A simple rope can be a lifesaver in a survival situation. Knowing how to use a rope and make effective knots will help you in an amazing variety of ways from constructing shelters and creating weapons, to fishing and hunting. Most important, ropes and knots act as lifelines in dangerous environments, such as when crossing a fast-flowing river or scaling a mountainside. Elite Forces Guide to Using Ropes and Knotsdraws on the skills of the world's best soldiers to teach you how to use these essential tools in the wilderness. Tried and tested techniques used by the world's special forces give you expert advice on issues such as: how to take care of ropes, the most useful knots to use in a survival situation, how to make your own ropes out of animal tendons or plants, how to use your rope effectively when climbing, how to lash together a log raft or a shelter. Including more than 300 black-and-white specially-commissioned illustrations, Elite Forces Guide to Using Ropes and Knotsis easy to understand, packed with expert advice and essential for anyone who wants to know the difference between and how to make a simple reef knot or complex slip knot, a clove hitch, an alpine butterfly knot and many more.

Alexander Stilwell has written and edited numerous books on sports and outdoor pursuits. He previously spent five years in the English Army, where he gained invaluable training in survival skills, first-aid procedures, and escape and evasion techniques. In his spare time, he enjoys cross-country and marathon running.

Introduction 1. The Basics of Ropecraft What rope is made from and the best type of rope to use, rope terminology, choosing the right knot, hitches for every occasion, lashings Types of Rope: Materials: Cotton, manila, sisal, hemp, jute, synthetic polymer rope/polyamide (nylon), yarn, codline, coir (coconut), flax, horse and camel hair, date palms, reeds, esparto grass, wool and silk, polyester, polypropylene and polyethylene. Construction: Laid, braided, plaited, sheath-and-core Manufacturing processes/tools: Netting needle, gripfid, hollow fid, wire loop, jeweller’s pliers, round-billed pliers, marlinespike Choosing the right knot: Select for security, stability and strength Stopper knots for prevention of fraying; handholds or footholds; decoration Bends for joining two pieces of rope or string together Binding knots for binding together poles, logs, spars and so on Hitches for attaching a rope to a whole range of objects, including hooks, karabiners, rings, posts and so on Loop knots for creating a single or double loops at the end of a line 2. Using Ropes in the Mountains Making an improvised seat harness, the use of belaying, procedure for belaying, the importance of rappelling, rappelling techniques, anchoring climbing ropes Knots for use in mountains or for climbing: Overhand bend Figure of eight (double or triple) Clove hitch Fisherman’s knot Double fisherman’s knot Triple fisherman’s knot Water knot Prusik knot Double Prusik knot Bachman knot Kleinheist knot Italian hitch Alpine butterfly bend Bowline Bowline with stopper Bowline with two turns Figure-of-eight loop Threaded figure-of-eight loop Bowline on the bight Portuguese bowline Common whipping s=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"Flemish bend Adjustable bend One-way sheet bend Heaving line bend Mariner’s knot Peuberthy knot Munter friction hitch Double Munter friction hitch Double Munter mule Heddon knot Double Heddon knot Release hitch, top loaded Release hitch, bottom loaded Extended French Prusick knot Ch-Fi knot Wrapped and Reef Knotted Coil Alpine coil Figure-of-eight coil Fireman’s coil Figure-of-eight loop Alpine butterfly Three-quarters figure of eight loop Frost knot Double Frost knot Triple bowline Adjustable loop 3. Using Ropes to Build Rafts How to make a brush raft, vegetation raft and log rafts 4. Using Ropes to Build Shelters Polar regions, A-frame shelter, pole preparation, lean-to shelter, willow frame shelter, sheltering in desert regions, challenge of the tropics. Knots for rafts and shelters: Marline hitch Oklahoma hitch Transom knot Packer’s knot Square lashing Sheer lashing Diagonal lashing Pole