Seven Knots That Cover Almost Everything
Most people know one knot — a granny knot with extra turns — and use it for everything. It slips when you need it to hold and welds solid when you need it undone.
Seven knots cover almost every real task: securing a load, pitching a tarp, joining two ropes, making a fixed loop, tensioning a line, and climbing a rope in an emergency. Learning them takes an afternoon and they last a lifetime.
The 10-minute version
- Learn the bowline first. A fixed loop that will not slip and unties after loading. It is the single most useful knot there is.
- Learn the truckie’s hitch second. It is a mechanical advantage system, not just a knot, and it is what actually secures loads.
- Stop using the reef knot to join two ropes. It capsizes under load. Use a sheet bend, or a double fisherman’s for anything that matters.
The seven
1. Bowline — a fixed loop
For: a loop that will not tighten around what it encircles. Throwing a line to someone, tying a rope to a post, making a loop in the end of any line.
Why it matters: it holds under load and unties afterwards even when the rope has been heavily loaded, which most loop knots will not.
Tie it: make a small loop in the standing part, bring the working end up through it, around behind the standing part, and back down through the loop. The rabbit comes out of the hole, round the tree, back down the hole.
Watch for: it can shake loose when unloaded and cycled. Finish with a stopper knot in the tail for anything that matters, and never trust it for life-safety without proper training.
2. Truckie’s hitch — tension a load
For: tying anything to a roof rack, ute tray or trailer. It gives roughly a three-to-one mechanical advantage, so you can pull a strap genuinely tight by hand.
Tie it: fix one end. Partway along, make a loop in the standing line. Pass the working end around the anchor point and back up through that loop — this is your pulley. Haul, then lock it off with two half hitches against the loop.
Watch for: the improvised loop can jam under heavy load. A slipped overhand loop unties much more easily. This is the knot every tradesperson uses daily and most drivers have never learned.
3. Taut-line hitch — an adjustable tensioner
For: guy lines on tents and tarps. It grips under tension but slides by hand, so you can retension a sagging tarp at 2am without untying anything.
Tie it: around the standing part, two wraps inside the loop, then one outside, and dress it.
Watch for: it works on rope with some texture. On slick modern cord it slips — use a line-lok or a friction adjuster instead.
4. Clove hitch — fast to a post or rail
For: starting a lashing, securing a line to a rail, quick temporary attachment.
Tie it: two loops in the same direction, drop the second over the first, put the post through both.
Watch for: it slips under variable load and rolls if the pull is not perpendicular. Excellent as a starting point, poor as the only thing holding something.
5. Figure eight — a stopper, and a loop
For: stopping a rope running through a hole, and — as a figure eight on a bight — a strong, easily inspected loop.
Why it matters: it is the loop climbers use, precisely because it is easy to see whether it is tied correctly. Bulkier than a bowline and harder to untie after heavy loading, but visually unambiguous.
6. Sheet bend — join two ropes
For: joining two ropes, especially of different diameters, where a reef knot fails.
Tie it: bight in the thicker rope, thinner rope up through it, around behind both parts, tucked under itself.
Watch for: it can loosen when unloaded. Double it — round twice — for anything under variable load. For anything serious, use a double fisherman’s bend instead.
7. Prusik — grip a rope
For: a loop of thin cord that grips a thicker rope under load and slides when unweighted. It makes a hauling system, an ascender, or a backup on a rope.
Tie it: a loop of cord — roughly two-thirds the diameter of the main rope — wrapped through itself three times around the main line.
Watch for: genuinely useful and genuinely technical. It is the one knot on this list that appears in life-safety systems, and it should not be used that way without proper instruction.
The two to stop using
The reef knot (square knot) to join two ropes. It is a binding knot — correct for tying a bandage or a parcel, wrong for joining two lines. Under load, particularly with ropes of different thickness or slick material, it capsizes and runs. This is one of the commonest causes of knot failure among people who consider themselves competent.
