Knots

None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.

How this was put together

If you only read a few

Reverse the direction of the first half-hitch when tying shoes to create a square knot that stays tied.
Tying the base twist in the same direction as the top twist creates a weak knot that comes undone often.
2 people, independently
- Ensure the bunny ears of your shoe bow lie across the shoe (left and right) rather than inline (forwards and backwards) to confirm you have tied a strong square knot.1
Choose a rolling hitch over a slip knot for holding purposes.
It is a solid choice.
one person who lived it
Form the shoe bow by making two loops and passing them through each other in one smooth motion after the half hitch.
This method prevents the knot from coming undone.
one person who lived it
- Use a reef knot for shoes by wrapping the ends around your ankle and securing with another reef knot to avoid loops.1

Use a trucker's hitch to secure loads on car roofs or trailers to add tension easily.
It is really useful and easy to use despite looking complicated.
2 people, independently
Secure a bowline knot with a Yosemite finish instead of using step C.
Step C is considered a bad idea for securing the knot.
one person who lived it
Use a trucker's hitch to create a compound pulley system for pulling heavy objects like stuck cars.
It makes a compound pulley, allowing you to increase the ratio by adding more hitches.
one person who lived it
Learn other knots suited for specific purposes rather than relying solely on the bowline.
Most are not hard to learn.
one person who lived it

1 more on this

Cut the knot off with scissors or a pocketknife if untying is too difficult or time-consuming.
- Cutting the knot means you cannot reuse the item (e.g., trash bags).
3 people, independently