0423 190 077 Published: | Category: Arboriculture | Author: Arborista Trees
Ask ten arborists which knots they use and you'll get ten slightly different answers — but the ones who've been climbing for years all agree on one thing: knowing a knot's name is the easy part. Knowing when to trust it, how much strength it costs you, and how to finish it properly is what actually keeps you safe. This guide walks through the essentials, from rope basics to the knots you'll use every single day.
Learn the Language First
Before any knot makes sense, it helps to know the vocabulary. The working end is whichever end you're actively tying with; the running end is the one you're not. The rope in between is the standing part. Along the way you'll form a bight (a simple curve), a loop (a bight that crosses itself), an elbow (two nearby crossings), or a turn, which is where the rope wraps around an object. Getting comfortable with these terms makes it far easier to follow instructions and communicate clearly with a climbing partner on the ground.
Tie, Dress, Set, Finish — the Habit That Actually Prevents Accidents
A knot isn't done the moment it looks right. Professional practice treats every knot as a four-step process, and skipping a step is where most knot-related trouble starts:
- Tie — form the knot and attach it to any structure or hardware, making sure every part of the rope ends up where it should.
- Dress — tighten and align the knot so every part sits correctly, before it's ever loaded.
- Set — apply load so the different parts of the rope cinch fully into their final position.
- Finish — inspect the knot once more after loading, and confirm any required tie-off or backup is in place.
A sloppily dressed knot can look fine on the ground and behave completely differently once weight comes on — which is exactly why this habit is worth drilling until it's automatic.
The Knots You'll Reach for Most Often
Bowline — the 'king of knots'
A secure end-line loop that stays remarkably easy to untie, even after being loaded hard. It's a natural choice for end-line attachments in rigging, but it has one quirk worth remembering: the tail 'creeps' as the knot is loaded and unloaded. If you're using a bowline for life support, it needs a tie-off — such as a Yosemite finish — or a backup knot in the tail. Tied correctly, it also has close relatives worth knowing: the running bowline (great for setting rigging lines at a distance) and the bowline on a bight (a solid in-line loop that doesn't need a rope end to tie).
Clove hitch — second only to the bowline for versatility
Quick to tie, quick to untie even after a heavy pull, and able to be tied mid-line — which is why it turns up constantly as an attachment knot for limbs being lowered during dismantling work. Its downside is that it can roll out under the wrong loading angle, so whenever it's used as an end-line attachment, back it up with a minimum of two half hitches.
Timber hitch
A brilliantly simple hitch for attaching a line to a log or branch for rigging — easy to tie, easy to untie, and it uses very little rope. It needs at least four wraps around the standing part, and it must be loaded roughly perpendicular to the bight rather than pulled sideways, or the wraps can bunch up and lose their grip. It's not rated for life support.
Round turn with two half hitches (rigger's knot)
One of the strongest and easiest-to-untie knots in the book, largely because the extra 360-degree turn around the object spreads the load before any tight twists are applied. A great option for cinching a loop to a log or spar, and it's a much better way to attach to hardware than looping a karabiner straight through a simple loop, since it helps keep the load properly aligned.
Friction hitches: prusik, Blake's, klemheist and friends
Friction hitches let a climber move a loop or cord along a rope under control, then have it grip firmly the moment weight comes on. The English prusik and Blake's hitch are the classic starting points; the klemheist and French prusik (Valdotain tresse) offer faster, smoother handling once you've got the fundamentals down. The French prusik in particular is worth extra respect — it's very fast, but it can fail to grip if it isn't tied with enough wraps, and it should never be trusted in a live system until you've mastered tying and testing it on the ground.
Choosing the Right Knot for the Job
Every knot trades something for something else. Before you tie out of habit, run through a few quick questions:
- Does the job need a knot that holds under a sudden, dynamic pull, or a steady, controlled load?
- Will it need to be untied quickly afterwards, or is a permanent join fine — or even preferable?
- Does it need to cinch onto hardware, resist creeping over a long shift, or be tied mid-line?
- How much strength can you afford to lose? Some knots cost as little as 6–10% of rope strength; others, like the alpine butterfly, can cost over 50%.
The Bottom Line
Almost everything in tree work can technically be done with just a bowline and a prusik — but 'can be done' and 'done well' are two different things. Take the time to choose well, and to tie, dress, set and finish every knot properly. Sloppy knot tying and poor knot choice have proved fatal for arborists before — don't let it happen to you.
Want to build real muscle memory for these knots before you're forty feet up a tree? Our hands-on climbing and rigging courses cover selection, tying and inspection in genuine tree-work scenarios. Get in touch through arboristatrees.com.au.
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