Being able to tie a variety of knots may not be something that comes to mind when you are preparing

to survive in the wilderness (or in an urban environment after

an economic collapse) but knowing a few advanced knots can save your life. Knots are useful for building shelters, constructing traps, securing a fishing line, and
climbing steep terrain. If you use the wrong knot for any of these situations, you may have to cut the knot when you can’t untie it, or have it slip out and come
undone. Here are five advanced knots that amateurs can master – and they each have unique applications in survival situations.

1. Square Knot 
The square knot is the one that you’re most likely familiar with already. It’s a very basic not that can be applied to lots of different situation. A square knot attaches
two ropes together. It is tied by simply tying two overhand knots using the end of each length of rope. Tie the knot right over left, and then left over right. This type
of knot is useful when you don’t have a long enough rope – and many survival kits have several smaller lengths of rope rather than one long one. The main
drawback of the square knot is that it will only work with two ropes that are made of the same material and of equal thickness. Otherwise, the knot will slip out.

2. Clove Hitch
The clove hitch is the best knot to use when you are assembling a temporary shelter. A clove hitch is used to lash one pole or support to another. Typically, you
will want to tie the clove hitch in the middle of the rope. This is because there will usually be tension applied to both ends of the rope. The clove hitch will hold firm

and won’t slip or loosen quickly, although in high winds that are rocking the supports back and forth,  you will have to tighten it occasionally. After the
bowline and sheet bend knots, the clove hitch is probably one of the most important to know in a survival situation. This is also the knot that is used by climbers to
secure an anchor. Not only is the clove hitch simple to tie and untie, it’s also designed so that you can lengthen or shorten the trailing rope without untying it. The
main drawback of the clove hitch knot is that it is not as strong as more advanced anchor knots. It can also loosen if it isn’t tightened securely after you tie it.
Finally, the clove hitch is not as effective when you’re working with a wet or frozen rope.

3. Bowline Knot
The bowline knot is essentially a combination of the applications of the square knot and the clove hitch. This is truly a multipurpose knot for camping. It can be

used as a climbing knot, but because it’s a more advanced knot than the clove hitch,  it will never slip when it’s properly tied, even if you have not fully
tightened it. A bowline knot is perfect for hanging supplies out of the reach of scavenging animals, and it is also very useful in rescues, since it makes a loop that
someone can grab onto or use as a foothold. Finally, a bowline knot is the best option for securing livestock and other animals, as it won’t tighten or slip on the
animal’s neck.

4. Taut-line Hitch
The taut-line hitch is a pretty basic camping knot, but it’s very useful for securing tents and other items. You can use a taut-line hitch on a tent by attaching it to the
tarp and then anchoring it on a stake or branch. Because the knot is designed to be adjustable, it can be easily tightened whenever the line pulls slack without

having to  rework the knot itself. This knot is also an excellent choice for attaching different gear to your survival pack. You can use the taut-line knot to
hang the gear from your pack, and tighten it if it gets loose with just a single pull on the end of the rope.

5. Sheet Bend Knot

Bend knots are knots that tie two different ropes together, and there are lots of different kinds. While the sheet bend knot – like so many knots – was originally
developed for use in sailing, it has many applications in camping,hiking, and wilderness survival. It is often used to make netting by tying many thin lines together,
and it can be  used for the same application in survival situations, or simply to attach two very thin lines to form a longer one. It is essentially an advanced
version of the square not – and its main advantage over the square knot is that it can be used to attach ropes of different thicknesses or material.

Double Sheet bend

Instructions

Make a loop in one end. The rabbit goes out of the hole, around the tree and back under his path
Required for

 Venturing Outdoor Bronze Award requirement #7.h.2.b

 Ranger Award requirement #7.h.2

 Fisherman's knot

Notes

The Fisherman's knot is used to tie two fishing lines or ropes of equal size together. One benefit is that it makes a very small knot. 
See also

