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More safety tips from Princeton University Outdoor Action:

How to Tie-in to a Climbing Harness

One of the most important safety procedures that one can do before climbing is tying into the rope and anchor system properly. The knot that is most commonly used for tying into a harness is the Figure 8 Follow-through (or rewoven Figure 8). The Figure 8 Follow-through has a variety of advantages over other knots, as it is easy to tie, strong enough to hold the forces generated by a fall, and is relatively easy to untie after it has been loaded by a fall.

1) To tie into a harness with a Figure 8 Follow-through, tie a Figure 8 knot in the rope approximately 3 - 3.5 feet (1 - 1.5 meters) from the end of the rope (Figures 1 - 4 below)

2) Feed the running end of the rope through both the crotch loop on the harness (the one joining the two leg loops) and the waist loop of the harness.

3) Feed the end of the rope back through the existing Figure 8 knot (follow the Figure 8 back through), starting at the end closest to the harness and finishing up with the live end of the rope (Figures 5 -8 below). Make sure the knot be properly “dressed;” the Follow-through should always maintain the same relative position to the original Figure 8. (in other words the original and the Follow-through eights do not overlap or cross.)

4) Make sure that there is at least 3 inches of tail leaving the knot. Tie off the extra tail of rope to the live end of the rope using several overhand knots or a double fisherman’s knot.

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