Knots n Loops

[~Yellow Streak~]

OK, not an arborist. Is there a general section where various knots and uses are depicted?
The main knots I'm wanting to know about are...

E.g. I throw a pill bag up in a tree, then pull a bull rope thru.
I want to know an easily undone knot/loop that will slip up to snug on the trunk/limb
by pulling on standing end. (with a little luck)

Secondly: An easily undone knot on standing end to form a loop to attach to a
winch/come-along hook.

I don't have climbing boots or lift system.
I'm wanting to pull tension on some smaller trees to make sure they fall correctly.

 

[Del_]

The bowline and running bowline are the knots I use for those applications.

 

[~Yellow Streak~]

Thanks Del. I will look those up.

 

[EchoRomeoCharlie]

Bowline will create a non-collapsing loop at the end of a rope.

Running bowline will allow you to choke a rope to a tree. Basically the same as the bowline but with the standing end of the rope captured inside the loop.


Midline loops: These are helpful when you need a loop to hook up a winch/pulling device but you don't want to do it at the end of a long rope but rather in the middle somewhere.
Bowline on a bight (two loops)
Alpine Butterfly
Farmers loop


All of those are easily untied after loading I use them all the time.

 

[~Yellow Streak~]

Thank you Charlie. I will look those up as well.

 

[preventec47]

Bowline will create a non-collapsing loop at the end of a rope.

Running bowline will allow you to choke a rope to a tree. Basically the same as the bowline but with the standing end of the rope captured inside the loop.


Midline loops: These are helpful when you need a loop to hook up a winch/pulling device but you don't want to do it at the end of a long rope but rather in the middle somewhere.
Bowline on a bight (two loops)
Alpine Butterfly
Farmers loop


All of those are easily untied after loading I use them all the time.

Absolutely do NOT use the Alpine Butterfly as a midline loop connect if you are winching hard.
I learned the hard way that they JAM under stresses greater than body weight as found in winch use.
Alpine Butterfly is BAD ADVICE.
I have been chasing this problem for about a week now. Read some of the recent threads
discussing this. There are several OTHER methods to be tried such as Prussik Friction knots,
Artillery Loop, Rosenring Hitch, Bowline in a bight , Farmers Loop, Use of a Figure 8 descender and some other odd solutions I have found at Youtube. Apparently I am doing exactly the same thing
as you and I purchased the Wythe 3 ton "more power puller" as my winch . I was tempted to get the
Massdam Friction Puller but one or two guys using the Maasdam mentioned a rare and occasional slippage of the rope in the puller and I could not risk that with a tree under tension leaning in the wrong direction with a facecut weakening the tree trunk. The Wythe Puller is a real winch and could not suffer that kind of failure. It is much like a come-a-long but has about 25 feet of effective pull
in 1.5 ton mode and 12 feet in 3 ton mode. ( more than all the come-a-longs I have used.

 

[EchoRomeoCharlie]

Absolutely do NOT use the Alpine Butterfly as a midline loop connect if you are winching hard.
I learned the hard way that they JAM under stresses greater than body weight as found in winch use.
Alpine Butterfly is BAD ADVICE.
I have been chasing this problem for about a week now. Read some of the recent threads
discussing this. There are several OTHER methods to be tried such as Prussik Friction knots,
Artillery Loop, Rosenring Hitch, Bowline in a bight , Farmers Loop, Use of a Figure 8 descender and some other odd solutions I have found at Youtube. Apparently I am doing exactly the same thing
as you and I purchased the Wythe 3 ton "more power puller" as my winch . I was tempted to get the
Massdam Friction Puller but one or two guys using the Maasdam mentioned a rare and occasional slippage of the rope in the puller and I could not risk that with a tree under tension leaning in the wrong direction with a facecut weakening the tree trunk. The Wythe Puller is a real winch and could not suffer that kind of failure. It is much like a come-a-long but has about 25 feet of effective pull
in 1.5 ton mode and 12 feet in 3 ton mode. ( more than all the come-a-longs I have used.

Might just be the rope you were using. With 3/4", 5/8", and 1/2" Samson Stable Braid I've never had an alpine butterfly I couldn't untie with my hands. I've pulled with winches, trucks, tractors, excavators...and they've been fine.

What is bad advice is using absolute statements when talking about a knot. There's hundreds of different rope types and sizes. Some work well with certain knots, some don't.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Might just be the rope you were using. With 3/4", 5/8", and 1/2" Samson Stable Braid I've never had an alpine butterfly I couldn't untie with my hands. I've pulled with winches, trucks, tractors, excavators...and they've been fine.

What is bad advice is using absolute statements when talking about a knot. There's hundreds of different rope types and sizes. Some work well with certain knots, some don't.

He fails to mention he tied an alpine butterfly on 3 strand nylon rope, 3 strand just isn't knot friendly by its very design...