How to Tie Army Ranger Knots

By Rob Holzman

You don't have to jump out of an airplane or infiltrate an enemy hideout to find Army Ranger knots useful. Outdoor enthusiasts from all walks of life can use these knots for many useful applications. Army Ranger knots are commonly used for rescue purposes and to make hiking and rock-climbing knots. Below are ways to tie five types of Army Ranger knots that can be used for camping, hiking, rappelling or any outdoor activity that requires the use of knots.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You'll Need:

Narrow-diameter rope Thick-diameter rope
Narrow-diameter rope
Thick-diameter rope

Step 1

Square knot.

Make a square knot by holding two ends of rope in your hand. Cross the right end over the left end, pull the ends in opposite directions and then cross the left end over the right end and pull them into a tight knot. Finish by tying the tails with overhand knots.

Step 2

Figure-eight knot.

Make a figure-eight knot by tying a figure-eight shape in a bight of rope, leaving a foot of extra rope at the end. Retrace the eight shape with the extra rope, leaving a loop at the bottom, and a 4-inch tail at the end. To finish, make an overhand knot in the tail to secure the knot.

Step 3

Tie a rerouted figure-eight knot by creating a figure-eight shape in a bight of rope as you would for a regular figure-eight knot. Instead of retracing the figure eight, make a loop in the tail of the knot that passes into the bottom loop of the figure eight. Pull the figure eight tight and leave the slipknot loop.

Step 4

Prusick knot.

Make a Prusick knot by placing a lesser-diameter rope behind a thicker-diameter rope with 2 inches extending out of the bottom in a loop. Bring the top half of the rope over the thicker-diameter rope and through the loop. Repeat this step again to make six strands of rope that overlap the thicker rope and feed through a loop at least 4 inches long.

Step 5

Round turn two half hitches.

Make a round turn two half hitches by placing a section of rope (any length) around a fixed tree or post two times. Bring the tail over the top of the now-fixed rope and through the loop near the post, making a hitch. Make a second hitch and pull tight to seat the knot.

Resources

AnimatedKnots.com

About The Author

Based in the Pacific Northwest, Rob Holzman has been writing outdoor articles since 1997. He recently published the first comprehensive rock climbing guidebook for Pennsylvania and has fiction work published in the "Pacific Northwest Inlander". Holzman has also appeared on FOX television and has been an outdoor consultant for the Discovery Channel.

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