The above knots are the most important to practice for rescue work. Knots and splicing is a vast body of work with lots of neat applications. Before cam straps were prevalent, most of us used a Trucker's Hitch to safely secure our boats. Improvising a seat and chest harness may prove useful for safely lowering a rescue person. The Grog site also shows a simple hasty harness tie. I highly recommend bookmarking the "Animated Knots by Grog" site - especially the Grog Search & Rescue for future reference.

There are some other really useful knots or rope techniques we use in rescue situations. A great way to take the load off a key knot or anchor point is the "No-Knot" or Tensionless Hitch. You have probably seen this hitch countless times if you have seen any of the old Western movies. Cowboys use it to quickly secure their horses to a rail.

Many power boaters use the simple clove hitch to quickly secure their boats to posts on a dock. It isn't a very reliable knot because it is very subject to slipping and binding as well.

The two half hitches knot is an exceptionally secure knot, far more reliable than a clove hitch and just as easy to tie. One potential downside is when fully loaded it may be very difficult to untie. This is why the example added an extra loop around the post to take the stress off the knot itself.

A better knot than a Figure 8 variant for creating a mid-rope loop is the Alpine Butterfly or Lineman's Knot. The Butterfly's main advantages are equal loads on both sides of the knot and much easier to untie after loading.

The Bowline knot has been a staple of climbing for many years. Many find it challenging to tie correctly and you should always use a backing knot for extra protection. The Bowline can be a real challenge to untie after a heavy load. Generally, the Figure 8 Loop knot is a much better alternative. In cases where you only have one free hand, the one-handed method of tying the Bowline is real handy.

We often use webbing to set anchors. A great knot for tying two ends of webbing together is the Water Knot.

If you need a real strong way to combine two ropes, it is hard to beat a double or triple Fisherman's Bend. The triple variant is the basis for creating our Prussic Loops. The Prusik Loop or Triple Sliding Hitch is commonly used for ascension and as a brake on Z-Drag setups.

Three Load Releasing Hitches:

• Munter Hitch
• Radium Hitch
• Mariners Hitch

Why Figure 8?

There are several knots you can choose from to create a loop. Two common ones are the bowline and the Figure 8 on a bight. In rescue and climbing tasks, we want maximum strength, ease in tying and untying, and of course simplicity. Under numerous tests, the Figure 8 knot is always stronger than the bowline (check out this knot strength article). The Figure 8 is also easy to identify when you have tied it correctly. Finally, the bowline can be very difficult to untie after significant load has been placed on the standing end. The basic Figure 8 can be used to make a loop, form a stopper knot, and prevent frayed ends of ropes from unraveling. It is no wonder this knot is the first choice for professional rescue personnel and climbers. Here are some variations with demonstrations.

Figure 8 Knots

• The Basic Figure 8
• Figure 8 on a Bight
  This no more than bending the rope and simply tieing a basic figure 8 knot
• Figure 8 Follow Though
  This is a great knot when you need to use a tree as an anchor.
• Here is a video that shows how to join two ropes together with a Figure 8 Follow Through Knot: Join Ropes with a Figure 8.
• Double Eye Figure 8
• In Line Figure 8