Hi! My name is Nils, welcome to my personal website. Here is what you will find within this domain:
Tying Instructions
The illustrations of knots linked from this page will help you learn the right knot for a variety of situations. Most of these knots I learned while growing up hiking and canoeing in Maine. At Hebron Academy I drew illustrations teaching how to tie all of the knots that I know. Below you will find highlights of the most useful ones.
Tying Your Shoes Fast – Ian Knot (Ian's Shoelace Site)
If you, like me, are willing to re-learn something you've been doing without thinking since childhood because there is a better way, this is the knot for you.
Tying Your Shoes Securely – Double Slip Knot (Ian's Shoelace Site)
For slippery shoelaces or serious sports.
Setting Up a Tarp Over the Picnic Table – Adjustable Grip Hitch
This knot will hold tight while under a fair amounts of pressure, but the size of the loop can still be altered by hand without re-tying. It is a stronger knot than the very similar tautline hitch
Binding / Cutting Off Circulation – Constrictor Knot
Prerequisite: Clove Hitch. The tightest binding hitch that I know. Useful for holding things together while the glue sets.
Making a Strong Loop – Figure Eight Loop
The strongest loop I know. It's double-line nature means there isn't a lot of tension on a single point. It is tied on a bight, but typically near the end
The Best Knot to Tie a Line to a Fixed Object – Fisherman's Hitch
The strongest way to fasten a line to a fixed object that I know. This is the one to use to hang a swing. It is also the recommended knot to prevent a noose line from snapping (see the three points of failure in the description of a Hangman's Noose).
A Fast Getaway – Highwayman's Hitch
My friend and I used to tie up our canoe like this while on Scholars In Nature trips so that we could harass people and then make a clean getaway down the river.
Tying Together Lines of Different Sizes – Sheetbend
This is the best knot for tying together two different lines of two different sizes. There are several interesting variants on this knot including the quick-release Sheetbend with a Bight, the stronger Double Sheetbend (good for drastically different sized lines), and the One-Way Sheetbend (useful for wiring).
Tying Something Down – Trucker's Hitch
If you've ever gone canoeing with me, or seen me strap something down to a truck, you've seen this knot in action. It's a fun full-body knot to tie. It is the *only* to tie something down. You can crank it as tight as physically possible and still un-tie it with ease when you get to your destination because it is finished off with slip knots. I recommend when you're done slipping the loose end through the loop of the slip knot, or making a slip knot chain.
Tying Webbing – Water Knot
This is the best knot I know to tie two pieces of webbing (or other flat lines such as swim goggle straps) together.
The Best Knot to Tie Somebody's Wrist – Clove Hitch on a Bight
This is a knot that I came up with myself. It has a number of nice features explained in detail in the essay linked above. The illustrated instructions are at the bottom of the page.
