How to Tie Figure 8 Follow-Through Knot | Rock Climbing

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Right now I'm going to show you how to tie in using a Figure 8 Follow-Through with a Double Fisherman's as the safety knot. When I select the rope that I'm going to tie into, I want to make sure that, as the climber, I tie into the rope that's closest to the wall, the end of the rope coming away from the belay bar is going to be for the belayer.
Once I've grabbed the proper end of the rope, the first thing I'm going to do is tie a Figure 8 knot. I'm going to do so by grabbing about an arm's length, maybe a little bit more. I can drop the tail end of the rope and right now I'm going to do what's called making a bite in the rope, so this bend is called a bite.
Next, I'm going to grab the tail end of the rope and I'm going to wrap it over that bite, making sure that I'm wrapping across the ropes. Once I've done that, I'm going to take that tail end and poke it right back through the hole that I made, pulling that tail all the way through. When you're done, you'll have a Figure 8.
If your knot looks like anything other than an 8, then you've tied it improperly. One of the biggest benefits of using one of these Figure 8 knots is that they're very easy to identify. So if you have questions about it, make sure you just tie it again.
The next step is going to be to then tie yourself into this knot. So using this type of harness, I want to make sure that I'm threading the tail end of the rope through both my leg loops and also through the waist belt. I like to come from the bottom up because it's easier for me to identify that I've properly gotten both loops. If I were to go from the top down, it's a little bit easier to miss that leg loop spot, so I like to go from the bottom up.
Once I've done that, the rope is properly into my harness, I'm going to start to trace this knot back, making sure that I have two Figure 8's when I'm done. So to start tying the knot, it doesn't matter which side of the rope I start on, as long as you stay consistent. We are trying to get parallel lines here. So I'm going to start the knot, pulling that knot nice and close to my harness, trying to keep it about a fist's length away.
The next step is going to be just to continue to trace this knot around, following that initial Figure 8, wrapping it once again around the rope, finishing the knot through here. Once you get to this step, you want to do what's called dressing the knot. The way to do that is both ends of the Figure 8 knot need to be kind of tightened up or set in place. This makes the knot pull a little bit tighter, makes it a little easier to untie, and it prevents any weaknesses from having crosses in the rope.
Right here, to get the outside part of this knot a little bit tighter, I'm actually going to fold it in towards the knot, away from the two ropes that it's touching. Then to tighten this rope, I'm going to grab two ends of the knot, pull those two, grab the other two, and pull those two. It cinches a little bit tighter that way than grabbing the whole knot at the same time and trying to pull it all at once.
Once you've tied that Figure 8 knot, you're then going to tie your backup knot, which is the the Double Fisherman's knot. To do so, I'm going to grab the knot, taking this tail end, wrapping it across the other rope, coming back over itself, making an X, and then come around again and sending that tail up underneath the X, pulling that tail through, pushing up on the knot to cinch it down a little bit tighter.
Once you've tied the knot, to make sure it's tied properly, you're checking for five pairs of two ropes in your Figure 8. So right here I have two ropes coming into my knot. Two, two, two, two coming out. So that's one, two, three, four, five pairs of two. And if I flip the knot over, it should look exactly the same on the bottom. And with your safety knot, you should have an X on one side and an equal sign on the other. And even if you think about an X being the Roman numeral for 10, it's a little bit more redundancy to make sure that you have your 10 ropes or five pairs. And that is how to tie a Figure 8 knot Follow-Through with a Double Fisherman's.

[@Milesco]

Note to producers of knot-tying videos: when the tying of a knot is being demonstrated, DO NOT CUT AWAY to a wide shot of the demonstrator while he's in the middle of tying the knot. Keep the camera continuously aimed at the knot until it's finished, so we viewers can follow along and keep track. It's really hard to follow along and learn how to tie a knot when the camera keeps cutting away in the middle of the process. Also, please avoid camera angles where the demonstrator's hands block the view of the knot he's tying. Thank you.

[@JeeprzCreepers56]

Thanks for this, I needed a refresher on how to do this. Haven't climbed in like a year.

[@gamesgames354]

I regret quitting rock climbing.. I needed a refresher as well because I am going to rock climb in school next year. I used to rock climb in a gym

[@deankyle22]

I'm legit in the same spot

[@missionary20131]

These always form in my headphone cords.

[@Chazgd]

I wouldn’t recommend climbing off those pal

[@ciaraboyle30]

​@@Chazgdwhy not ?

[@JasonCone]

Thumbs up for the separate dressing step. That's often glossed over or ignored in videos demonstrating this knot.

[@phillipsanchez4192]

Thanks for the great video. I was in Thailand and had started climbing in and around Krabi. The pandemic and an injury came afterwards. Now I am in Ethiopia and my stiff has arrived. I'm looking to get back into climbing and the first thing I thought of was the need to remind myself how to tie this knot. Great video which brought it all back. Cheers!

