Field Guide / Knots
Step-by-step instructions for the knots campers, hunters, hikers, and anglers use most. Search by name or use, or filter by type, difficulty, and activity.
Knots are best learned with a piece of cord in your hands. Practice each one until you can tie it without thinking, and test it before you trust it. These pages are not training for climbing, rappelling, tree stand fall protection, or rescue: for anything where a failure could hurt someone, learn from a qualified instructor and use gear rated for the job.
15 knots
A fixed loop that does not slip and is easy to untie after loading, a classic for tying a rope around a post, tree, or load.
A fast hitch that ties a rope to a post, tree, or pole and can be adjusted by sliding it, useful as the start or end of a lashing.
A compact joining knot made of two interlocking wrapped knots that grip tightly, used to join two ropes or cords.
A stopper knot that is bulkier than an overhand and much easier to untie after it has been loaded.
A strong, symmetrical fixed loop made by tying a figure-eight knot in a doubled rope.
The most common knot for tying fishing line to a hook, lure, or swivel, and a good first fishing knot to learn.
The simplest knot there is, used to stop a rope end from sliding through a hole or fraying, and the starting point for many other knots.
A strong, simple knot for attaching line to a hook, lure, or swivel, and the standard recommendation for braid.
A knot for joining two ropes, even of different sizes or materials, that holds better than a square knot.
A flat knot for tying a bundle or a bandage, symmetrical and easy to tie but not safe for joining ropes that carry a load.
A fast way to join two lines of similar thickness, such as a leader to a main line.
An adjustable loop that grips when loaded and slides when slack, ideal for tent and tarp guylines.
A cinching system that builds a simple pulley into a rope so you can pull a tie-down much tighter than by hand.
A simple, secure way to tie a rope to a ring, post, or tarp corner, using two hitches around the standing part.
A versatile fishing knot that ties line to a hook or swivel and, in its double form, joins two lines.