Useful Knots?

TexAg09

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I'm always trying to make sure I'm somewhat prepared for any reasonable situation when I'm packing in a decent ways. In that vein I've realized I only really know how to tie a bowline knot. What are some other useful knots to know for backpack hunting? When/how do you use that particular knot?
 
I don't use any. Should be the same as backpacking. I know they have some free/cheap classes around my area. But a YouTube video should work too.
 
I like knots. Barrel knots, water knots, sheet shanks, clove hitches, taughtline hitches and, of course, the jack of all trades, 2 half hitches (just a clove hitch on the lead line) are all used every day. There are a few other knots I use a lot, but don't know what they are called. The hitch I use for tying a horse to a fence is useful for a thousand other purposes, but I don't know what it is called. In rock-climbing it was called a safety hitch or knot, but it was the same things without the quick release loop in it.

Heck 40% of the planet doesn't know how to tie their shoes correctly. :(

And then there are fishing knots...
 
Bowline, clove hitch, truckers hitch, taught line, and of course the 2 half hitches tied together. Those are all I use because they are the only ones I remember lol. But I do use them a fair amount.

Bowline - you already know
Clove hitch - attaching a line to a pole (or tree or whatever), but needs constant tension or it will come loose
Truckers hitch - kind of like a ratchet strap effect but with rope. Good for securing a load
2 half hitches- really fast, really easy to tie. Used to secure rope to objects or to lock down other knots like the truckers hitch

The taught line is perhaps the one I am happiest I learned. It replaces the guy out line toggles on my shelter

Check out this website, it's a great help for learning knots

https://www.animatedknots.com
 
I'd only add:
sheepshank: shortening rope
Clovehitch: wrapping around tree
Surgeon: instead of overhand
 
I find mid-line loop knots to be useful:

Alpine butterfly (aka butterfly loop) - great for dropping a loop on a line that needs to retain tension
Masthead knot - I've yet to find a really good use for it, but it's a damned beautiful knot - and not nearly as hard to tie as it looks.
 
I use the alpine butterfly a lot. Nice because its easy to untie. I also like the Prussic and Bachman knots. Use both of those whitetail hunting in treestands.
 
I forget the butterfly and use an overhand figure 8 which is NOT easy to untie and probably not as strong. I need to remember the butterfly.
 
Sheet bend - ties 2 pieces of rope together (equal or unequal diameters). The sheet bend, bowline and square knot have one thing in common - as easy to untie as they are to tie. I also use a simple slip knot a lot. If you're worried about the slip knot slipping open, just shorten the loop and run the tag end through it - now it can't come undone. I also will leave the tag end of a bowline knot doubled, making it into a semi-slip knot.
 
Already been said but I'll throw my 2 cents in: bowline (good you know it!), taut line, clove hitch. Those are my used ones.

I know like 7 good ways to to join two ropes together (say to make a loop or to get one long line from 2 smaller ones). I usually use something else but honestly the "flat overhand" (aka "european death knot") is by far the fastest and effective. Not elegant but if you're only going to have a few knots in your repertoire then it's an easy one.

Others:
- alpine butterfly: fun to tie; good knot. I just never need it for anything
- noose: I use it for one thing only: tying a cord to a rock to throw it over a tree-limb to hang something. It cinches tight and doesn't let the rock escape easily like most knots and it comes apart easily once you're done.
- figure eight on a bight: if you're not well-versed with making bowlines and you keep getting it wrong this one is dead simple to make a loop in the end of a rope. It is strong and secure but takes up more rope than a bowline and also is harder to untie if it is heavily loaded.
 
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