Knots by Use
Basic knots Overhand knot  •  Square knot  •  Granny knot  •  Two half-hitches  •  Taut-line hitch  •  Bowline  •  Sheet bend  •  Slip knot  •  Clove hitch  •  Timber hitch
Advanced
Constrictor knot  •  Monkey's fist  •  Ocean plait  •  Trucker's hitch  •  Turk's head
knots
Special
Braiding  •  Carrick bend  •  Chain sinnet  •  Cow hitch  •  Double sheet bend  •  Sheep shank
knots
Fishing Arbor backing knot  •  Barrel knot  •  Blood knot  •  Blood loop  •  Clinch knot  •  Fisherman's knot  •  Improved clinch knot  •  Nail knot  •  Needle knot  •  Palomar
knots knot  •  Surgeon's loop  •  Turle knot
Sailing
Bowline on a bight  •  Cleat hitch  •  Double Bowline  •  Figure Eight  •  Marline hitch  •  Midshipman's hitch  •  Rolling hitch  •  Stevedore's knot
knots
Climbing Alpine Butterfly knot  •  Double fisherman's knot (Grapevine)  •  Figure eight follow-through  •  Figure eight on a bight  •  Figure eight on bend  •  Figure eight knot  •  Prusik
knots knot  •  Safety knot  •  water knot
Blackwall hitch  •  Bow knot  •  Bowline  •  Bowline on a bight  •  Cats Paw  •  Chain hitch (Marline hitch)  •  Clove hitch  •  Double Carrick bend (Carrick bend)  •  Double
Figure Eight  •  Double Overhand  •  Double sheet bend  •  Figure Eight  •  Fisherman's Eye  •  Fisherman's Knot  •  Granny knot  •  Half hitch  •  Halyard bend  •  Hitching
Forty knots tie  •  Killick hitch  •  Lariat loop  •  Lark's head or (Cow hitch)  •  Marlinspike  •  Midshipman's hitch  •  Miller's knot  •  Overhand bow or (Water knot)  •  Overhand
knot  •  Rolling hitch  •  Running knot (slip knot)  •  Sailor's knot  •  Sheep shank  •  Sheet bend  •  Slippery hitch  •  Square knot  •  Stevedore's knot  •  Surgeon's knot
(surgeon's loop)  •  Taut-line hitch  •  Thief knot  •  Tiller's hitch  •  Timber hitch  •  Two half hitches
 Carrick bend
Categories: Fishing knots | Knots | Forty knots | Climbing knots

A fully interwoven diagonally opposed Carrick bend

Carrick bend, Double carrick bend,

Double coin knot, Ten accord knot,
Bosun's Knot, Basketweave knot,
Names
Chinese knot, Josephine knot, Whistle
lanyard, Sailor's breastplate knot, Sailors
knot, Pretzel knot, Wake knot

Typical
Joining two lines
use

Animation of tying a Carrick bend Caveat

The Carrick bend is a knot used for joining two lines. It is particularly appropriate for very heavy rope or cable Releasing Non-jamming

that is too large and stiff to easily be formed into other common bends. It will not jam even after carrying a Category Bend knots

significant load or being soaked with water.  Group Special knots

Related
The Ashley Book of Knots # 1439, p. 263 

“ ”
The Carrick Bend joins two ropes together. It used to be widely used to join large hawsers.

— Grog
 Cow hitch
Cow hitch

Main article: Cow hitch

Cow hitch, Strap hitch, Lanyard hitch,

Names
Lark's head, or Girth hitch

Typical
Hitch a rope to something
use

The Cow hitch is one of the least secure

Caveat
of the hitches.
Animation of tying a Cow hitch
Releasing

The Cow hitch hitches a rope to a metal ring, pole, or another rope. It is also used in Horsemanship for Category Hitch knots
typing a leather strap to a ring or hitching post. In Small-Boat Sailing, the Cow hitch is used to secure a Group Special knots
lanyard to a shroud or jib sheet to a clew, etc.  Related

The Ashley Book of Knots # 1694, p. 294) 

“ ”
The Girth Hitch is much more familiar than many of us recognize: it is the same knot we use to link a pair
of elastic bands.

— Grog
Double sheet bend

Main article: Double sheet bend

Double sheet bend

Names Double sheet bend,

Typical use

Caveat

Releasing

Category Bend knots

Group Special knots

Related
Animation of tying a Double sheet bend
The Double sheet bend is like a Sheet bend with an extra wrap. The double sheet bend is stronger than
a Square knot or even a Sheet bend. It is a good choice for tying two ropes together in wet conditions or with a moving load.

Required for

Instructions

Make a loop in one end. The rabbit goes out of the hole, around the tree and back under his path and then back under his path once more.
 Constrictor knot

Constrictor knot

Main article: Constrictor knot

Names Constrictor knot, Gunner's knot

Typical use
Animation of tying a Constrictor knot
Caveat May be difficult to untie once tightened

The Ashley Book of Knots # 1188, p. 216  Releasing

The Constrictor Knot deserves to be much more widely known and used. It is an excellent quick Category Binding knots
temporary whipping for a fraying rope's end. It securely ties the neck of a sack or bag, and I have often
used it to hold items together for gluing. Group Advanced knots
— Grog
Related Clove hitch
 Home

ARCHIVE

FLOOR LASHING:
Use ----

to lash a series of poles to a set of stringers to form a flat surface such as a deck, a table top, or a
road way.

Comments ----

When using a floor lashing, both ends of the decking poles must be lashed at the same tine to
insure a firm even surface.

When placing the decking poles on the stringers, lay the decking poles so that their butt end are
in alternating direction. Alternating the but ends of the decking poles will compensate for the
natural taper of the poles so that the length of the decking along each stringer will be equal.