[@TripleTapHK]

Common misconception. The stopper knot used is actually a double overhand knot. A double fisherman's knot is used to join 2 ends of rope together and uses 2 double overhand knots.

[@Tappits84]

Its half a double fishermens knot

[@SkorpioX94]

@@Tappits84 so it's just a fisherman's knot then

[@CecilDSouza]

So well demonstrated. Thank you. Only some are gifted in explaining things so confidently and delivering with a tempo like a pro.

[@dandiuszielth]

Appreciate this video. About a year ago, I stopped climbing and needed a review of how to tie this knot!

[@foxtrotnine2504]

I’ve never taken any rock climbing courses before but now that I’ve watched this video me and my bud will start our climb thanks for the tips!

[@Lucarius1]

Thanks, now I can practice for my second introduction course. I was rubbish with the second part of the first knot.

[@taliasummer_]

Thank you! I took a break from my climbing team for almost a year, and I was worried about belaying my partner again. Thank you! 😆

[@elidotson461]

Lol totally happened to me

[@Fogmeister]

One of the only videos with a correctly dressed figure 8. Thanks!

[@AdventuresInReach]

I've noticed the same. That's a pet peeve of mine.

[@natealexander73]

Thank you! I'm not the best knot tie-er but this helped!

[@pjdourley4041]

I can't understand why the camera man keeps going longshot on the instructor instead of just keeping it on the knots

[@6Cyx]

seems there are two cameras. one on the outer body, and the other camera focused on the knot tying in itself. if anything, it's whoever edited the video.

[@rafaelcarneiro1107]

I agree. poorly edited.

[@saeedehabd9606]

same here

[@saeedehabd9606]

I think even the camera flips too much

[@gamergoat2244]

X you bh

[@throughmylens5582]

One of the best videos on knot.

[@thisisretropete]

Funny how I’ve done this many time’s climbing but due to covid I forgot and had to remember again this was useful in 2022!

[@x_isaka]

exactly...

[@flyingfin75]

OKAY BRO. I HAVN'T TIED ONE OF THESE IN TWO YEARS SO WATCH ME VERY CAREFULLY....i say to my belay partner.

[@youtubefan2132]

He's a rock climbing expert and his names cliff BRILLIANT 😂

[@AstronomyWales]

Nominative determinism. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nominative_determinism

[@Arehanduh]

Helped me with my cadets program. Thanks!

[@MrStarman926]

Great 8, mate. I rate it 8/8

[@Super0062]

Good, clear instructions with great video!

[@gerrygianan2269]

Good job. Thorough and clear instruction. Thank you!

[@PureVikingPowers]

Thanks bro i used another DIY video about knots and fell, this one seem to be by a professional

[@travisbarnes6132]

best video ever within first 60 seconds, auto like and subscribed

[@mushymonster132]

Thanks man this helped with my climbing assessment

[@abhachhabra2762]

It is a very nice video. Please discuss other knots too.

[@PeterSodhi]

Ok this is freaking awesome!!! 5* bud you nailed it.

[@H1Hummer]

Thanks was a great video easy to follow along. 👍👍

[@javiermercado6960]

Y'all crazy for the thumbs down

[@curtisjordan9210]

is the double fisherman's knot necessary? from my research the figure 8 is all you need, and a stopper knot is ill advised. Thoughts?

The stopper knot should be sitting right down on the fight 8. Space between then makes the stopper redundant.

[@TripleTapHK]

Having space in between them is perfectly fine, as long as the tail can't travel back through the figure 8.

[@iggsterify]

That backup knot is just a single fisherman’s knot though, or a double overhand. A double fisher makes a loop out of the rope and you use it for Prussic knots. Great vid though

[@GameGuide2020]

Fantastic instructions

[@lloydwhite3198]

Great video. Thanks and Godspeed. Stay safe.

[@randomjunk4798]

this is relly helpfull for my pe homework thx ;)

[@SuperSeancurtis]

1:39 guys face in the back

[@sam55246]

hahahah

[@amonguspurple9187]

Sam agreed

[@howardliu663]

He is the king of climbing in that gym.

[@pentachronic]

FYI it's not a fisherman's knot its a "Double overhand" knot.

[@TripleTapHK]

Yes!

[@blessedarmadillo8257]

Is there an optimal distance that the completed figure 8 should be from the harness?

[@AdventuresInReach]

Good question. The distance from the harness or "gain" doesn't matter in terms of safety in holding power. It matters more because if it's too long it can hit you in the face, or potentially have a bigger loop that can get caught on things. If it's too short it can, in theory, exert more force on the rope from multiple angles of pull...although this isn't a big concern with only one person's weight. If you tie the loop to be roughly 2-4 inches long, you should be good. BTW, I've been doing high angle rescue for 6 years, climb, and recently started an adventure channel.

