Basic Illustrated Knots for the Outdoors

Spill insect repellent on polypropylene rope and you’ll have a handful of mushy fiber.

Natural-fiber ropes (such as manila, hemp, and sisal) shrink when wet, while nylon ones stretch under load.

For example, polyethylene line is very flexible, but it never forgets its store-bought windings.

The ability of a rope to retain a coiled or knotted shape is called “memory.”

To most people a rope is a rope, and they make no distinction between natural or synthetic fibers. That’s too bad, because certain rope materials and weaves excel in certain applications.