How to Tie a Bowline Knot (Plus Variations)

Within the first 90 seconds, I'll show you the easy way to learn the Bowline knot. The Bowline Knot is super easy to tie when you know the right steps. But, the Bowline can also be confusing because there are a TON of different ways to tie it.

So, after showing you the basic approach, we'll also dig into other methods and Bowline variations. By the end of the video, you'll have seen 4 methods of tying a classic Bowline knot, and 14 variations on the Bowline knot (for 18 total ways of tying a Bowline).

The Bowline Knot is one of the first knots anyone should learn for camping and the outdoors, and we've actually made another video that runs through the first 3 knots that you should learn for beginners. Check it out below!

Table of Contents

0:00 Intro
0:40 Classic Bowline (Method 1)
1:42 Classic Bowline (Method 2)
3:05 Classic Bowline One-Handed (Method 3)
4:11 Classic Bowline (Method 4)
5:33 Double Bowline
6:27 Water Bowline
7:38 Yosemite Bowline
9:00 Cowboy Bowline
9:53 Running Bowline
11:13 Eskimo Bowline
12:27 Cossack Knot
13:22 Kalmyk Loop Knot
14:13 Portuguese Bowline
15:55 Spanish Bowline
19:28 Birmingham Bowline
20:53 Triple Bowline
22:19 Bowline on the Bight
24:19 Slipknot Bowline

I (Jon - the guy in the video) originally learned the Bowline years ago in Boy Scouts (I'm an Eagle Scout), and I'm excited to be able to share it with you. I love knot tying and outdoor skills, and so I've also made a playlist of other knot tutorials on my channel. We'll also be covering outdoor skills like campfire cooking, orienteering, and more.

If any of that strikes your fancy, then I invite you to subscribe to our channel. We're planning to post 1-2 new videos every week, and ultimately, I hope for this channel to become THE go-to resource on YouTube for learning practical outdoor skills.

I also intend to reply (or react) to every comment on the channel. So say hi! I'd be glad to meet you. And feel free to also suggest ideas for future videos. We're planning as we go so I'd be glad to hear it!

[jonasm]

It would be even more useful if you explained the rational of each variantion. "Why and in which circumstances is this certain variant superior compared to the regular bowline?" Thanks anyway

[larrybaxter]

Great video sir, well done! You tied the Yosemite right, but it is very crucial to remember to tighten the standing end first. That way if the Yosemite tie off ever came undone in a climbing situation, it would just turn into a regular bowline. If the working end is tightened first, and the Yosemite finish happens to come undone it would turn into an insecure knot which could be catastrophic if used in a climbing situation. How you dress it is very vital, just had to throw that out there!

[jamesanderson]

It has been refreshing how you have taken a classic knot and basically demonstrated maybe all the variations. Thank you for your extensive research and easy to follow instructions
It would be great if you had a series of knots with their variations.

[bleehole]

I took a rescue training class and we learned the bowline. Tbh kinda forgot how to when I was practicing after the training. Now I can show off to the others lol

[sren]

Great demo 👍. I love this Yosemite knot. It looks great

[pd]

While the video is very educational and easy to follow, it would be even better if you suggest the benefit/s of using the different variations of each knot.

[EvaderGuy]

Nicely done and very easy to understand. Thanks!

[aaronthenorm]

U aprecireciate the step by step instuction!

[GordieGii]

This is a great video. A veritable treasure trove of Bowliney goodness.
I did noticed that the 'Slipknot' Bowline, as you did it, produced a Cossack Knot. If you want a Classic Bowline, you need to take the bight from the standing part through the loop.

[michaelcolloton]

The best bowline video I've ever seen. I can't imagine a use for some of them, but they're pretty cool, nonetheless. Yeah, I'm a knot nerd.

[theosalt]

Most people are incorrect with the Eskimo bowline. This bowline begins by starting with a bend rather than a loop on the fixed side and completing by forming a loop with the working end and pass through the bend and around the bend as you would do when around you might be tying a sheet bend. As I understand it from an Inuit sled circa 1823 brought to England by Sir John Ross, in a museum [I have forgotten the details] this was particularly useful to tie a series of attached loops such as fastening a cargo roll pack on a sled and especially using a leather hide strip or rope of a fairly limited length, so that if required the fixed and working ends were almost equally accessible. To proceed with say the the fixed end secured and tied to the sled, the process was to wrap a loop around the load including some of the sled structure, then when the loop was almost complete form a bend in the fixed side and then complete the knot with the long working end passing through the bend to form the loop much in the way you would complete a sheet bend. This way you can tighten and adjust the large pack loop and have the greater length working end hanging out. You then are able to continue with this working end along the cargo pack to the next location where you form another securing loop. Repeat the procedure and go on to any additional loops that you can make with whatever length working end that is left over. Sort of like tying a bowline backwards i.e. start with a bend and complete with a loop as you would do with a sheet bend. No need to remember "rabbit holes" etc. just a series of easily adjustable sheet bends. The inconvenience is that you often have a rather long working end to fiddle about with. If more was then needed another length would be added using a suitable joining knot [ sheet bend, angers knot or such] I have often used this form of knot and find it most satisfactory and useful.

[randyrussell]

Great video. You can bet a hundred yards of rope that this video would help upcoming Riggers and !

[devinmccloud]

Great video! Nothing like watching knot videos 60 feet in the air to rope a tree. Bowline is the perfect knot to fell a tree!

[mollybrady]

Love this!!! Thank you much for sharing!!!

[romancadalso]

Thanks for this video for I 've refresh myself being off for many years, but now I'm so grateful sir, for you've shown many ways of tying the bowline. It was amazing! Thanks a lot sir!

[williamsolomon]

Circus bowline is a great midline knot for pulling on hard.
Nice video man

[bertiepimplebum]

A superb cure for boredom. Get a metre and half of 6mm thick rope and practice tying knots, especially when the TV adverts come on. Repetitive knot tying commits the knot to memory.

[Brockstarlan]

I was doing the cowboy bowline all this time good to know 😁

[Scootchels]

Nice!! What you tied as a Portuguese is actually a French bowline. The Portuguese goes over top of the ignition loop before going into the rabbit hole.

[K.Bradford]

Thank you sir. I've been trying to learn how to tie the bowling