How to tie both figure eight knots (IN TWO MINUTES)

The figure 8 is the most important knot there is for situations that matter. It doesn't fail or come undone, and it preserves rope strength under load. It is THE knot used by climbers. Learn how to tie this.

Three types of knots are explained here, but there's really only two: the figure 8, and the figure 8 on a bight. The third type is identical to the second, it's just tied in a way that allows it to be attached to a solid object, like a pole or a tree.

There are of course additional variations, and there are also faster/more efficient ways to make the knot in my opinion. However, this is a basic tutorial to help understand what the figure 8 family of knots is based around.

While rappelling, it might be tempting to just use the figure 8 on a bight at the end of your rope, and to then pass the rope around a tree and back through its loop, rather than learning to tie the knot in the last example. Don't do that; it weakens your rope by putting multiple steep angles in the knot. Sure, you'll get away with it, but it's bad form for repeated rappelling procedure. People do die from rappelling, you know. Lucky for me, I never did. That's partly because I knew my knots.