Page 100 - Buck Tilton "Outward Bound Ropes, Knots, and Hitches"

Climbing Knots: Hitches

to the ascending technique: “to prusik.” Many
climbers today utilize mechanical ascenders
instead of the prusik knot. Mechanical ascenders
damage a rope more than the prusik, but the
prusik will fail (slip) if it is overloaded, a problem
rarely seen with mechanical devices. This knot
might be used in camping for such tasks as
hanging bags on ropes suspended vertically to
keep the bags out of animal reach.

Prusik Kn XXt: Step 3 Prusik Knot: Step 4
o
XX

Bring the loop around the rope
XXX Bring the loop around and
XXX
and back through the hitch a through a third time. Lay the
second time. wraps of loop evenly and with-
out twists to maximize the bite
on the rope. Tighten the knot
against the rope. Test the knot,
and if it slips, add more wraps.

85

OB_RopesKnots_RevFinal_CS4.indd 85 2/9/12 3:13 PM