How to Tie The Bowline Knot - [For VISUAL Learners] 

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What really amazes me about the bowline is that it’s easily undone no matter how much tension you’ve put on it. And that it’s impossible for it to get undone while under tension. Double safe!

This is what RU-vid was intended for

Concise and easy to understand. Knots are hard to memorize and people NEED to revisit, so making this series as it is has been a blessing with the consumer in mind. No filler content, no faffing around, great illustrative editing and splicing with an added hue to make it aesthetic. This puts other RU-vid content creators to shame. I’m sure I’m not the first to say it, but thank you so much for what you’re doing!!

In Boy Scouts, in the old days, we practiced and practiced tying all kinds of knots. But if you don't use it you lose it! Thanks for bringing this knot back just when I needed it. Good teaching is rare, great job! I'll be looking at the other videos.

I always struggled with learning knots because the over/under is always poorly illustrated, or I'll get the twist direction wrong because I misinterpreted the diagram. The way this was explained was really clear and I appreciate how it was presented.

Love the quickness of this knot. I used to know it (learned it as a Girlscout, I think) but hadn't used it in a while; good refresher. Thanks!

The rabbit parks his car in the hold, turns off the key, comes out of the hole. goes around the tree, and back into his hole.

I learned how to tie this knot many years ago and still appreciate a well done step by step video. Thanks dude!

The most important use was not covered. Suppose someone breaks through ice on a body of water. You are on the shore with a rope. Just throwing the loose end of the rope may not help, because it will be difficult for the person in the cold water to hang onto it. You put a large loop in the rope with a bowline. The loop does two things. It adds weight to the end of the rope, making it easier to throw. Then the person in the water puts his head and arms through the loop. He can hold the rope under his arms even though his hands can’t grip tightly.

Bowline is one of three knots that everyone should learn and be an expert in. Square knot, clove hitch, bowline. There are other great knots that someone might need for maritime, trucking, climbing, or survivalist applications, but these three will get 95% of people all the way through life and the other 5% through 95% of the knots they'll ever need.

Your explanation is one of the most clear and simple one out there. Kudos to you 👍👍Thanks for the info brother

I've always heard it pronounced "bow-lynn".

Agree with you about different positions. This is rarely brought up, but the knot can be facing you or away from you, the tag end could be in your left hand or right... best to practice all of them if you want it to work when ya need it

In Sweden some learn this knot with a slightly different and more dramatic story that goes: You have a lake with a tower next to it with a princess in it, and out of the lake comes a dragon and grabs the princess in the tower and dives back into the lake 😊

I'm so grateful for these knot videos ☺️ So essential... Thank you! 💪🏻

Anti-bowline is the "Eskimo" bowline, and it has the same utility as the regular bowline - but with the feature of making the end loop stand open. Useful if you want to throw the loop over something such as a cleat. (You can coil the rope with it to throw in the same manner as a lasso.)

Thank you, always knew knots were useful but needed to see it done in motion to learn them. Currently have a family member that I drive to many medical appointments I have two paracords in my pocket and practice while I wait. Thank you for making these videos

This is the ONE knot I learned to tie in boy scouts. I can tie it around my body, and otherwise not at all.

Watched my girlfriend trying to teach her son how to tie his shoes. She had no luck. I figured out it was because she was facing him. I sat down, had him sit on my lap and showed him how to tie it from his side. Bingo. It worked. That’s an excellent point you made about facing the knot or not. Good help! Thanks!

Most use I get out of the outdoor knots is at the bedframe, tbh.

This is the single most important knot you learn and use as an infantryman followed by the square knot.

Great tutorial on one of the most useful knots. I worked as a rigger and also taught Scout knot tying for a few years. The only thing I see left out of this , is how to ties it one handed. Especially useful in rescue work and downright handy when you need to tie it while holding onto something either to support yourself of stabilize the object. I don't recall how to tie it that way but I'll grab a piece of rope and try .

