Finally nailed a tough removal with a rope trick I thought was dumb

Had this big oak leaning over a garage in Portland last month. My usual setup kept binding the rope, and I was stuck for like 20 minutes. An old timer I work with told me to try a running bowline with a half hitch backup, which I always thought was overkill. Gave it a shot and the tree came down smooth, no binding at all. Anyone else got a knot they ignored for years that ended up saving a job?

3 comments

3 Comments

fiona_carr261d ago

I remember reading something online about how a running bowline with a half hitch backup is actually way more reliable than people give it credit for, especially on wet or awkward loads. Half the problem with tree work is the rope deciding to do its own thing, right? I've got a knot I used to skip too, the constrictor hitch, thought it was just for temporary stuff until I needed something to hold a load that wouldn't budge. Funny how the old timers always seem to have a trick we ignore until we're stuck.

the_eric1d ago

And that's the thing about the constrictor hitch, it's one of those knots that feels almost counterintuitive because it locks down so tight you think you'll never get it undone. But when you're dealing with a load that's shifting or a rope that's slick from rain, a little extra bite is exactly what you need. I've had clove hitches slip on me with wet synthetic ropes, just start creeping and then the whole load goes sideways. A running bowline with a half hitch is like having a seatbelt for your rope, it's not flashy but it keeps everything where it's supposed to be until you're done. People call it overkill until that one time a knot decides to let go and suddenly they're chasing a log down a hillside.

anthonynelson1d agoMost Upvoted

Hold up, is a stuck rope really that much of a crisis though? I've been doing this for over a decade and I've never had a running bowline save a job. Half the time I'm just winging it with a basic clove hitch and it works fine. Maybe your rope was just old or wet and needed a different approach, not a whole new knot system. I get that old timers have their ways, but I've seen way too many guys overcomplicate things with backup hitches and end up spending more time fiddling than cutting. If the tree is coming down straight and your rope isn't frayed to hell, a simple knot should be fine. People act like one wrong tie is gonna drop a house on them, but most of the time it's just a nuisance.