Tie a Double Bowline Climbing Knot

A lot of people use the figure-8 knot for tying in, but the bowline (pronounced "bow-lin") is just as safe if done correctly, pulled tightly, and backed up with a safety knot. The advantage of this knot is that it is much easier to untie when you have finished climbing or if you need to undo it after a fall. It's also a knot that uses the strain on the rope to increase its strength, meaning that the greater the load, the tighter the knot. A double bowline knot has about a 70% to 75% efficiency, meaning that it holds about 75% of the tension strength of the rope.

Steps

Tying the Double Bowline

  1. Form two loops of equal length. Leave a good amount of rope at the end to work with.
  2. Thread the tail of the rope into your tie-in point.
  3. Thread the tail back under the hole created by the two loops. Move the tail from the back side of the loops to the front.
  4. Tuck the rope behind the main line.
  5. Thread the tail back through the hole created by the two loops. Move the tail from the front side of the loops to the back.

Backing Up with a Stopper Knot

  1. Wrap the tail under and through the top eye, parallel to the rope. Move the tail from the back side of the loop through to the front. Make sure your double bowline is tight and passes a visual inspection.
  2. Start a stopper knot several inches above the bowline knot. A stopper knot will give you a little bit of added safety and psychological calm.
  3. Wrap the tail over and under the standing line, creating a loop.
  4. Create another loop in the same fashion for added safety.
  5. Feed the tail through the loops created and tie off. You now have a double bowline backed up by a stopper.



Tips

  • Be aware of the the advantages and disadvantages of a bowline knot:
    • All knots weaken a rope, increasing the chance of a rope breaking. The bowline decreases the breaking strength of your rope a great deal (40 percent).
    • The bowline is easier to untie after the climb than a figure eight knot.
    • A bowline that is not tied correctly can be very dangerous and easily distort under load.

Warnings

  • As usual, have your partner check your knot and never leave the ground unless you're sure that it is tied correctly.
  • When compared to the simple and easy to verify figure-8 knot, the double bowline can be confusing. Even experienced climbers have made mistakes when tying this knot so only use this knot if you are certain you have tied it correctly.

Things You'll Need

  • Suitable rope

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Sources and Citations

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