Hi, when you have your hats back in stock? Thanks! Also, great video!

As always you the man DJ. When we going to hang out. I'm serious you should put together a meet and greet class course. I will be there. Thanks for always giving out gems

It's pronounced "Bowlin" not "bow-line"

That's the way i first learned to tie it but after doing linework for over 2 decades i can tie it in my sleep. I do it all in one motion without having to make the loop and hold it like that. Hard to explain but i can tie one in like 2 seconds. Another good use for it is an inline bowline. You tie it without the end of the rope. You make a bowline in the line and then pass the working end around an anchor and then through the bowline. Then you pull on that end to make the rope tight and tie a couple half hitches. It's very easy to hold the tension with one hand as you tie the half hitches with the other. You can hold the tension with just 2 fingers by pinching where the rope goes through the bowline and back toward the anchor point. It works very good for if you want to get a rope really tight. We use to use them for temporary guy wires when doing transmission work. It also comes in handy for pulling vehicles out and you have a really long rope that you don't want to cut. Or even tying things down in the back of a truck or 4 wheeler. A lot of people don't know how to tie things down properly and get slack in the line, lose the tightness in the rope. Do an inline bowline and you will get the rope extremely tight. I've even made a clothes line with it before.

is this knot supposed to get tighter and close when I pull the longer side?

In French i learned "The snake comes out of the well. It circles around the tree, and it returns to the well"

Please recommend a medium size ( not 16" machete) fixed handle knife for wood cutting/ shaving,7,J etc, thank you.

You're a wonderful teacher. Thank you so much for sharing the knowledge! 💓💓💓

My friend taught me this knot, he used a snake coming out of a hole, crossing and then back into its hole. It drove me nuts watching him tie it on the quick side and me not doing it right. But the Turn the car off tip to get the first loop right makes it easy to remember.

Amazing job thanks 🙏 ❤❤❤watching live from Japan 🇯🇵 🇺🇬🙏👏💪

I'm enjoying your tutorials but I take a much more limited view on what the bowline is good for. If you need a loop knot that can be quickly tied with one hand? Bowline. If you need two adjustable loops? Bowline on a bight. The little move to pop the bowline on a bight between its locked configuration and its adjustable one is especially satisfying. But the bowline is infamous for capsizing in a way that lets the tag end slip out, it's easy to mis-tie and hard to inspect, and under tension, the bowline puts a pretty severe kink in the rope that cuts its strength in half (basically because the part of the rope on the inside of the curve isn't bearing any of the load). For those reasons, I prefer the figure-8 on a bight in most applications that call for a fixed loop. It has none of the above problems. Its main disadvantage is the amount of rope it uses, and as a secondary disadvantage, yes, it jams a little bit if it's shock loaded. The bowline jams less, but it tends to fall out of the rope before it's loaded, which is a pretty big cost for the benefit, yo? (And if you're really worried about the figure-8 jamming, then use the "Yosemite finish," dress the knot neatly, and untie by twisting a rope end for stiffness and *pushing* it into the knot, rather than by trying to pry open the jam and *pull* it in.)

We would use a thick rope the eye hook on the bow the boat and make a bowline knot off a forklift to lift the bow up and then 2 ropes to lift the stern.

I use the bowline every single day. Less common but very useful is the so-called boat-cover hitch. It's used for securing a loop around an object or for securing a canvas cover onto a lifeboat aboard ship. One bowline is on an end, but a second bowline is on the standing part, so that you get two opposed bowlines, and the other end runs through one and the other, giving a mechanical advantage, The end that's gone through the bowline on the standing part is then tied off with two half hitches, or with a single slipped half hitch, as desired. I've not found the boat-cover hitch in ABOK but perhaps Ashley used some other terminology. How do I use the bowline? It's good for tying horses when you feel that a slipped "horse hitch" knot might not be sufficiently secure or might jam. How do you teach a horse to stand quietly when tied? That's a topic for a different day, with a secret method that allows the horse to teach himself.

