Camping, fishing, sailing and climbing involve knots. Most of the time it’s the same knots. Learn eight or ten knots, and you’re covered for any eventuality. For example, all of the above sports use the bowline, although climbers prefer to use the figure-of-eight loop as a more secure alternative for use with a carabiner. Square knots, sheet bends, clove hitches and figure-eight knots are also used by everyone.
Some knots are used only in very specific scenarios: I don’t think anyone but sailors uses cleat hitches, but they use them extensively each time they dock a boat. The same goes for the clinch knot: I can’t think of a use except when connecting a fishing hook.
My favorite knot, and one I didn’t know about until recently, is the taut-line hitch. It’s a simple way to make an adjustable loop. This is handy when pitching a tarp because with this knot you can adjust the tension of the guylines. Since learning this knot, I’ve gotten rid of the fickle plastic parts that come with pre-made guylines. The same knot can also be used to set up a short sheet when sailing. This is a technique for taking a load off a line, for example a tangled jibsheet. But what I like most about this knot is how simple it is.
Nehaveigur 