Survival knots are a critical skill for anyone spending time outdoors or preparing for emergency situations. They can be used to secure shelters, tie down gear, and create tools and traps. A well-tied knot can mean the difference between a secure shelter and a disastrous collapse. There are countless knots, but we’ve got them down to the 10 most critical knots for you to learn right away.

Knowing how to tie a variety of knots will let you be more adaptable in different survival situations. I’m a visual learner, but I also pick things up quickly when I practice with rope in my hands- so grab some paracord or cordage and follow along below.

Why Survival Knots Are Important

Knots are the type of thing that you can learn once and then have a great skill to rely on for the rest of your life with very little practice. You can find a knot to do pretty much anything with the right cordage, letting you address all sorts of problems.

Whether you are lashing gear down, making survival shelters, or even climbing, knots are the versatile and reliable way to get it done. You’ll need knots for fishing, weaving, sewing, suturing, and plenty of other survival skills as well.

Not all knots are created equal, though. You may want a hitch or loop for your application. Once you get a few knots under your belt, you can build on that knowledge for even more possibilities.

But don’t wait until an emergency or survival situation to learn them. As with everything prepping, the time to prepare is now.

10 Best Survival Knots

There are limitless knots in the world- you can tie a single rope in unlimited ways, and once you add more rope or cordage, you complicate it further. The Ashley’s Book of Knots (we talk more about that in our knot resource section) documents over 3,800 named knots. Filtering those down to the ten that are most useful for survival was no small task.

Our list settles on the most popular knots we use in the woods and the best to commit to memory for when you need a dependable knot for a specific survival situation. Here are the top 10:

Double Fisherman’s Knot

The double fisherman’s knot lets you strongly and securely join two rope ends together.

This lets you lengthen rope, repair rope, or tie fishing line (of course).

This makes it ideal for:

• extending fishing line
• repairing fishing nets
• creating long ropes from shorter ropes

It is an easy knot to learn, and can really help you out when you need longer cordage.

Its versatility makes it a crucial survival knot to have in your repertoire.

Alpine Butterfly Loop

The Alpine Butterfly Loop lets you make a fixed loop in the middle of any rope.

This lets you anchor your rope mid-line and opens up plenty of climbing and shelter applications.

This makes it ideal for:

• anchoring shelter lines
• rescue harness loops
• gear attachment points

It is an easy knot to learn, and you can tie it really fast once you learn it. You don’t need a rope end, which is what makes it so handy.

It’s one of the survival knots you’ll use often.