Figure-eight
The stopper that keeps a rope from running out of its gear.
What it is
The figure-eight is a stopper knot: a lump at the end of a rope that's too big to run through a block or a belay device. It's the knot climbers trust their lives to.
How to tie it
1. make a loop in the end 2. wrap the working end around the standing part 3. pass it back through the loop 4. pull tight — a clean "8" shape
When to use it
End-of-rope safety, climbing tie-ins (as a figure-eight follow-through), and any place a rope must not run free.