The bowline is an incredibly useful knot I use all the time when I need to tie a rope off to a tree. You can also use it on a ring, a fence post, or to tie a boat off to a dock. It holds really well under load, and it’s still easy to untie after it’s been weighted.

How to Tie It

Throw the rope around the object you’re tying off to. Create a loop in the standing end, run the tag end up through that loop, back around the standing end, and back down through the loop. Dress it up, and that’s your bowline.

One Thing to Know

The bowline can work itself loose if it isn’t under load, so it works best when it’s kept under tension. If you’re tying a boat off to a dock and the line is going slack as the boat rocks, I like to back it up with a simple overhand in the tail. A double barrel knot works too.

If you want another essential knot in the kit, here’s how I tie the figure 8 and the double fisherman’s knot.