I am working on a project that will require a brief set of wilderness survival instructions for potential use by a novice with little or no experience in the wilderness. I want to include the 4 most useful knots they might make use of. I have some ideas, but though it would be valuable to get your collective thoughts on which 4 knots you would consider absolutely essential as you improvise shelter and such in a survival situation with very limited equipment and supplies, as might be found in a very basic PSK. The best would also have the attributes of being easy to illustrate, multi-functional, idiot proof, well you get the idea. Thanks for your input.

Show the figure eight and some of its variations. Versatile, strong, and highly adaptable. If you mess up you will probably tie an overhand knot, which is also strong, but just hard to untie. Perhaps the clove hitch, in addition.

As a scout leader of "idiots" i have leant the easiest knots

1) clove hitch - taught as a "P" and a "Q" - because they look like them!

2)Bowline-useful - although looks slightly complicated- method is simple

3)Figure of eight - very useful and very strong

4)Reef - easy-very useful in first aid

A lashing would probably be useful and i'd suggest-asquare lashing-started with a clove hitch - simple and effective

My opinions

Mark

Doug,

1. Square knot: simple, strong, easily tied.

2. Two half hitches: a useful slip knot, easily tied.

3. Bowline: a good stable loop, not that hard to tie.

4. Taut line: very useful to tighten tent & other guy ropes.

5. Sheetbend: a wonderful splicing knot. I know you only asked for 4, but this is an old favorite to which I frequently resort.

Good luck,

John

Don't forget the possibility of the knot cards from Knot Cards you could always just include the cards for the knots you decide on.

BTW, my choices would be:

1. Bowline
2. Figure Eight
3. Sheet Bend
4. Clove Hitch

Figure 8 as a stopper knot.

Figure 8 on a bight - for creating a secure loop on the end of a rope.

Clove Hitch - Good general that can be tied and untied quickly

Butterfly knot - An omni-directional loading knot. Useful for creating a loop anywhere in a line that can be loaded in any direction. Great for creating a 2:1 mechanical advantage in taking up slack in a line. It can take a little practice to tie, but once learned, a most useful knot.

Pete
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!. Palomar 2. Square 3. Bowline 4. Taut line

Back in the dark days, I was a caver and taught canoeing to boy scouts. Based on that and trying to teach my family how to use something other than overhand and half hitches and I have to pick just four knots, I vote for: square, clove, tautline and either bowline or figure-8-loop.

-Torus

1. bowline
2. clove hitch
3. carrick bend
4. a lashing to connect crossed beams

For the bowline there is a technique to tie it quite easily (tieing it is much easier than describing it):
You start with a bight and cross the ends with the long end on top. Then you pull a loop from the long end through the bight. It´s important to pull the loop to the top. Then you push the short end through the loop and adjust the length of the short end . At last you pull the long end untill the loop slips through.
I used this technique for training youngsters in our unit. Everyone got it right the first time.
The end to the left is the long end and the portions to the top form the loop.


Here is a link to the illustration of the bowline knot

Doug,

Good topic. Let me suggest that we first identify types of knots by use and then nominate candidates in those "use categories". For example, a fixed loop would be a "use category"; joining two cords together would be another; an adjustable loop would be another; and so on.

It is MUCH more difficult to teach a novice most knots from a static drawing than by a hands-on "tell-show-do"

Have written the above... a few knots for consideration:

2+ half hitches (Yeah, I prefer things like tautline hitches for some specific applications, but 3 or 4 half hitches will hold and still be adjustable)

fisherman's or double fisherman's - drawback is the relative "permanance" of these after a significant strain, but OTOH neither will let go from alternating slack-tension and at least the fisherman's is readily comprehended from a drawing by most folks. For some reason, about 1/2 the population seems to have mental problems comprehending a sheet bend or double sheet bend from a static diagram...

clove hitch OR timber hitch (tough call; maybe for this "audience" a timber hitch might be favored)

I second the figure-8 variants - although personally I will use a proper bowline for some things and figure-8 or 9 fixed loop variant for other things, the basic 8 theme can quickly show a stopper knot, a figure - 8 on a bight, and a re-woven figure-8. A figure 8 on a bight can also be used where one would normally use a butterfly - and it still works even if muffed into an overhand on a bight.

water knot - if there is a vehicle or an aircraft, there will be flat webbing

Most folks can tie their shoes; I wouldn't waste space on a square knot - it has limited proper applications and for where it is proper, most folks will naturally kludge up some facsimile that will hold well enough. Too many folks mis-use the square knot, so why draw attention to it?

I'm not sure that 4 will do...

- Fasten two cords together to make a longer cord
- tie off two ends of cords to finish something (e.g lashings, bundles, bandages, tie shoe laces, etc)
- fixed loop tied & draped over something
- fixed loop bent around something and tied
- attach cord to something approximately cylindrical in cross section
- fasten flat webbing together *** maybe not very important ***
- adjustable loop(s)
- stopper knot(s) *** maybe not very important ***

back to work for me...

Tom