The overhand knot on anything loaded. It jams solid and cannot be untied, and it weakens the rope substantially. As a stopper it is acceptable; as anything else it is a knot you will end up cutting off.
Rope, briefly
- Paracord (550) — light, cheap, endlessly useful for tarps, repairs and lashings. Not for life support, despite the marketing. The rated strength refers to new, unknotted cord, and knots reduce it substantially
- Polyester rope — low stretch, UV resistant, good for tie-downs
- Nylon rope — stretches, which is good for shock absorption and bad for load security
- Polypropylene — floats, cheap, degrades badly in UV. Fine for a season
- Ratchet straps beat rope for vehicle loads, and are worth the money
- Knots reduce rope strength, commonly by 20–50% depending on the knot. Assume the knot is the weak point, because it is
Thresholds
| Situation | The rule |
|---|---|
| Need a loop that won’t tighten | Bowline. Add a stopper in the tail |
| Load on a roof rack or trailer | Truckie’s hitch, or a ratchet strap |
| Guy line on a tarp | Taut-line hitch, or a line-lok on slick cord |
| Joining two ropes | Sheet bend. Double fisherman’s if it matters |
| Joining two ropes with a reef knot | Stop. It capsizes under load |
| Anything holding a person’s weight | Proper training and rated gear. Not paracord, not this article |
| Rope stored outside all summer | Inspect it. UV destroys polypropylene and weakens most rope |
| Knot you cannot untie | You used an overhand. Use a figure eight next time |
What it costs
| Tier | Spend | What it buys |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | An afternoon and a metre of shoelace. This is genuinely a free skill |
| Solid | ~$20–40 | 30 m of quality paracord and 20 m of 8 mm polyester rope. Covers nearly everything |
| Better | ~$50–90 | Two ratchet straps and a set of line-loks. Better than rope for loads and tarps |
| Reference | ~$15–25 | A pocket knot guide, or the Animated Knots app. Worth having offline |
The drill: the afternoon
- Cut a metre of cord and sit somewhere comfortable.
- Bowline, twenty times. Then twenty times with your eyes shut. Then behind your back.
- Truckie’s hitch on the clothesline, ten times, until you can tension it hard.
- Taut-line, clove hitch, sheet bend, figure eight — ten each.
- Prusik last, and only as a curiosity unless you are taking instruction.
- Then use them. Pitch a tarp in the yard. Strap something to the roof. Knots learned and never used are forgotten within a month.
- Re-tie all seven every few months. Ten minutes, and it keeps them.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most useful knot to learn first?
The bowline. It makes a fixed loop that will not slip under load and can still be untied afterwards, which covers a very wide range of tasks — tying to posts, throwing lines, and making a loop in any rope end.
Why shouldn’t I use a reef knot to join two ropes?
A reef knot is a binding knot, meant for tying around an object. Used to join two lines — particularly of different diameters or in slick material — it capsizes under load and runs. Use a sheet bend, or a double fisherman’s for anything important.
What knot should I use to tie down a load?
A truckie’s hitch, which creates roughly three-to-one mechanical advantage so you can pull a rope genuinely tight by hand, then locks off with two half hitches. Ratchet straps do the same job with less skill required.
Is paracord strong enough for climbing?
No. The 550 rating refers to new, unknotted cord under static load, and knots reduce rope strength substantially. Paracord is excellent for tarps, lashings and repairs, and is not life-safety equipment.
How much does a knot weaken a rope?
Typically between 20% and 50%, depending on the knot and how tightly the rope bends within it. Assume the knot is the weakest point in any system, because it usually is.
How do I stop forgetting knots?
Use them. Pitch a tarp, strap something to a roof rack, and re-tie all seven every few months. Ten minutes of practice a quarter keeps a skill that otherwise disappears within weeks.
This article is general information, researched from the sources listed below and not reviewed by a professional in the relevant field. Check the sources, and get advice or training suited to your situation. Read our full disclaimer.