Karash double loop is a common name for a

knot A knot is an intentional complication in cordage which may be practical or decorative, or both. Practical knots are classified by function, including hitches, bends, loop knots, and splices: a ''hitch'' fastens a rope to another object; a ' ...

forming two loops. This knot has been a known variant of the Bowline on a bight per the

International Guild of Knot Tyers The International Guild of Knot Tyers (or IGKT) is a worldwide association for people with an interest in knots and knot tying. Formation and beginning Officially established in 1982, the founding members were initially drawn together by the ...

, referred to as ''

bowline The bowline ( or ) is an ancient and simple knot used to form a fixed loop at the end of a rope. It has the virtues of being both easy to tie and untie; most notably, it is easy to untie after being subjected to a load. The bowline is sometimes ...

twist'' or ''twisted collar

bowline on a bight The bowline on a bight is a knot which makes a pair of fixed-size loops in the middle of a rope. Its advantage is that it is reasonably easy to untie after being exposed to load. This knot can replace the figure-eight loop knot when tying into a ...

''. The knot is also referred to as ''nœud de fusion'' in French references and sometimes called ''Fusion knot'' in English. The name ''Karash double loop'' was introduced by Mike Karash, who re-invented the knot to create makeshift harnesses for rescue operations and popularized it among rescue workers.

Applications

The knot is used for vertical caving using the

single rope technique Single-rope technique (SRT) is a set of methods used to descend and ascend on the same single rope. Single-rope technique is used in caving, potholing, rock climbing, canyoning, roped access for building maintenance and by arborists for tree climb ...

, particularly by French cavers. It is advertised by the French Federation of Speleology as a safe alternative to the ''bowline on a bight''. Compared to the traditional bunnyears variant of the figure of eight, its loops remain open under load allowing to clip and unclip

carabiner A carabiner or karabiner () is a specialized type of shackle, a metal loop with a spring-loaded gate used to quickly and reversibly connect components, most notably in safety-critical systems. The word is a shortened form of ''Karabinerhaken' ...

s in the loops more easily. The knot is also popular to create a makeshift harness in rescue operations. The two loops are used as leg loops to sit in. The knot can be further improved by adding two bowlines around a person's body to create a three-point harness.A site about nothing: The Best Knots: Optional Knots
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Technique

The traditional method of tying this knot starts with a reverse loop (like the Eskimo bowline) then wraps around the standing end (AKA the "tree"), you then finish the knot the same way as the BOAB – Bowline on a bight. An alternative way as advertised by the French Federation of Speleology and Mike Karash is starting with a figure of eight on a bight, then pulls two strands of the rope back through the bight. File:Nœud de fusion 57.JPG, Start with a bight of rope File:Nœud de fusion 58.JPG, Tie a figure of eight on the bight File:Nœud de fusion 59.JPG, File:Nœud de fusion 59a.JPG, Pull the loop of the figure of eight over the whole knot File:Nœud de fusion 61.JPG, File:Nœud de fusion 61a.JPG, File:Nœud de fusion 62.JPG, Take the two strands of rope together File:Nœud de fusion 62a.JPG, Pull back the two strands of rope closest to the loop inside the knot File:Nœud de fusion 63.JPG, These two form the final two loops of the knot File:Nœud de fusion 64.JPG, Tighten and dress the knot

References

External links

Official website
{{Knots Multi-loop knots Climbing knots