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I finally realized I was setting my climbing line wrong for years
Last month in Eugene, I was rigging a limb over a house and my ground guy said, 'Your line looks really flat on that spar.' I had always set my running bowline with the tail pointing down, thinking it was just a style thing. When we lowered the piece, I saw the knot had rolled and almost capsized. That could have been bad. Has anyone else had a close call with a simple knot setup?
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morgan_ellis6mo ago
Honestly that tail direction thing sounds like overthinking it. A running bowline is a running bowline, been using it for decades without issue. Sometimes people just get lucky catching a weird roll and make it into a big deal.
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lisaf386mo ago
Exactly, it's like the whole "right way" to load a dishwasher debate. People get a clean plate once by chance and turn it into a life rule. I've seen guys at the marina tie what they call a running bowline six different ways, and all of them held just fine when we yanked on the line. The obsession with tiny details often comes from someone trying to sell a book or a class, not from real world use. If the knot does its job and doesn't come undone, you're doing it right.
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grayc276mo ago
People get lucky with bad technique for years, then blame the one time it fails on bad luck.
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