Which knot do you tie?

[Crankmas]

double bowline-

[Canuck]

Also, my bowline is doubled through the harness rather than in the knot. Is that called the single?

Depends who you're asking. Some call it a double bowline. Some call it a rewoven bowline. Others just call it a bowline.

[rhunt]

I guess then it has to do more with the fatty facture than the knot. I will need to carry a pair of needle nose pliers with me if I use an 8. I think I will stick with the double bowline, its worked for over 10 years now.

And a 9.5 rope - don't get me started on the new trendy small ropes and the grigri.

[Meadows]

It's a sterling and has swelled up quite a bit already. My 9.8 wasn't going through the grig without tendonitis-causing effort.

[ReachHigh]

I haven't and any issues with my 9.2 and untieing fig8s after a fall, just give the knot the proper finish.

[schwagpad]

Holy God. Look at sharmas forearm in that picture! That is inhuman.

[powell.se]

i, also, have never seen a belayer catch an improperly tied knot that a climber was about to climb on outside of guide/client scenario.

I have caught numerous improperly tied figure 8s and double fishermans; (K)not to mention the people who inadvertently ran the rope through only the lower loop on their harness. I've never caught a bad bowline though.

I see so many people screw up a double fisherman by making the 2nd loop above the 1st loop (wrapping up). The correct procedure is to have the 2nd loop below the 1st loop (wrapping down), then send the tail back up through the center. The 1st example will often untie itself.

As for the figure 8 and getting it untied after a series of falls I've found the prettier the knot looks (i.e. the paired ropes do not cross each other along the way) the easier it will be to untie.

But hey, it's your life and if you like tooling down I64 on your Harley without a helmet, more power to you.

Knotty Scotty

[krampus]

Holy God. Look at sharmas forearm in that picture! That is inhuman.

his whole arm looks like a puffed up cobra ready to strike. That is one bad ass photo

[john e aragon]

Sorry to say I did not read even one of these post. I tye an 8 through my harness. But, I lift tons(literally) with a bowline every day! The bowline is much easier to untie, but easier to get wrong. PLEASE REMEMBER THAT.

[1 wheel drive]

Canuck,

Your knot (a) is called a Portugese bowline by one book that I've read. This, in addition to a fisherman's, is the one I use, although the Misty harness instructions recommend not threading through twice.

Fortunately for me, someone else broke his back using a single bowline sans backup before I got around to it.