lashing Double constrictor knot 5. Using Ropes at Sea The skills, terminology, and uses of ropes (known as lines) in a maritime environment. Tips and skills from naval and marine soldiers. Maritime knots: Overhand knot Slipped Overhand knot Double Overhand knot Figure-of-eight Slipped Figure-of-Eight lang=EN-GBStopper knot Sink stopper Stevedore knot Monkey’s fist Crown knot Wall knot Matthew Walker Knot Manrope knot Diamond knot Double diamond knot Sailor’s cross Reef knot Slipped Reef knot Surgeon’s knot Clove hitch Clove hitch tied in a bight Clove hitch tied with a working end Constrictor knot Double constrictor knot Sheet bend Double sheet bend One-way sheet bend Carrick bend Hunter’s bend Ashley’s bend Fisherman’s knot Double Fisherman’s knot Water knot Rolling hitch Round turn and two half hitches Buntline hitch Three-way sheep bend Poldo tackle Versatackle Braid knot Fisherman’s bend Cow hitch with toggle Sheepshank Sheepshank man o’war Marlinespike hitch Highwayman’s hitch Waggoner’s hitch Sheer lashing Prusik knot Alpine butterfly Bowline Figure-of-eight loop Bowline on the bight Portuguese bowline Spanish bowline Angler’s loop Jury Mast knot Back splice Eye splice Short splice Long splice Common whipping French whipping Sailmaker’s whipping Palm and needle whipping West Country whipping Flemish bend Zeppelin bend Heaving line bend Racking bend Seizing bend Bowline bend Twin bowline bend Pedigree cow hitch Cow hitch variant Ground line hitch Ossel hitch Ossel knot Gaff topsail halyard Snuggle hitch bend Boom hitch Timber hitch Lighterman’s hitch oNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"Icicle hitch Bale sling hitch Anchor bend Halter hitch Mooring hitch Chi-Fi knot Knife lanyard knot Wrapped and reef knotted coil Alpine coil Figure-of-eight coil Fireman’s coil Constrictor knot tied with an end/tied with a bight Eskimo bowline Double bowline Water bowline Brummycham bowline Midshipman’s hitch Directory of Knots A comprehensive directory of all of the most useful knots, from the half hitch and reef knot to complex slip knots and unusual splices Stopper knots Overhand knot Slipped overhand knot Multiple overhand knot Oysterman’s knot Stevedore’s knot Figure-of-eight knot Heaving line knot Monkey’s fist Wall knot Crown knot Matthew Walker knot Diamond knot Manrope knot Bends Double grinner knot Sheet bend Fisherman’s knot Double Fisherman’s knot Figure-of-eight bend Carrick bend Ashley’s bend Hunter’s bend Harness bend Blood knot Water knot Nail knot Needle knot Racking bend Bowline bend Flemish bend Zeppelin bend Adjustable bend Surgeon’s knot Strop bend Heaving line bend Albright special Simple Simon Over Simple Simon Under Shake Hands Tumbling Thief knot Alpine butterfly bend tyle="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"Hitches Half hitch Timber hitch Cow hitch (ring hitch, Lark’s head, girth knot) Ring hitch Cat’s Paw Clove hitch Round turn and two half hitches Fisherman’s bend Rolling hitch Hatter hitch Highwayman’s hitch Mooring hitch Barrel hitch Bachmann knot Prusik knot Italian hitch Barrel sling Waggoner’s hitch Tucked half blood knot Grinner knot Turle knot Figure-of-eight hitch Buntline hitch Ground line hitch Ossel hitch Gaff Topsail Halyard Bend Snuggle Hitch Boom hitch Lighterman’s hitch Pile hitch Icicle hitch Bale sling hitch Ring hitch Anchor bend Half blood knot Palomar knot Jansik special Turle knot True lover’s knot Binding knots Reef knot Surgeon’s knot Constrictor knot Marline hitch Oklahoma hitch Transom hitch Packer’s knot Square lashings Sheer lashing Diagonal lashing Common whipping French whipping West Country whipping Sailmaker’s whipping Seizing Loop knots Angler’s loop Figure-of-eight loop Bowline Eskimo bowline Water bowline Blood loop dropper knot Farmer’s loop Manharness knot Alpine butterfly Three-quarter figure-of-eight loop Frost knot Spanish bowline Brummycham Bowline Triple figure-of-eight in 0pt"Triple bowline Bowstring knot Midshipman’s hitch Tarbuck knot Adjustable loop Hangman’s noose Arbor knot Bimini twist Portuguese bowline Tom Fool’s knot Handcuff knot Fireman’s chair knot Glossary Equipment Requirements Useful Websites Index