Cleat Hitch.
Mike

Tautline hitch is useful. I could "throw" a Figure 8 when I was in the scouts. Work shoes: try one of these!

Square, half hitch, bowline, overhand

Flashback to one of our Scout dads who always taught the roster of about 100 knots in the way most of us could recite the alphabet.

He was asian, and in intro and about 10 times in presentation he would reiterate to remember that "He knot genius". In his accent, it always had the boys cracking up and paying attention, and they remember him from time to time.

Square knot, taut line hitch, clove hitch, prusik, bowline.

I was never a scout, but my pop was and he was also in the Army, I love watching him tie shit with ease.

I use a taut line hitch all of the time. I know quite a few hitches, square knot, sheet bend, clove hitch, figure 8, sheepshank, and a bunch of fishing knots like the perfection loop, bimini twist, palomar, clinch and variations of it, blood knot, etc.