[@randomname2805]

Alright I’m ready for El Cap now

[@mytuberforyou]

Not to be overly pedantic, but when referring to knots, a loop in the rope is called a BIGHT not a "bite"- they are homophones.

[@rorypd]

To get in to our scout patrol you have to learn this knot

[@brentogle7593]

What is the benefit of tying a figure 8 knot as opposed to a bowline? I tie a bowline every time I rigg, this is common practice for stage rigging but I'm wondering what difference a figure 8 would have when tying in for climbing? Thanks!

[@ZolaMagic25]

I've never had a bowline come apart when climbing. Also easier to untie.

[@TripleTapHK]

The main reason the figure 8 is used over a bowline it that a figure 8 is self tightening and a bowline is not. This is also a disadvantage for the figure 8 as it's harder to get undone, especially after a fall. The bowline is perfectly reliable but you absolutely have to use a stopper since it can come undone when no weight is on it.

[@AdventuresInReach]

Good question. I've been involved in rescue including high angle rope rescue for 6+ years, and climbing for 20+. Figure 8's are easily recognizable, don't require a safety, and are much harder to mess up. They are a better knot for beginners. Bowlines have more variations and can be less recognizable and therefore easier to mess up, do require a safety is this application, and are generally considered a more advanced family of knots when used in life support.

[@highlandervalasik9274]

Don't see what this knot would be used for. Help pls

[@Balgore8]

Lets just keep cutting the camera away immediately when he starts actually tying the knots. Very helpful *SARCASM*

[@MattCookOregon]

Is the fishermans important? Do many people climb with just the single figure 8?

[@cragbum87]

Nope. the fisherman's (it's actually called an double overhand knot) is redundant since the figure 8 follow through is a self tightening knot as it is loaded. However, the figure 8 follow through does require 6 to 12'ish inches (15 to 30 cm) of rope "tail" (working end) in order to make sure there is enough rope to ensure it can never slip through the knot. If you have more than that, you risk getting whipped with the working end and you should either retie the knot to the proper length or in the case that it is just a reasonable amount extra, tie the working end to the climbers end with either a fisherman's or double O'hand (overhand) stopper as a clean safety. On the other hand, the single fisherman's or the double O'hand stopper (a bit more secure) is absolutely required if you're using the bowline but it is not recommended for beginner climbers as it is not a self tightening knot. However, it can be easily untied after being weighted, so the advantage being on projects where you are falling a lot and are pumped, the system is easily undone at the end.

[@EleniLixourioti]

Evan Kennedy "nope"? There's nothing fundamentally different to what we both said, you just offered more detail. Also I quoted "fisherman's" because it's not really it, but some people definitely do call it that and this isn't really what mattered in the question context. The person asking is probably a beginner, many coaches will tell beginners to always do it because it's a great habit, even if they could probably survive without it with a fig8 (probably as untying is still a tiny tiny possibility before enough load is applied unless you have a huge annoying tail, not to mention that no matter how rare it is people have occasionally fcked up the fig8 without anyone noticing). Context is king, this isn't about practicing falls.

[@cragbum87]

Eleni Lixourioti Edit: Sorry Eleni, for some reason your initial comment wasn't showing up for me. All I saw was Matt's question with no responses. Please disregard the follow up I initially wrote. Initial reply: I was replying to Matt. I'm not seeing any reply to him from you, prior to the comment I made. That aside, I answered Matt's question to the best of my knowledge. Im getting the impression you disagree with something I said but I'm not clear on exactly what you disagree with.

[@EleniLixourioti]

Evan Kennedy aah, oh no I don't disagree, your answer offers a good amount of extra detail, I thought you were answering to me for lacking that detail and tried to defend my less detailed answer (probably too early in the morning for me!). Fail 🙃

[@lilianalopez1329]

I listened to this without sound.....I did Learn.

[@firstlast493]

При таком способе первая восьмёрка всегда получается перекрученная и её приходится расправлять.

[@cpt.dr.hawkeye1740]

I do this all the time with my muscle memory!

[@YManCyberDude]

What does the Roman Numeral version of this knot look like ?

[@shoestringfarm]

Excellent, thank you.

[@007Tenalirama]

So Simple - Thank you

[@gargamel6480]

Thanks man, you helped me rly much 😀

[@0003draco]

This was helpful. Thanks

[@ananda_miaoyin]

Belayer - "I am so going to drop this dude."

[@vanessamigliacci3823]

Super useful! Thank you!

[@Whoopwhoopwhoop]

I followed all the instructions but I still died

[@AK11644]

Eh? Lol, it’s better to see it in real life.

[@howardliu663]

R.I.P

[@daddydojang]

Atta boy! Head of the class.

[@zswrestler1401]

Safety knot does nothing but get extra rope out of the way. Have you ever seen an 8 blow out? The rope will slide right through the safety knot with a blow out. The odds of that happening are very slim though.

