How to Tie a Rethreaded Figure of 8 Climbing Knot

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Co-authored by Ky Furneaux

Last Updated: November 11, 2024

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Tying Into a Climbing Harness

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Before You Climb

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Expert Interview

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Warnings

A re-threaded figure-of-eight, (also called a figure-of-eight follow-through) knot is used by climbers to tie in to a harness. It's safe, strong, and easy to tie. You make a figure-of-eight with a single rope, loop through the harness, and then follow the rope back through the figure-of-eight. With these instructions, you'll learn how to do it properly.

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Tying Into a Climbing Harness

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Make a loop in the rope with about five feet (1.5 meters) of working end.
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Put the working end through your harness.
Take the working end and follow the knot back around, retracing the original figure-of-eight knot end (varies by person and rope diameter).

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Make sure that the rope is not twisted in any place in the knot.
You should also check his or her set-up for extra safety.

Expert Q&A

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Question

How do I prevent a knot from slipping?

Ky Furneaux
Survival and Outdoors Expert
Ky Furneaux is a survival expert, outdoor guide, and professional stuntwoman based in Australia. She’s been featured in over 100 films and TV productions, and has hosted, produced, and participated in some of the most extreme TV survival shows including MTV’s Made and Discovery’s Naked and Afraid. She has authored 5 survival books, including "The Superwoman’s Survival Guide" and "Survive: The All-In-One Guide to Staying Alive in Extreme Conditions", with the goal of sharing her knowledge of survival techniques with others. As an accomplished stuntwoman, she won a Taurus Award in 2012 for Best Female Stunt Performer and has doubled stars like Jennifer Garner, Anne Hathaway, Jaime Alexander, and Sharon Stone.

Ky Furneaux

Survival and Outdoors Expert

Expert Answer

You can finish off your knot with a reliable stopper knot. A stopper knot is any knot you tie at the end of a rope or line to keep it secure and prevent it from slipping through a device or unraveling. One good knot is a double fisherman’s knot; this knot is known for holding it tight when under pressure. You can also use a couple of half-hitches to lock the tail in place after tying your main knot. This knot locks the tail in place and adds extra security. For example, when climbing, once you’ve rethreaded your figure eight knot, adding a few half-hitches ensures the tail won’t slip. Just remember to leave enough tail length to tie those extra knots properly.

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What's the best knot to connect two ropes?

Community Answer

Depends on what you want to do with the two ropes in question. If you only want to connect two ropes at the ends for a longer line, the best knot for that is the triple fisherman's knot. The double fisherman's is also good (and consumes a bit less rope), but if the two ropes are different in thickness or other characteristics, the triple fisherman's is the safest option possible, especially in mountain climbing.

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Tips

A pretty knot is a safe knot. If your knot does not look uniform and symmetrical or, if after you retrace the knot, each curve does not fit together well, untie your knot and start again.

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Always check that the knot is tied in through both hard points before climbing.

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If you anticipate a fall, thread the rope through your harness twice. It should form a complete loop around the tie in points before threading the rope back through itself. This will make the knot easier to un-tie when you finish climbing.

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Warnings

Always double check your knots, then have someone else check them, no matter how experienced you are.

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You should never climb alone.

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Remember, the world's best-tied knot won't help you if your harness isn't fastened properly and doubled back.

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Don't leave the ground until you have checked that your knot, your harness, and your belayers harness are secure. Additionally, make sure that your belayer's technique is appropriate.

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Rock climbing is an inherently dangerous activity that can result in serious injury or death. Seek proper training and equipment before attempting this activity.

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