Climbing Tools: The Bowline

This really is the king of knots. Sailors, tree huggin greenpeace types cowboys and mountain climbers all lay claim to this puppy. The great thing about this knot is that you can pull a tank out of a mud hole and still be able to take the knot apart with your fingers.
It should be tied with a stopper knot, overhand or such. Also never use this as a method of tieing in to your harness for climbing. It is not easy to tell if it is done correctly and because it does not tighten up it can come undone. In fact it is safe to say that more then 90% of knot failures at the harness is because this knot came undone. You will see climbers at the crag using it but if you look into their eyes you will also see no sign of intelligent life.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• climbing
• bowline
• lessons
• mountaineering
• banff
• canada
• knots
• must
• know

[elic123456]

I do not see any problems using double bowline for the harness + some good finishing nut. There is no way double bowline going to untie! but of course you need to make it properly

Plus if you spend like an hour on good sport route solving a few problems ... you will have to use your tooth to untie figure 8

[mikebarter387]

@elic123456 I have a better idea, use a couple cable clamps and leave your harness permantly attached to rope. At the end of the day you can just undo the buckle and throw it in your rope bag.

[madvlad666]

Why you can use the bowline as an anchor but not on a harness?

Seems like...if it's liable to come loose in a harness, it's liable to come loose on an anchor...?

[mikebarter387]

Who said you could use it on a anchor? It is a poor choice of knot , however I have seen it used on several abalakov's this year. A fishermans type knot would be a better choice.

[crjanow]

i have never seen anyone use the lords name in vein to show you how to tie a knot

[mikebarter387]

As a atheist I have no problem with anything I said

[MJCGN]

@mikebarter387 What about the "bowline on a bight" that elic123456 referred to as "double bowline"? It runs through the harness twice and it's easy to loosen even after heavy falls. I love it. Beneath the figure 8 it is the second established knot for harnesses where I climb.

[blueshift86]

it's been bugging me for a bit now. What can you use a bowline for in climbing if not for anchor or to a harness? I prefer the figure of 8. I'm scared of the bowline becoming undone!

[elic123456]

I suggest you sew in the rope permanently to your harness and be super safe, good luck!

[Antwelm]

@elic123456 Oh, and.. the double fisherman reduces the breakingpoint of the rope down to 50%.

Similarily the bowline reduces it to apx60% and the 8 to apx80%.

Oh, and the 'european' reference? I presume U'r thinking eastern-block here ? I climbed at several indoor-gyms in Poland this xmas, and saw a few american death-triangles in their anchors. Frightening...

[Antwelm]

@elic123456 Would you also rather use a 10kn nut than a 12kn nut if it had been easier to remove than the large one? Your logic is kinda out the window my friend. But, I do understand you questioning, as I'm an experienced sailor myself, and I'v seen the knot hold insane amount of force. Fact is still that the bowline breakingpoint is atleast 15% below the 8 and often much worse. In addition to it being harder to inspect, easier to knot wrong, will flip and fail under a 3-point load etc etc etc

[elic123456]

@Antwelm if you are getting closer to the loading force of your rope you are going to be dead. 2 tons or 3 tons if you have it on your harness you are pretty much done.

Do you know what I mean by saying double bowline? You make a loop through your harness with one bowline, than fid the end of the rope again through the harness and follow the the bowline you had and finish it up with double fisherman. This is standard tie-in technique for some European and Russian school.

[Antwelm]

@elic123456 I'm so sorry U can't see the problem, that I'm actually going to bother giving another real good reason not to use it:

It weakens the strength of the rope 20-30% more than a figure-eight. But by all means, keep arguing and get yourself killed in the process...