Which knot is used to secure a tensionless hitch with a carabiner clipped back onto the rope?

Which knot is used to secure a tensionless hitch with a carabiner clipped back onto the rope?

• A. Figure 8 on a Bight with a Carabiner clipped back onto rope
• B. Figure eight knot
• C. Overhand knot
• D. Reef knot

Answer: (A)

The technique relies on creating a tensionless hitch that stays secure without needing ongoing tension. Tying a figure-eight on a bight provides a ready-made loop you can clip a carabiner back onto the rope, and when loaded, the rope is held by the friction through the figure-eight and the locked path of the carabiner. This arrangement keeps the hitch in place even as the load changes or as the rope moves, which is exactly what a tensionless hitch is designed to do. Why this setup works best: the figure-eight on a bight gives a stable, closed loop that can anchor the carabiner, distributing the load and creating a self-remembering grip on the rope. The carabiner clipped back onto the rope through that loop ensures the rope cannot slip excessively and that the hitch remains engaged without requiring constant tension from the climber or rescuer. The other knots aren’t suitable here because they don’t provide the same reliable loop-and-hitch geometry. A plain figure-eight knot lacks a dedicated loop for back-clipping and doesn’t form a proper hitch around the rope for tensionless holding. An overhand knot tends to jam or slip under changing loads and isn’t designed to function reliably as a friction hitch in this back-clipped configuration. A reef knot is not stable under load and can capsize or slip, making it unsafe for a hitch that must hold tensionless grip.

The technique relies on creating a tensionless hitch that stays secure without needing ongoing tension. Tying a figure-eight on a bight provides a ready-made loop you can clip a carabiner back onto the rope, and when loaded, the rope is held by the friction through the figure-eight and the locked path of the carabiner. This arrangement keeps the hitch in place even as the load changes or as the rope moves, which is exactly what a tensionless hitch is designed to do.

Why this setup works best: the figure-eight on a bight gives a stable, closed loop that can anchor the carabiner, distributing the load and creating a self-remembering grip on the rope. The carabiner clipped back onto the rope through that loop ensures the rope cannot slip excessively and that the hitch remains engaged without requiring constant tension from the climber or rescuer.

The other knots aren’t suitable here because they don’t provide the same reliable loop-and-hitch geometry. A plain figure-eight knot lacks a dedicated loop for back-clipping and doesn’t form a proper hitch around the rope for tensionless holding. An overhand knot tends to jam or slip under changing loads and isn’t designed to function reliably as a friction hitch in this back-clipped configuration. A reef knot is not stable under load and can capsize or slip, making it unsafe for a hitch that must hold tensionless grip.