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The World of Iniquus - Action Adventure Romance

Showing posts with label Bowline. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bowline. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Want to Try Something Knotty? Five Helpful Knots to Save Your Heroine's Life


_______________________________________


I was going for an interpretation of nobody li...
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
You've put your heroine in a bind.
Tsk tsk tsk. Why am I not surprised?
Luckily, you write kick-ass heroine's
who know how to leap in and save
the day.

And of course, if she can tie the knot,
she also understands how to untie the
knot and escape.











Here are five easy knots that she might use.

NOTE: I put up a video of my tying each knot, so you can see how quick and easy they are to do. It should be enough information to understand the knot for writing it into a scene. I also put up a quick study with better camera angles, in case you actually wanted to try them yourself.




Bowline knot Português: Nó lais de guia
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1. Bowline Knot - 

* A bow line knot is an
   essential rescue knot
* Makes a loop that does not
   slide up and down
* Used for emergency
   extraction from holes,
    water, etc.
* Your heroine can then throw the rope to the
     person in trouble. That person can wrap the
     loop around their torso, or grab hold of the
     loop like a handle and be pulled to safety.






A clove hitch formed in the bight and slipped ...
 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)


2. Clove Hitch

* This is a knot that can attach an item
   such as a carabiner or stick to a
   rope
* Used frequently by characters who are
   climbing/rappelling 










Deutsch: Zimmermannsknoten, zum Befestigen ein...
. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

3. Timber Hitch

* When you need to tie a line to an object
   such as a rope to the balustrade so your 
   heroine can climb out of the window and
   away from the bad guy.










4. Taut Line Hitch (also written Tautline Hitch)

English: Taut-line hitch (ABOK #1856)
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
* This knot slides to adjust
    the size of the  loop
* It is usually used for tent 
   stakes
* Can be used to throw over
   an object such as a post, 
   then pulled tightly to make
   secure.
* Good for bringing things up a tree or for 
   throwing over an object then pulling
   toward the heroine if she can't reach it.
* Helpful when making a tarp wind shield
   because it is adjustable.




Sheet bend
Sheet bend (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

5. Sheet Bend

* A sheet bend is a secure 
   way to take two shorter 
   pieces of rope and make 
   them into one longer piece.
* This can be used, for
   example with the paracord 
   that your heroine pulls from her 
   paracord bracelet (Blog Link)
Double sheet bend
Double sheet bend (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
* If someone's life is on the 
   line use the double
   sheet bend for extra
   security.
Video Quick Study (4:43 go right to the 1:45 
 mark)










By the way:
A hitch is a knot that ties a rope to an object
A lashing ties two  ropes together

ADDENDUM: After two authors left questions below about a heroine getting untied, I made this video for them. Things I learned:
* It is actually not as easy as one would think to effectively tie
   someone's hands behind their back. There is a
   fine line between secure and no circulation. Hubby actually had
   to try several times to get it right - while he
   ties knots all the time, he's only tied people to secure/save them
   never to restrain them.
* Room is required for flailing about. LOL
* Certain clothes/shoes would make this move impossible.
* This video was edited to accommodate for your time. I actually
   had to gnaw at the knots for quite a while.
   You're heroine should anticipate this taking time and being
    frustrating.





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