[@WillyEast]

Decent beginning but the camera lost position midway through

[@YourMomsSideDude]

Sweet! I just made you some money by accidentally clicking on the ad. :)

[@opplez1159]

AMG actually you made them money as soon as you clicked the video. The ads pay them just for being there

[@angelalana5560]

Thank you!

[@PilgrimPassinThru]

Very easy to follow and idiot proof! thank you !

[@windyminute]

Great little vid

[@rusttyballs3332]

The figure 8 knot is made of two half hitches

[@Blix11]

Gonna tie my hammock. Lets get this right.

[@danthony246]

Thanks for sharing.

[@andayocaliente]

Really good clear vid - thank you.

[@mariathesweetie]

oh my gosh this helped me so much !!

[@gwhh3142]

how do you tie a bunch of knots in a length a rope spaced every foot a part or so. so you can climb it, like they do in the movies!

[@vykuntamdosa7875]

Easy way thank you

[@luisrodriguez2030]

GOOD JOB

[@cherrymariam4914]

Thanks !

[@benevolution1338]

The only way I could see that last knot being of value is if a mistake was made in the first. There is no way a proper figure 8 is going to come out. Hell, it's difficult to get out even when you want it to

[@Lowlitstudio]

Could you add another cool layer of music? We need to double up on that amazing soundtrack. More canned music please. We can’t get enough canned music.

[@nyshortfilms]

the shot on 2:03 is too confusing. it switched sides. probly the person who shot this video doesn't really know how to do the knot so he/she doesnt know how to shoot it correctly.

[@PwrTrumper]

Don't release the bite in the rope until the end is all the way through

[@savchenkoto2667]

Why no one explains how to untie it?

[@gigglysamentz2021]

Isn't that called a fisherman rather than a double fisherman ? The latter would be used to make a loop out of a piece of rope.

[@cragbum87]

The knot he tied is called a double O'hand (overhand) stopper. If you use two double O'hand stoppers to make a loop or join two ropes, you get a double fisherman's.

[@gigglysamentz2021]

Thanks !

[@TripleTapHK]

@Evan Kennedy Yes! Someone else knows!

[@somthingiwontforget]

Perfect!

[@rocky97956]

Good videos

The stopper knot isn't close enough to the fig 8. It should be right on it.

[@Daponics89]

If you cannot understand this video. Then you should go free climbing Dan Osman style (R.I.P love you dude you are a legend) ..... Or not climb or mountaineer at all.

[@thefailofanx9852]

Vet helpful

[@jackhenry7061]

Is the second one called the clove hitch

[@zzzzzz...9902]

It's called the fishermens knot. Did you watch the video?

[@laurenjohnson7613]

yeah it is. we do these at our scout group and it is just a different name

[@gigglysamentz2021]

+jack henry In climbing a clove hitch is a different kind of knot you do without using an end of the rope, and can be clipped into a screwgate

[@TripleTapHK]

The second knot is actually a double overhand knot. A clove hitch is completely different. A double fisherman's like the guy called it is actually 2 double overhand knots used to join two ends of rope.

[@zraybroske2416]

Figure 8 tied correctly doesn’t need a back up.

[@owen-jj8oj]

Wow,I already got lost at 0:42

[@crimpsadd2477]

I don’t like the way he does this it looks right but it doesn’t look like he does it right but it will work

[@keithtetz233]

4 gang

[@jennieross6685]

Interesting to know just in case of an emergency in the future. It is better to know survival techniques and not need them than to need survival techniques and not know them.

[@albertquestionmark2790]

For what would you use this knot if you dont have belayer, belay device and equipment to clip into?

[@veider0159]

There any single video that show how to make de knot, everybody cover the view with their hands….

[@waheedahkhan9168]

Very important👩‍🏫😌😌😏

[@jamiewatson7380]

you don't need to back up a figure 8 follow through, it is already redundant.

[@waheedahkhan9168]

If I go just sorry party to get you're tired or web say👍

[@catify7704]

😱 l can't do this aaaaaaa

[@quinntan4475]

thnx because i was making meh scout things

[@guillaumefortinmoquin2875]

The way he is doing the knot doesn't make the strongest knot possible, just saying

[@TripleTapHK]

Oh? Do tell.

[@charlesfrank8495]

Hey peeps

[@user-gk3jk2wr4u]

Too fast for me....please go slower

[@ThutaKSoe]

I sill died too

[@jones1749]

I'd rather knot do this....

[@samsonlink8146]

instead of tying one figure 8 than fowolling the lines it's a lot faster to just double the rope up and tie a figure 8

[@TripleTapHK]

Yeah, you can... but then how do you thread it through your harness?

[@mineadventures7938]

Go slower brother, I ain't never tied a knot before.