In the bedroom (and in the rest of the world), one of the most useful knots to know is the slip knot. It’s extremely easy to do — in fact, it’s so simple it’s the only one I remember from my scouting days — and is highly versatile. Some of our other How-To posts call for slip knots, so it might be helpful to know.

What’s so special about a slip knot? Well, for one, it’s quick and easy to do. You can do it mindlessly within a few seconds of practice. You can even do it one-handed in a crunch. But what’s spectacular about it is its structure. The slip knot produces a loop in your rope that has one end that’s solid and another that, when pulled, slips, shrinking the loop until it unties the whole knot (hence the name).

Even if you can’t visualize it, the benefits can still be apparent. The slipping end can be secured to a fixed object — say a bedpost or a ceiling hook — and something can be placed in the loop — say a pair of hands or a foot — and if the looped object pulls, the knot only gets tighter; it’s can’t untie, since something’s in the loop. Get it?

So how do you actually tie a slip knot? Well, don’t worry. It’s extremely easy to show, and only slightly more difficult to explain, but it’ll shock you how quickly you can master this simple knot.

1. Toward the end of the rope, make a loop, crossing the rope over itself.
2. Keeping the loop in place, grab the long end of the rope near the loop.
3. Push a portion of the long end through the loop, being sure to keep the rope crossing over itself.
4. Pull the portion of the long end further, making certain not to pull the end all the way through. This should produce a second loop.
5. Tighten the first loop.

That’s it. Pretty simple. With a little creativity, you can do a lot with this simple knot. You can even make a series of slipknots, repeating steps 3-5 over and over until you have a braided rope that can be undone with one pull. Unless of course, there’s something in the loop.

And a slip knot on either end of a rope… well, now, that’s an easy one to see the benefits too…

Rope + overhead hook = manacles

Originally posted 2016-10-14 08:00:51.