Question about scooter knot

[Sludge]

When I started cave scootering I inquired into what knot to tie the tow rope on with. (How's that for ending a sentence with TWO prepositions?) It was unanimous - everybody said to use a Prusik knot. Since I was never a Boy Scout I didn't know how to tie one so I looked at a scooter and copied what was on it. Since then I've showed numerous cave divers how to tie one.

Or not. After reading a recent thread I've found out that's NOT a Prusik knot. It's a taut-line hitch. Look at these Wiki pages:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taut-line_hitch#.231856 (Look at #1856)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prusik

As you look at these pictures it's obvious that the taut-line hitch is nothing at all like a Prusik knot. Does anyone know the history of why virtually everybody calls it by the wrong name?

[Michael Stroeck]

People tend to call anything a prusik that holds onto a running piece of line when loaded... In that respect, it is very much like a prusik, after all . In the same vein, when talking about mechanical SRT ascenders, many climbers and cavers use "Jumar" to mean any make of mechanical rope-gripping device.

When I started cave scootering I inquired into what knot to tie the tow rope on with. (How's that for ending a sentence with TWO prepositions?) It was unanimous - everybody said to use a Prusik knot. Since I was never a Boy Scout I didn't know how to tie one so I looked at a scooter and copied what was on it. Since then I've showed numerous cave divers how to tie one.

Or not. After reading a recent thread I've found out that's NOT a Prusik knot. It's a taut-line hitch. Look at these Wiki pages:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taut-line_hitch#.231856 (Look at #1856)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prusik

As you look at these pictures it's obvious that the taut-line hitch is nothing at all like a Prusik knot. Does anyone know the history of why virtually everybody calls it by the wrong name?

[Benthic]

People tend to call anything a prusik that holds onto a running piece of line when loaded... In that respect, it is very much like a prusik, after all . In the same vein, when talking about mechanical SRT ascenders, many climbers and cavers use "Jumar" to mean any make of mechanical rope-gripping device.

Sort of like how most people refer to all facial tissues as "Kleenex" or all photocopies as "Xerox Copies."

Brian

[MORGAN]

In the same vein, when talking about mechanical SRT ascenders, many climbers and cavers use "Jumar" to mean any make of mechanical rope-gripping device.

You're right! But I would never call my Gibbs ascenders Jumars - they'd never forgive me!

Mike

[Michael Stroeck]

You're right! But I would never call my Gibbs ascenders Jumars - they'd never forgive me!

While we're off-topic, have a look at this ridiculously awesome website, which details probably 90% of all mechanical and non-mechanical ways and means of doing stuff with ropes known to man: http://storrick.cnchost.com/Vertical...icalHome.shtml

[MORGAN]

While we're off-topic, have a look at this ridiculously awesome website, which details probably 90% of all mechanical and non-mechanical ways and means of doing stuff with ropes known to man: http://storrick.cnchost.com/Vertical...icalHome.shtml

Thank You! That web site is amazing!

Mike

[JahJahwarrior]

I picked up some rope from Wally world that seems to be too slick for any knot...

[caverkevin]

If you are talking about the knot used on the SS tow cords..... The story I heard from Wayne is that he show Rodney the knot. That it got put on all the SS tow cords. As for a name, I have no clue. As for a step by step on how to tie the knot, I posted this on DIR Explorers a long time ago.

http://www.direxplorers.com/speciali...ighlight=zeuxo

I posted step by step pictures of how to tie the knot.

Cheers!

Kevin

[BackstageDiver]

The story I heard from Wayne is that he show Rodney the knot.

I haven't heard that story, but Wayne showed me the knot, as well. He called it a Midshipman's Hitch, which is just an alternate name for the same or similar knots.

Prusik, Taut-line hitch, midshipman's hitch and others are all types of friction hitches, a knot that uses friction to hold its place on another rope yet can still be adjusted. A lot of people seem to use Prusik as an umbrella term for most kinds of friction hitches.

[Sludge]

We had a big spool of parachute cord at the shop before we moved - I haven't seen it since. More than half of our instructors are military.

The parachute cord I have and the gold line I have seem to be identical except for color.