I just realized the only "good" knot I know is a figure eight. I use this to tie on climbing, and have literary trusted my life with it. Is this going to be good for tying up a canoe and hanging food? There's still time to learn!

Are you talking about a figure 8 or a figure 8 on a bight? A figure 8 on a bight will form a nice loop that you cold secure your food bag to with a biner. As for securing a canoe I would use a bowline or a clove hitch. I suppose you could use a figure eight on a bight for the canoe. As long as you are usd to tying it around an object.

Although there are a lot of knots, the two I use almost exclusively on A BW trip are the bowline and the tautline hitch.

I'm the king of granny knots... :) Lot of half hitches and such.

my favorite.

quote kanoes: "my favorite.


"

Oh that's a beauty! Is that the WTF knot?

quote kanoes: "my favorite.


"

If you can't tie a knot, tie a lot!!!!!

quote OldFingers57: "Are you talking about a figure 8 or a figure 8 on a bight? A figure 8 on a bight will form a nice loop that you cold secure your food bag to with a biner. As for securing a canoe I would use a bowline or a clove hitch. I suppose you could use a figure eight on a bight for the canoe. As long as you are usd to tying it around an object."

For climbing it would be the figure 8 follow through. A bit overkill for any canoe country task I can think of.

A good knot for canoeing is any that meets these requirements...

You can remember how to tie it

It does the job you want

Comes undone when you need it to.


And the third is more a suggestion.


I get by a lot with just a square knot. Bowline I've had to relearn. While my wife drove today, I was tying bowlines without looking for practice. Clove hitch is childishly simple, but not the sturdiest. And I sometimes get the taut line hitch right.

Because of my being knot challenged, i have learned some tricks.

And correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't a figure 8 good for bear ropes?

Just so everyone knows there are a couple of differnt Figure 8 knots:

Figure eight knot family

A simple figure eight knot is just a stopper knot. Most people use the figure eight on the bight knot.

quote finman: "

quote kanoes: "my favorite.



"

If you can't tie a knot, tie a lot!!!!!"

It looks like the knot I use the most.....I believe it is called the quantity knot!!!!
FISHONFISHOFF

Getting back to the OP's questions on knots, I'd say learn to tie a trucker's hitch and a bowline.

This has been very helpful to me, Animated Knots

I would learn the bowline, truckers hitch, or any of the knots used in the section about fishing or scouting or rescue. Learn a few and practice with a rope in front of the TV.

quote Savage Voyageur: "This has been very helpful to me, Animated Knots "

I'm with you Savage. I love the animated knots site.

quote OldFingers57: "Getting back to the OP's questions on knots, I'd say learn to tie a trucker's hitch and a bowline. "

+1

quote OldFingers57: "Getting back to the OP's questions on knots, I'd say learn to tie a trucker's hitch and a bowline. "

These are the 2 knots I use the most. No matter where I am. The bowline is easy to tie and no matter how much strain you put on it, its still easy to untie. The truckers hitch in addition to tieing down loads, if you use multiple truckers hitches you can literally pull your truck out if its stuck!

I frequently tie knots like jan although I know a handful I am most likely to just tie figure eights and square knots in a pinch.

I tie jazz knots.

Overhand followed by a few slip half hitches. Truckers knot. Bowline. That's about all you need?

quote kanoes: "my favorite.


"

My dad used to tie that one all of the time. He called it the "come knot never loose".

Mike