Its Not a Knot

By Curt Brisky

I have been a high-angle rescue instructor for 20 years in mountain rescue. The article on the Prussik knot needs some clarification.

First, the Prussik is not a knot, it is a hitch. A knot is something that is tied on an object and if the object is pulled out of the rope it stays together in its original knot form. A hitch will fall apart if the object is pulled out. That's what makes the Prussik a hitch.

Next, the Prussik shown in the article is correctly wrapped on the static line, but the knot should be a double over hand bend. A bend in a rope is when you join two ends of a rope together and tie them. It looks like a square knot in the article photo, which would be a deadly knot to tie if shock loaded in the direction of the force needed to arrest a load. The hitch should also be tied on the static line in such a way that the double overhand bend is not at the bottom of the Prussik loop as shown in the image below.

Watch the animated version of this Prussik Hitch

Learn how to tie a Double Overhand Bend, or watch the animated instructions for the same knot, also known as a Double Fisherman's Knot.

Next, in the article he uses the term fall restraint for the harness. A harness is fall arrest because it is catching you after you have already fallen. A restraint would keep you from falling in the first place.

Editor's Note: I'd like to thank Curt for providing this information. He has helped me understand a lot about tree stand safety and harnesses. This topic can't be easily covered as a tip, so hopefully we can turn some of this information into a Feature Article in the near future.