Wolf Wilds › Knots and Rope

Photo Michael Dibb, CC BY-SA 2.0

Bowline

The loop that will not slip and still unties after it has been loaded.

What you need

How

  1. Lay the rope across your hand with the long standing part running away from you.
  2. Make a small loop in the standing part with the tail coming up through it.
  3. Bring the tail around behind the standing part and back down through that same small loop.
  4. Hold the standing part and the big loop and pull it snug.
  5. Leave a tail as long as your hand, and put a half hitch in it if the rope will be shaken.

Watch for

Danger
  • A bowline tied backwards looks close and slips under load. Pull test every one.
  • It loses strength when the loop is loaded sideways.
  • On stiff slippery rope it can shake loose with no backup hitch.

Notes

This is the rescue loop, the ridge line loop and the tie off around a tree. Learn it left handed and behind your back.

looprescueridge line

Updated 2026-09-04

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