http://www.outdoorlife.com/photos/gallery/hunting/2012/02/essential-knots-how-tie-20-knots-will-keep-you-alive/

Essential Knots: How to Tie the 20 Knots You Need to Know

One of these knots could save your life one day

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survival knots

Tim MacWelch

Knot tying has always been one of those key outdoor skills that the inexperienced take for granted. The experienced outdoorsman, however, has had enough success and failure to know that there are right and wrong knots for certain jobs.

A good knot can save lives when you’re dealing with a survival situation, performing first aid, and when working over heights or water. But, you have to know how to tie it. So make sure you know what to do with your rope the next time you head into the wild by learning these 20 essential knots.

The knots in this gallery start out pretty basic, but they get more complex as you keep clicking through.

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how to tie a square knot

Tim MacWelch

Square Knot

The Square Knot is a classic for connecting lines and tying knots. Whether you are tying two ropes together to make a longer rope, or you are tying up a bundle of firewood to carry, the Square Knot is a winner. It’s much more secure and stable than its cousin the Granny Knot.

How to Tie: You can tie a solid square knot by lapping right over left, and then tying again in the reverse direction – left over right.

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how to tie a clove hitch

Tim MacWelch

Clove Hitch

The Clove Hitch is an easy knot to tie, and it secures a line to a tree or post quickly, but it does slip when used alone, without any other knots as a backup.

How to Tie: To create a Clove Hitch on a tree, make a loop of rope around the tree. Then make another loop and pass the free end of the rope under the second loop before tightening. To tie this one over a post or stake, just create a loop in the free end of the rope and slide it over the post. Then make another loop the same as the first. Put the second loop over the post (just above the first loop) and tighten the hitch.

read more at http://www.outdoorlife.com/photos/gallery/hunting/2012/02/essential-knots-how-tie-20-knots-will-keep-you-alive/