Book Review: Knots for the Outdoors, 2nd Edition By Cliff Jacobson

Basic Essentials Series, Globe Pequot Press, $7.95

Reviewed by Mickey Mcbride

This edition is a result of the Essentials series being reformatted by Globe Pequot from the old ICS editions. As Cliff says, the only reason for revising the original was to simplify the content to those select knots that people actually need to know to get along in the outdoors. I was interested in reviewing this book since my outdoors library includes six books on knots only and various other volumes that include knot/rope chapters. I've had people ask why you would ever buy a book on knots since just spending time with someone who knows will provide you the skills and selection you need? The answer is simple! I've spent days with people 'showing them the ropes', and within a month they've forgotten all but one or two knots except in name and application. Constant review from a well written text is the only way to continue until knot selection and tying happen without conscious thought to the effort. Secondly, a knot book becomes a personal reference for the odd ball questions of obscure knotcraft and technology i.e. what is the rope breaking strength reduction of a figure eight knot? I've spent all my adult life in outdoors activities ranging from whitewater outfitter to climber/caver, as well as plain old fun BWCA tripper stuff. I must confess to being what Cliff would call a belt and suspenders man (if a bowline knot looks like it will hold, back it up with an overhand just to make sure), since I've seen much go wrong due to group inattention or complacency, but never with one of my knots. I appreciate Cliff's selection of the 10 most important knots, and the illustrations by Cliff Moen are absolutely incredible, especially since the lefties images are included. I can remember in years past, teaching left handed students the trick of inserting a small signal mirror in books to get the image right. The rest of the knots in the book are to get the book to a publishable size, and the splices and lashings included are something rope people learn for fun and practical applications. Cliff's descriptions for slippery knots for around camp use deserve special attention; they really work and are well worth learning. I sometimes envision Cliff finishing breakfast, having his paddling clients stand back and with one quick pull of a slippery the entire camp falls neatly into various stuff bags and packs with nothing left to do but the Miller's knots. The descriptions of rope and cordage are fine for reference and understanding of static rope vs dynamic ropes, strand twisted vs sheathed (mantled) rope. Rope preparation and care are standard for this type book. Buying a rope is one case where the novice should be asking the experienced person for recommendation rather than making a decision based on a book.

For wishes or omissions (this is supposed to be a review) I wish the following:

(1) Cliff would have included the double fisherman's knot. It is probably the most common 'left tied' knot used in adventure ropework in the entire world. For the last 30 some years of 'clean climbing' it has been the knot for tying rope to climbing nuts, tying prusik slings, joining equal or unequal sized ropes, etc, not only in climbing but whitewater boating, back country skiing, you name it. Cliff describes the Fisherman's knot and a variation called the 'S knot'. The Double Fisherman's is the S knot tied with only two loops to either side instead of three as illustrated. The reason for the common use of this knot is that it is 'pretty' for a reason! All knots when tied should be dressed (making sure all wraps are laying correctly) and then inspected for correctness. The Double Fisherman's is instantly recognizable as tied right or wrong, and make no mistake, any knot can be mistied.

(2) The knot that should be a disappearing item forever in knot books is the Sheepshank. There is no valid safe use for this knot. To isolate a damaged section of rope, a Butterfly should be the applied knot. Case in point is, once in the lost central section of Nevada, we had a sand stuck vehicle and a short damaged section of 11mm climbing rope. I backed to the stuck vehicle with my Jeep and waited while a former Boy Scout rigged a sheepshank to tie to the stuck vehicle. When he waved me to carefully proceed, I finally got out to see what was happening. The Sheepshank was holding, isolating the damaged rope, and I didn't protest knowing exactly what was going to happen. My Jeep came to full load, bucked in 4 wheel kicking slack back on the knot, releasing the shank allowing the Jeep to shoot forward breaking the rope exactly where the damaged few inches were. Now it took only a quick minute or two to join the broken rope ends and tow the vehicle from the sand, kicking and skidding as happens in deep blow sand.

(3) For joining nylon sling material a better knot than the Strap Knot is the Ring Bend or Waterknot. Just tie a loose overhand in one end then feed the remaining end back through the knot in the opposite direction. Or better yet just glance at this knot in any climbing book next time you're in the bookstore. That's all it will take.

(4) Finally, for a reference book there should be an index to find those bits of technical talk on a drowsy winter night.

Of the collection I now have, Cliffs book comes in Numero Uno for all around outdoor knots. Cliff might be surprised that some of the most recent climbing knot books include only a list of ten must-know knots, and include in text, fewer knots than his book. It seems to be the sailing books that swell the lists, but then that's really where knotcraft comes from.