Page 51 - Nate Fitch, Ron Funderburke "Climbing Knots"

Finish with a backup knot,
positioned directly beside
the initial loop.

Bowline

Strength: The bowline is a strong knot. When
tied correctly with a backup knot, it reduces the
material strength by only 10-20 percent.
Visual clarity: The bowline has a distinctive
shape, but when it’s upside down or when any
of its distinctive loops are not tight enough, it is
more difficult to recognize.
Efficiency: There are only three steps to tying a
bowline, and even after heavy cyclical loads, it is
not too difficult to untie.
Security: The bowline can behave erratically
in response to cyclical dynamic loads. If the tail
that protrudes from the knot is too short, it is
possible to make the knot slip apart or unravel.
Otherwise, the knot will break in front of the first
biting loop. Applying a backup knot makes the
knot behave more consistently.
Failure mechanism: When tied with a backup
knot, the bowline will break when it fails.
Ideal application: The bowline is ideal for tying
the end of a rope around objects of varying sizes.

38 CLIMBING: KNOTS