LOVE YOUR VIDEO BUT YOUR VERY BIG THUMB IS IN THE WAY

When i used to work a the port and harbour where i live, we used bowline knots to moor ships/boats to the pontoons. I used to be able to make them in around about 3 seconds and knew blokes & women that were able to make the bowline 1 handed which was cool af.

That's a dangerously short tail. All bowline knots should have an overhand safety knot onto the load strand. When I teach this know, I also demonstrate the "death knot," which is when the loop gets flipped the wrong way. It's easy to correct once you know how easy it can happen. The overhand safety knot, with the proper length of tail, helps greatly to minimize this hazard. Most other knots don't require a backup safety knot.

I have learned in the military how to quickly mind it around yourself (so you can jump into the river to save someone and get pulled out, or something related), it goes really fast 2 seconds is definitly possible. Sadly I have forgotten it.

Great explanation! BTW, at 3:11 that’s not a sheet bend. It’s actually a square knot, aka reef knot.

Could this knot be use for hanging a Hammock?

I knew this knot as a rescuer's knot from my sailing days. Imagine you fall off from the sailing yacht and somebody throws your a rope. You can hold on the rope with one hand and tie this knot with the other around yourself. How to do that? You grab the end of the rope, tension the rope with the other hand creating some slack. Then the hand with the end of the rope creates a hole with the twist of the wrist and threads the end through. It's easy (depending on the speed of the yacht) and potentially life saving.

I could never remember all that. Love knots but damn they are complex.

I must be a closet leftie, you guys all tie the opposite direction. Even diagrams in books are backwards to me lol

I tried it like 20 times and everytime the knot just opened when I pulled to tighten it. Then I noticed I was turning the loop in the wring direction (turning the car on). I out of hope just tried the other direction and it worked the first time. I really suggest everyone to try variations and see why they work out or fail. Leads to a lot of learning

I don't see the application of the Marlin knot...is it when you don't want to damage the object you are tying the line to?

Where I sail it's pronounced "bow-lin".

Thank you! I think the turning off the key only works if using the right hand, but I am pretty dumb with this stuff haha

i can't understand the last part. How does it slide or not slide? What keeps the rope length in one position. Just call me city boy!

am I the only one who saw the thumbnail and thought... "Why is a bowline being used to make what is basically a slipnot?"

In cadets that was the one knot that not matter what I did I could not do it. Even following the bunny in whole didn’t work. One time when doing it in a test it didn’t work. Confused the instructor so he did it with me and still following exactly as I could it did not work. I hate that “easy” “everyone can do it” knot

"This is the best knot." ...moments later "If you tied your knot like this, you've done it wrong, but the wrong knot is even better. Don't worry. You can fix it." LOL

your videos are very good friend

I'm not very good with my Knotts that's one weakness I have are they good books out there today but I know of are there any good books out there that anybody knows of

I prefer the cowboy bowline where the rabbit gets confused going around the tree

Combining this with trucker's hitch knots makes a good ratchet strap for securing cargo.

There is another way to attach two lines together using a boline knot, also, there is a faster way to tie one where you don't need the bunny and tree part.

Goes without saying. A great versatile knot - just don’t take the pressure off. I’ll take a double dragon in preference for many applications.

cant find any knot that tightens at the working end.. any thoughts.. ? I want to strap something down with a rope that is already tight at the other end

Great Video! 🙂 Very good explained. Thank you very much. Grüße Christian 🙂

I've made a repelling harness with bowlines .

Would you do the Tugboat Bowline sometime?

My BM1 and BM2 would do a bowline in just a few seconds and needless to say, it always left me utterly baffled back then.

I usually making a loop out of the working end on the last step for a "quick-release." These do actually get hard to untie if you've put them under a lot of load, especially with small cordage like paracord.

Great Video again. Fun fact, the Bowline and the Sheet Bend are the same knot.

