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Basic Ropemanship

The document provides a comprehensive guide on knot tying, emphasizing its importance in rescue operations under various challenging conditions. It details different types of knots, their classifications, and essential considerations for effective knot tying, including safety and strength. Additionally, it covers specific knots used for various purposes, such as stopper knots, loop knots, hitches, bends, and special knots for emergency situations.

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Matt K
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24 views4 pages

Basic Ropemanship

The document provides a comprehensive guide on knot tying, emphasizing its importance in rescue operations under various challenging conditions. It details different types of knots, their classifications, and essential considerations for effective knot tying, including safety and strength. Additionally, it covers specific knots used for various purposes, such as stopper knots, loop knots, hitches, bends, and special knots for emergency situations.

Uploaded by

Matt K
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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BASIC ROPEMANSHIP

Knot tying – is the process of manipulating a rope in some form to serve a specific purpose.
Knot – a fixed, non-moveable place on a piece of cordage that is achieved through turns, bends
and tie-offs.
Most recues takes place under severe condition environmental conditions, thus, rose recue
technicians should be able to do knots:
 Under stress/ pressure
 In the dark
 When cold
 Using only one hand
 And with diminished physical activity
The inability to do knots may be a sign of lack of desire to develop the basic skills to be a safe
team member.
 Qualities of a good knot:
 It can easily be tied and untied even after loading
 Easy to determine if tied correctly
 Once tied, it remains tied
 Minimal effect on rope strength

Considerations in making a knot:


1. Length of the tail – 12mm diameter rope must only have a minimum of 8 to 12 inches of
tails after the completion of each particular knot.
2. Safety knot – an overhand lock is use to secure a knot and prevent it from slipped.
3. The sized of the loop – the size must only be large enough to accommodate the
equipment to be attached such as carabiners. This will prevent the carabiner from moving
out of position.
4. Dressing – the proper aligning and removal of twisted portion of the rope throughout a
knot.
5. Pre – tensioning – applying weight to remove unnecessary slack on the knot.
6. Body guide – these are the different points in the body used as reference in making a knot.

Knot terminologies
1. Bight – the open loop in a rope or piece of webbing formed when it is double back itself.
2. Loop – made by crossing the side of a bight over the standing part
3. Round turn – consists of further bending of one side of a loop
4. Hitch – a knot that attached to or wraps around an object, when the object is removed, the
knot will fall apart.
5. Bend – is the intertwining of two ends of rope

Parts of a rope in making a knot:


1. Working end – end part of the rope used in forming a knot.
2. Standing part – the section of the rope between the running end and the working end.
3. Running end – free end of the rope use in hoisting, pulling or belaying.

Proper handling position:


When making a knot one must learn a certain way of handling the rope to be knotted. The proper
handling will aid in fast and easy knotting.

Dominant hand – the working end is held by the dominant hand since it is the one that leads in
making a knot.
Non-dominant hand – the standing part is held by the less dominant hand.

Classification of Knots according to its usage:

A. Stopper Knots – these are knots basically configured to prevent rope from slipping or
unraveling.

1. Overhand knot
 It is use as safety knot, easy to prevent the main knot from unraveling.
 Foundation knots for all overhand family knots

2. Figure of 8 knot
 It is used as stopper knot, easy to untie than the overhand knot
 Indicator of the end of the rope
 Foundation knots for all figure of 8 family knots

B. Loop knots – configured as a system connecting point. The size of loop should be based
on the size of the object that it will accommodate.

1. Overhand loop
 15% strength loss
 Used as attachment point for suspension.
 Disadvantage: very difficult to untie once tensioned.

2. Figure of 8 on a bight loop with lock


 18 to 20% strength loss
 Used for attachment for suspension and lifelines
 Overhand lock is used to secure the knot.

3. Figure of 8 follow through with lock


 18 to 20% strength loss
 It provides a loop same as the figure of 8 on a bight used in a closed object.

4. Double Loop figure of 8


 18% strength loss
 The loops are intended for a large surface of contact which provides additional strength
and multi-connection point.

5. In-line figure of 8 loop


 25% strength loss
 It provides a single directional loop in the mid-section of the rope.

6. Butterfly loop
 25 to 31% strength loss
 It is strong midline knot which could be pulled at any direction.

7. Bowline with lock


 33% strength loss
 It provides a fixed loop at the end of the rope
 Requires a safety knot

8. Bowline on a bight with lock


 It provides two fixed loops used for connection or attachments to an object or person.
 Requires a safety knot.

9. Triple bowline with lock


 It provides three fixed loops used for connection or attachments to an object or person.
 Used in rope rescue to secure an unconscious person during lowering/raising operation.
 A body guide is used as reference to the size of the knot.

C. Hitches – are configures as means of attachment to an object, and when the object is
removed, the knot will fall apart.

1. Italian hitch
 A sliding friction hitch can be used for rappelling or belaying a single person load.

2. Cow hitch
 This knot is used when hoisting objects, securing a ladder, as tug line attachment on a
stretcher and other special purposes.

3. Double cow hitch/ prussic hitch


 A friction producing knot which is used as rope grab.

4. Clove hitch with lock


 Used as a direct anchor system on a round anchor point.
 Requires safety knot
5. Round turn half hitches
 Used commonly as a direct anchor system on a round and cornered anchor point.
 The two half hitched wrap around the standing part will form a clove hitch.

D. Bends – are rope configuration that joins two end of the rope, cord or webbing.

1. Square bend with lock


 Used to join ropes with the same diameter.
 Requires safety knot in both tails of the rope
 This type of knot could be quickly untied even after a heavy loading.

2. Sheet bend
 Used to join ropes with different diameter.

3. Double Fisherman’s Bend


 5 to 10% strength loss
 Used for joining ropes with small diameter such as prussik loops
 Very difficult to untie once tensioned heavily.
 Requires no safety knot

4. Water bend
 36% Strength loss
 Used to join two ends of webbings

5. Figure of 8 Bend
 19% strength loss
 This knot joins rope with same diameter and requires no safety knot due to its inherently
tight configuration.

Special Knots – are combination of knots configured to serve a certain purpose.

Emergency Harness
 It is made out of a joint rope using square knot or webbings using water bend and is wrap
around a person’s mid-section for securement and attachment to the rescuer’s system
during a rescue operation.

Hasty Harness
 It is also made out of a joint rope using square knot or webbings using water bend.
 Provide a suitable harness for vertical ascent or descent.

Lifeline
 It is a rope configuration that is attached to the waist and has a tail intended to be attached
on a secured object or anchor point to prevent the wearer from falling.

Seat harness
 It is an improvised rope configuration that is tied around a person’s waist and thigh for
securement and connection during rescue operation.

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