zlacker

That knot resembles the clove hitch, which is a very versatile hitch to attach a section of rope to an object. I think learning a few basic knots is an extremely useful life skill.

Just knowing how to tie bowline, double bowline and a few hitches will make you a more useful person.

>>yan+(OP)
My knot skills are horrible, I only know about 3 knots. At camping (real camping where we canoed 4 or 5 hours out to the middle of nowhere and camped) I had to do a zillion knots because everyone was so impressed at how I could tie things down correctly.

It was surprisingly helpful - I can't even remember where/when I learned them.

>>yan+(OP)
That's actually a slipped square knot. But the way you tie it is sort of reminiscent of a clove hitch.

As he says on the site, you wind up with the same knot (slipped square) that you'd get by the usual method of tying.

>>yan+(OP)
I realize the bowline family is used extensively in marine settings, but the figure-eight family is a lot easier to tie in most settings, and almost always results in a stronger system.

>>JshWri+s4
Yay, a knot geekery thread. :)

The bowline rules for tying one-handed. Otherwise, I'm inclined to agree with you, but properly dressing the figure-eight can be bit of a chore. It's too easy to get the ropes crossed inside the knot. For non-climbing use, I like the alpine butterfly family. Strong, versatile, and easy to tie in single, double, or triple-loop versions.

>>gcv+A5
I can't remember where but I saw some tests that showed an un-dressed figure 8 had a higher breaking strength than one where the ropes crossed. (it's kinda academic given the sort of forces required though)

Personally I use a bowline + stopper for climbing, figure 8s are a swine to undo with pumped arms if you fall on them hard & if you're pulling the rope through gear there's always the worry you won't fully untie knot.

>>JshWri+s4
When I climb trad or top rope, I tie in with figure-eight, but when I sport climb, the double bowline is preferable because it's easy to untie after taking a whipper.