For some reason the car key analogy is the easiest to remember since I’ve done it a million times

Sometimes you must destroy your enemies with what you know.

Very well explained

Thanks from London

Corey Taylor is the real king of the knots. :P

In my opinion the king is the Alpine Butterfly. It holds king and queen posts. It will esily be tied in as similar fassion for similar uses as a bowline. It does knot need to tied the regular way. It can be tied around objects and an end of the rope. Also better than the bowline is the anglers/the perfection knot, because it is as easily to remember and much more stable during variable stress loads. But Apline Butterfly is the best. Both is as easy to untie as the regular Bowline. The Apline is also the best way to join ropes. It solves almost any need. Bowline is however easier to tie with one hand and somewhat quicker, but less stable and with fewer uses. The most useful is 1. alpine butterfly, 2. truckers hitch with overhand with quick release, 3. farrimonds friction knot with quick release, 4. perfection/anglers knot/loop, 5. shoe lace rosette, 6. figure eight

Excellent demonstration with the car key turning direction in order to remember how to tie. How many times I have tried at the heat of the moment and failed because i was trying to remember but without any cues or logical process. Before watching your video, the only thing i remembered was how to verify whether i created a true bowline by attempting to slide along either of the two sides (if it slid i knew right away that i screwed up or made a 'monkey knot'!). Your video is so, so great as I 'shall never forget' the car key memory train. MANY THANKS!

I really like the marlinespike hitch idea. Thank you for another helpful video.

FANTASTIC INFORMATION THAT IS GRADUALLY COMMING BACK TO US OUTSIDERS/AND WANNABEE OUTDOORS FOLK. THANK'S TO NOT ONLY THE FORMAT OF RU-vid IN ITSELF BUT MOST DEFINATLTY GUYS LIKE YOU ....BEAR ESSENTIALS....I WISH YOU WERE MY MATE.... NEXT DOOR IN THE 70'S....THANK YOU SO MUCH. I NOW CARRY A SHORT PRACTISE ROPE AROUND AND KEEP REPEATING THE KNOTS YOU SHOW US AND I THINK WITH EVERY ONE OF THEM A POSSIBLE SITUATION IN MY MIND WHERE I WOULD USE THEM ,OR WHERE I COULD HAVE USED THEM IN THE PAST BUT DIDN'T HAVE THE SKILL.....SO MUCH GRATITUDE AND THANKS ....FROM ULSTER....RESPECT ....KARL.

Wow. Thanks for the extra uses & combination uses.

Please do a video of tying a life saving bowline around your own waist, one handed if necessary. if Someone throws you a rope without a bowline already completed, your hand can slip from the rope should you go unconscious due to gases or hypothermia. It might save your own life one day! I used to teach Light Rescue in the Army and later, Elementary School as well. I taught the Bowline, as well as the Bowline around your own waist to every one of my Students.

Basic tutorial, but exceptionally handy to know. Thank you.

I'm a few months late, but I think I just figured out a quick-release variant of this knot! After going around the tree, and before going back into the hole again, take a bight, and pass that bight back through the hole. Cinch it down tight, and I bet it'll hold nice and firm! To release, pull the tag end to undo that last loop of the knot, which turns it into a simple friction hitch. Pull again towards the open loop created by the knot to release the hitch, and boom!

The bowline marlin spiked with a carabiner has also served me well. Rather than use a stick, I simply run the marlin spike bight through the bowline loop, then lock a carabiner around the bowline loop so the marlin spike can't escape. Still adjustable. Stick won't break, or slide. plus the setup feels mad-outdoorsy. ;)

