Figure Eight
ITS Tactical/Flickr.com
A figure eight is the most common knot for tying a harness on to a rope. To tie a figure eight, hold a rope near the end and fold it so that you are holding a loop. Twist the loop clockwise twice so that the tag end and standing end are twisted together. Take the tag end and put it through the loop you've created, running from back to front. You should have something that looks like the number eight. Thread the tag end through your harness, and then use it to trace the knot you've already made, creating the follow-through.
Clove Hitch
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A clove hitch is a knot that cinches down on itself and is used to raise or lower equipment to or from a tree. To tie a clove hitch around something, wrap the tag end over the object and bring it under the standing end to form the bottom loop. Then bring the tag end over the standing end and upward to form the top loop. Wrap it over the object again, but this time bring it under the line that connects the two loops, then pull tight.
Bowline
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A bowline is the fastest and easiest way to secure a rope to a stationary object. To tie a bowline, hold the standing end in your left hand and the tag end in your right. Make a loop by placing the tag end over the standing end, and hold the intersection in your left hand. Many people use a bunny rabbit method from here: the bunny (or tag end of the rope) comes out of the hole (from back to front), around the tree (the standing end of the line, again from back to front), and then goes back in to the hole (this time from front to back).
