Page 173 - Geoffrey Budworth, Jason Dalton "The Little Book of Incredibly Useful Knots"
P. 173
Prusik knot
The Prusik (named after an Austrian professor of music) is used to hitch a small loop of rope to
a larger one, so that the hitch can be slid up and down the line and locked when loaded. It is used
in caving, rescue, and climbing. It does not damage the ropes, as a mechanical ascending device
would; it does slip, however, if the diameters of the ropes are not well matched.
Begin with a closed loop of accessory cord (see the double fisherman’s bend on page 19) (1). Make a
wrap around the main line with the loop and pass the knotted end through the loop (2). Continue
passing the knotted end around the main line and through the loop again (3). Pull the knotted end
to tighten (4). Be very careful to contour the knot correctly as shown, to enable it to work properly.
And ensure that the double fisherman’s knot in the loop is to one side, rather than directly in the
path of the load, when the Prusik is in use.