Ever discuss the running bowline as a retired 40 year + arborist I used this not more than the standing bowline by far main usage same features as standing bowline but running bowline used for tying bowline beyond reach of desired object in my case a tree branch and knot completion you would pull the standing line and bowline would run up and secure object for in my case rigging purposes as a young trainee back in the day always wondered if I would ever get it right now a days I can tie the running bowline much easier than the standing bowline of course only because of the running bowline my every day knot as most all situations aloft in scaling a tree knotting generally was a unreachable Endeavour a little humour to add to my story I remember well when a close friend arborist province forester Ontario Hydro said to me hey Mark do you know the running bowline I replied honestly and said no I don’t so he in turn took a standing bowline placed on the ground and took the line with bowline on the ground and ran across the yard with it ! Lol still find it funny to this day ! Joke of the day so to speak and of course from that day on I mastered the running bowline as my primary occupational knot with all the same features of strength and easy untying upon completion of task ! Thought I would share love your site ! Mark from 🇨🇦!

2:26, if only you keep the working end in your two fingers (as shown here before tying) and THEN turn the key, you will have tied even more of the knot, with the finish a bit more self evident. I have a feeling that you know this, but are breaking it down further for viewers. This is a mighty useful way to tie it one-handed, as well.

I Wonder how you make a Wild West style lasso knot

I love how you suggested we create the loop by turning a key on or off. Makes it easier to understand. 👍

The one knot you absolutely have to know as a commercial fisherman. I've worked with guys that could one hand tie bowlines.

Perfect and useful. 😊

When you crossed then 'turned off' and completed the knot, same goes for when the knot is away but 'turn on' then complete. Hope this helps all. Great video.

Ok noob here, what type of rope are you using

Another useful trick is that this can be tied one-handed such as in the scenario of grabbing a rescue line. You loop the rope around you, let's say right handed so from left around your back to right. You then dip your hand across the taught end of the line to your left, down and into the loop created. You then flip up and to the right, and loop the line behind and to the left of the taught side. You grab the end and pull back through the loop around your hand. It's not the easiest to explain but you may be able to look it up. When done, you now have a non-slipping knot that is already around you and you can relax and wait to be pulled up by rescue. Contact me if you need more info or a video demonstration.

I've never thought of using it in a marlin spike. That's going to make my tarp experience so much better!

I have an hybrid car, but still know how to drive something wit a real key and thist car off/car on twist, was a game changer! Great!

It really doesn't matter whether you do "key on" or "key off", you just need to enter the loop in the correct direction. Here's what I do: - Make the loop in the standing end of the line. - Look at the X part of the loop. If the standing end of the line is on top of the X, then insert the working end through the loop from the top. If the standing end is on the bottom of the X, insert the working end through the loop from the bottom. - Then finish the knot by going around the standing end and back through the loop. The cool thing is if you get it wrong, the knot will completely fail and you just try again.

When I was young I learned this knot for tying "swimming" lures. Some lures wiggle when retrieved and need to have a loose connection to the fishing line. This knot works well. It doesn't tighten against the lure and with monofilament it doesn't come loose on it's own.

I know that you do this for spare pocket change so everything you say has to be taken with a block of salt but the double half-hitch is the King of knots. Simple, secure, and easily untied regardless of the type of cordage.

Very nice tutorials, but as a sailor, I have to mention, that the rabbit should go the other way around the tree. That way, the loose end wil stay on the outside, not the inside of the loop. It is said that it "could" come undone with friction over time when the loose end is in the loop. In Dutch we have special names for the inner; merchant bowline (koopmans paalsteek).

thank you for sharing. muchas gracias!!

Can't believe I'm about to get nerdy with a knot video 😂. There's another way to tie a bowline (maybe the easiest way to tie it?). Make your loop, then push the mainline above your loop through the loop to create a half loop. Then grab the tag, put it through the half loop and then pinch the end of the tag "onto itself" (aka the portion of tag that is creating the main loop of the bowline) and then pull the mainline to tighten it

Excellent video. Thank you!

I learned this knot 55 years ago "Rabbit comes up out of his hole, runs around the tree and back down the hole"

I'm surprised that the one handed technique wasn't shown. This can be real useful when one hand is holding something else or is injured.