Narrative ---- (For floor lashing knotboard)

 (1) Tie a clove hitch around each stringer. (2) Secure the short end of the rope by wrapping it
around the running end (wrap with the lay of the rope ). (3) Place the decking poles on the
stringers and take a bight around the first pole. (4) Next, on the inside of the stringer, pull a bight
up between the first decking pole and the next decking pole. (5) Place the eye of the bight over
the end of the decking pole. (6) Pull tight. (7) On the outside of the stringer, place a bight over the
next decking pole. (8) Pull tight. (9) Repeat steps 4 through 8 until all decking poles are lashed in
place. (10) Tie the first half hitch of the ending clove hitch. Work half hitch tight. (11) Tie the
second half hitch of the ending clove hitch. Work half hitch tight (12) to form clove hitch.

CONSTRICTOR KNOT:
Dscription ----
A clove hitch with a half knot under the cross-point.
Use ----
To tie a smaller rope to a larger one, or to tie a rope to a stake or pole; a substitute for
whipping; as a lashing for light construction ; as a hose clamp.
Comments ----
A secure nonslip knot ; difficult to untie without cutting.
[NOTE]
Use this method of tying the constrictor knot on either side of where you intend to cut a rope. This
is a fast and easy way to prevent a rope from unlaying when it is cut.
Narration ------ (For Constrictor Knot knotboard.)
((1) take a bight around an pole. (2) Continue wrapping the running part around the pole so that the
running part crosses over the standing part. (3) Complete the turn around the pole. (4) Cross the
running part over the standing part so that (5) a bight is formed around the standing part. (6)
Reeve the running part under the cross part of the loop in the standing part to form a half knot
under the cross-point. (7) Pull the standing tight. (8) Lock the knot tight by pulling hard on both the
standing part and the running part.
 Constrictor knot

Constrictor knot

Main article: Constrictor knot

Names Constrictor knot, Gunner's knot

Typical use
Animation of tying a Constrictor knot
Caveat May be difficult to untie once tightened

The Ashley Book of Knots # 1188, p. 216  Releasing

The Constrictor Knot deserves to be much more widely known and used. It is an excellent quick Category Binding knots
temporary whipping for a fraying rope's end. It securely ties the neck of a sack or bag, and I have often
used it to hold items together for gluing. Group Advanced knots
— Grog
Related Clove hitch
 Turk's head

Turk's head

Main article: Turk's head

Names Turk's head,

Animation of tying a Turk's head
Typical use

Caveat

Releasing

Category knots

Group Advanced knots

Related
 Forty Basic Knots

Bow knot

Blackwall hitch Bowline Bowline on a bight

Double Carrick bend (Carrick bend)

Chain hitch (Marline hitch)

Cat's Paw Clove hitch

Double Overhand
Double Figure Eight
Figure Eight
Double sheet bend

Fisherman's eye Fisherman's knot

Granny knot

Half hitch
Halyard bend
Hitching tie Killick hitch Lariat loop

Midshipman's hitch
Miller's knot
Larks head or (Cow hitch) Marlinspike

Running knot or Slip knot

Overhand bow or (Water knot)
Overhand knot

Rolling hitch

Sheep shank

Sheet bend
Sailor's knot
Slippery hitch

Square knot Stevedore's knot Tautline hitch

Surgeon's knot (Surgeon's loop)
 Tiller's hitch
Thief knot
Timber hitch Two half hitches

Knots
 Boating Knots
Anchor Hitch, Bowline on a Bight, Buntline Hitch, Carrick Bend, Cleat Hitch, Jury Mast Knot, Pile Hitch 

 Camping Knots
Adjustable Grip Hitch, Constrictor Knot, Lanyard Hitch, Taut Line Hitch, Timber Hitch, Tripod Lashing 

 Climbing Knots
Alpine Butterfly, Flat Overhand Bend, Bunny Ears, Double Fisherman's Knot,Figure Eight Bend, Prusik 

 Decorative Knots
Double Coin Knot, Diamond Knot, Monkey's Fist, Sailor's Cross, Single Rope Braid, Turk's Head (Mat) 

 Fire & Rescue Knots

Double Overhand Knot, Figure 8 Follow Thru, Fireman's Chair, Handcuff Knot, Tensionless Hitch 

 Fishing Knots
Albright Special, Arbor Knot, Blood Knot, Nail Knot, Palomar Knot, Perfection Loop, Snell Knot 

 Pioneering
Clove Hitch, Diagonal Lashing, Round Lashing, Shear Lashing, Square Lashing, Timber Hitch 
 Scouting Knots
Bowline, Clove Hitch, Sheet Bend, Square (Reef) Knot, Taut Line Hitch, Two Half Hitches, Turk's Head (Woggle) 

 Arborist Knots
Blake's Hitch, Distel Hitch, Schwabisch, Poacher's Knot, Valdotain Tresse, Water Knot