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“Knowing the Ropes” As Survival Access Point by Mark Hatmaker


As the pandemic lockdown whiles on I have offered in dribs and drabs a few bits of functional knot-tying or rope/line-handling. These little mini-asides are meant to be eye-trivia for the bored or possible spurs to, “Hell, I got time on my hands I’ll give this tip a go.” At the top end, there may even be, “WTF! I really needed that tip when…oh, I’ll be ready next time.”
Knot-tying, rope-handling, marlinspike seamanship, whatever you want to call the practice is, to my mind, more than just “That Old Man really likes tying knots.” [BTW-I do.] It serves a dual functional purpose to my mind.
The First Purpose: The Convincing Argument
Broad Based Survival & Functional Utility
Able use of rope, cordage, lines, vines et cetera, next to the ability to build the variety of useful fires is THE most universal skill in many survival, extreme sport, outdoor domains.
I capitalized the THE for factual emphasis, not mere preference.
Where do we see the absolute necessity of “knowing the ropes”?
At Sea, On the River, On the Lake
If you can’t handle and hurl line to save a life, well,…
As for any sailing vessel, absolutely. There are lines, halyards, sheets, standing rigging, running rigging, ad nauseum. 
Every line on a boat has a purpose. You need to know that purpose, you need to know back-ups if foul weather or bad fortune arise and you need to know back ups to the backups.



Cavers and Climbers
In these endeavors you must know your ropes as serious injury or death is literally hanging between you and your poor understanding of engineering friction.
Even if one thinks, “Well, I’m not a caver or a climber, Mark, I don’t need this aspect of the game. Besides ain’t there gear for such things?”


Yep, there is belaying gear, but this still relies on a good knowledge of ropemanship.

Besides, who says you will never need a good fireman’s seat, butterfly loops, and one or two prusik knots to rig your own makeshift escape harness if the proverbial shit hits the fan?
Camping, Hunting, Outdoorsmanship, Scoutcraft, Fishing
·        Elastic shot and need to tie a bedroll on and off efficiently?

·        Need to bolster tent pegs in high wind?

·        Need to rig a quick-release bear bag?

·        Need to rig a diamond hitch to pack gear out because your backpack bit the dust?

·        Need to haul a deer carcass single-handedly?

·        Need to create snares or temporary shelter?

·        Need to rig a Palomar knot in a jiffy when fishing for large?


The examples here are boundless.
Combat



·        Snares, slicers, handcuff knots, hogties, cutters and…

·        Allow me to add knot loads and like evil.

·        Hell, we’ve got an entire instructional product on Flexible Weapons, one might say I have given the subject some thought.


General Purposes
·        Can you lash a load to your truck or car without straps? [I’ll add can you do it without it being some mess of a knot the size of an infant’s skull that even you have trouble untying?]

·        Can your rig a false block and tackle to pull a vehicle out of the mud?

·        Can you make a one-handed braided bracelet to gift a child?

·        Can you rig an amphora sling to chill a bottle of wine in a mountain stream to add some charm to what you hope is a fine outdoor encounter?


I could go on with examples, but likely you see the drift. Take a single coil of rope and add one human with skills and you’ve got yourself a functional tool that crosses many a utilitarian domain.
The Second Purpose: Mark’s Unconvincing Argument
Historical Connection.
This argument is likely idiosyncratic to me. I am a history guy. I dig any enterprise that has a link to my facets of fascination. 
It is a no secret that old school boxing, wrestling, and frontier rough ‘n’ tumble float my boat.
But part and parcel of those studies is the lore of the frontiersman himself. The sailor, the cowboy, the backwoodsman all knew their ropes and were noted for what they could do with them in a functional sense and what they could do with them in ornamental and entertainment senses as well. 
The braid and plait work of these early sailors and westerners is gorgeous, and gorgeously complex.



Even a rookie rider dallying a calf with a loop is a work of art.
I find that immersing myself in an old school activity that mirrors those I wish to emulate salves my soul and paves the way to deeper understanding of contiguous knowledge.
The title of this piece includes the phrase “Knowing the Ropes.” 
It is a phrase we find in 18th century sea lore and one we also find in early ranch lingo.
It is a compliment. It meant that you were a squared away reliable hand.
It did not only refer to you kno





wing the ropework, it meant that you possessed all-around skills and character.
That’s how highly these early hosses valued good ropesmanship. 
They placed it on such a level that it became shorthand for general excellence.
To us all being worthy deckhands, ranch hands, hands on this planet. 
Here’s to knowing the ropes!
[For techniques, tactics, and strategies of Rough and Tumble Combat, Old-School Boxing, Mean-Ass Wrestling, Street-Ready Frontier Scrapping & Indigenous Ability culled from the historical record see the RAW Subscription Service. http://www.extremeselfprotection.com
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