Bare Minimum Knot Knowledge?

[lxskllr]

I was thinking about Kaveman's WTF knot, and was wondering what everyone thought was the bare minimum required for treework. Maybe think of it as a card you hand out to new employees as a 'must learn' requirement. Here's my list as best as I can remember. I think with these, you could do just about anything you need, even if it isn't complete enough for maximum efficiency...

Bowline - stuff like running bowline is assumed. If you can tie it standard, it can be extended in obvious ways. Needs a lock. I'd teach the Scotts
Sheet bend - mainly for sending lines up the tree, but any temporary light tie off
Prusik loop - Assumes a poachers knot. Basic hitch that can be used for climbing or pulling on rigging lines. Universal
Butterfly - for obvious reasons
Anchor - to anchor of course. Easy and reliable

Wraps and trivial knots like a half hitch should be assumed. I think most people can intuit stuff like that without being told. If not, they're probably in the wrong business. Any additions/corrections?

 

[Dave Shepard]

I don't think I have any paperwork, but where I used to work was implementing a system where you were on boarded when hired, and then assigned a level, such as ground person 1, 2 , climber 1, 2 etc. There were 12 knots you had to know to advance from basically being a non-experinced grunt. Each level came with a predetermined pay bump. I'm not sure who established the system, maybe TCIA. There was a whole checklist of things, and I was one of the earliest to do it. We all did it, from the top down. There was pretrial inspection, trailer backing. Chipper maintenance. Saw handling and maintenance. This was safety motivated, but was also very important for productivity and maximizing employee utilization. A little bit of a bigger picture than what you are asking, but relevant to worker qualifications.

I know Jeff Jepson's book was the one given to new hires and the knots were all in there.

 

[Dave Shepard]

Maybe my post didn't add as much as I thought it was going to. Mostly thinking about minimum requirements in general. A good idea in this business. I'd have to look in the employee handbook, but I don't think there are any of the requirements in there.

 

[lxskllr]

I was thinking of knots, but a basic handbook would be interesting. Maybe not as much for the crowd here. Most here are well established with employees/routine, but someone could find it useful. The problem with forum created "guides" is they tend to sprawl. The scope seems to creep, and they turn into ultra fine detail of being the best you can be. Give it to a new employee, and they'd have to take a couple months off to study it :^D That was my thinking with the knots. What's the least you can know and still get the job done.

 

[Kaveman]

Boline, figure 8(and how to properly back chase), girth/cow hitch, timber hitch, slipknot. Lately, I've been using the autoblock hitch, as it's just about the easiest and fastest hitch to tie onto a pull line.

Jepsons books are OK. I loan out Groundie and the Tree Climbers Companion to new hires. That said, there's a bunch of "how to live" advise that I don't agree with at all. Leave religion out of work, God ain't on the rake today. Honestly, when I took my fall, there was only one god there, all others were notably absent. The name of that irresistible force is Gravity

 

[lxskllr]

Forgot about the figure 8. Decent stopper and loop.

 

[davidwyby]

I think i need to go visit kave and buy some lessons in flip n spur and knots.

 

[Mick!]

Bowline for termination loops, clove hitch for rigging, truckers hitch for midline and méchainal assistance. A few others I do without realizing but those seem to fulfill all my requirements.

 

[flushcut]

Bowline, bowline on a bight, clove hitch, slip knot, timber hitch, cow hitch, girth hitch, half hitch, water knot, beer knot, taught line hitch, prussic hitch. Learn them, know them, love them, and tie them behind your back.

 

[lxskllr]

Beer knot might be a little tricky behind your back :^D

 

[flushcut]

Stay sober and it can be done. I think even after a 12 rack it’s still doable.

 

[Tree09]

 

[biggun]

Bowline. Slippery sheet bend, cow hitch and timber hitch. Marlin spike hitch. Alpine butterfly. Probably more but I use the above on the regular.

 

[lxskllr]

What do you use the marlinspike hitch for? My main use is tensioning a constrictor. I don't really use it otherwise.

edit:
I guess I do use a marlinspike. It's good for sending bottles into the tree. Never thought about it as a specific hitch. Pat showed it to me, and it didn't click as to what it was cause the orientation was different than I was used to.

 

[biggun]

Clipping a saw on, fastening anything to the climbers rope tail for them to pull up.

Basically a slip not that comes out easily.

Another use for it. Rigging a tree down. Pulley is placed and you are tieing off a piece.

I put in a quick marlin spike to stop the rope pulley through the pulley. Once tied a quick tug will collapse the knot and the slack will run through the pulley, ready for rigging.

Depending on which way the knot it tied will determine which leg to pull to collapse it. So the Groundy can take out the slack or the climber depending on the orientation of the knot.

Most knots are good but and excellent knot is one that even the lowest of IQ grounders can undo.

The alternative thinking is,

‘If you can’t tie knots, just tie lots’