loop knots
figure 8
The classic. A strong and secure way to attach a rope to a harness or carabiner. However, under a heavy load (taking a whip) it can be hard to untie. A tail of 4 to 8 inches is optimal. Can be tied as a follow-through (for attaching to a harness) or on a bight (clipping to a carabiner).
double figure 8 (bunny ears)
- https://www.animatedknots.com/figure-8-double-loop-knot A figure eight with two loops.
double bowline
alpine butterfly
Creates a strong, secure, and fixed loop in the middle of a rope. Can be clipped, used to create an improvised ladder, and for isolating damaged sections of rope.
hitches
clove hitch
An ancient knot used to secure a middle section of rope to an object it crosses over. With certain types of cord, the clove hitch can slip when loaded, but with a modern climbing rope it will slip slightly and then bind. It is also unreliable when used on a square or rectangular post, rather than round.
munter hitch
Also known as the italian hitch. A simple hitch that can be used on a large carabiner to belay / lower in an emergency.
prusik
Used to attach a loop of cord around a rope, creating a hitch that locks in place under load, but can slide freely when moved gently. It can be used as a progress capture, rappel backup, and as a cheap and light alternative to a mechanical ascender. A good backup to have in an emergency.
klemheist
Similar to a prusik, but easier to slide up and can be used with webbing.
girth hitch
An extremely simple way to hitch a sling / loop of rope to an object. Easy to "untie". Often used for the master point on a normal climbing anchor. Technically there are stronger master points, but it's "super good enough", quick, and easy to check. Despite the appearance, cutting one half under load will not cause the other end to slip unless up to 6+ KN is continuously applied. So if you're setting up a hanging belay of a team of NFL linemen maybe don't use this.
bends
double fisherman
The primary use of this knot is connecting two ends of round cord together to form a sling. The knot is very strong, but can be difficult to untie after load. For thin, slippery dyneema cord using a triple fisherman's is recommended.
strangle knot
One half of the double fisherman's knot. Commonly used as a "stopper knot" on the end of a rope to prevent rappelling off the end.
water knot
A very simple, but secure way to connect flat webbing together when making a sling. Difficult to untie. Leave a large tail, 8+ inches as some can slip under load.
EDK / offset overhand bend
A very simple, but secure way to connect two ropes. Often used for combining ropes for a rappel. The name EDK stands for "European Death Knot". American climbers considered this knot to be unsafe when they noticed European climbers using it; however it turned out to be a bit of a misnomer, and the knot is safe for rappelling. There are stronger knots (offset figure 8 or double fisherman), but the low profile (less likely to get caught on something) and relative ease of tying and checking even when fatigued make it favored for rappels.