Figure Eight Follow Through
The standard climbing tie-in. You tie a figure eight in the rope, thread the end through your harness, then retrace the original knot to close a loop around the harness.
How to tie the Figure Eight Follow Through
- Tie a loose Figure Eight Knot in the standing part, leaving a long working end. Do not tighten it yet; the original path must remain open enough to follow.
- Pass the working end through or around the intended attachment point, such as a harness tie-in point used under qualified supervision.
- Bring the working end back to the original figure eight and trace the knot in reverse, keeping the new strand beside the original strand at every turn.
- Continue retracing around both lobes until the working end exits beside the standing part. The result should look like two parallel figure-eight paths with no crossings between them.
- Dress each pair of strands flat and remove slack progressively around the knot. Set all four loaded strands evenly and retain the tail length required by the applicable instruction or equipment system.
How to inspect it
Every section of the figure eight should contain two parallel strands. The strands should not cross inside either lobe, and the attachment loop should lead cleanly into the knot. Inspect the entire traced path from the standing part to the tail rather than judging only the overall shape.
Common mistakes
Frequent errors include skipping part of the retrace, crossing the parallel strands, tying through the wrong attachment points, or leaving hidden slack in the knot. A recognizable figure-eight silhouette alone does not prove that the knot is correctly tied or suitable for a critical system.
Rope and material notes
This knot is commonly demonstrated in kernmantle rope because the parallel strands are easy to see and dress. Diameter, stiffness, sheath condition, moisture, and manufacturer requirements all affect handling. Climbing and rescue use requires hands-on instruction and system-specific checks.
Safety note: These steps support practice and recognition. Climbing, rescue, lifting, towing, and other critical systems require qualified instruction and equipment-specific procedures.
Which knot should you choose?
Choose the Figure Eight Follow Through when a fixed loop must be tied directly through an attachment point and easy visual inspection is valuable. Compare it with the Bowline for applications where post-load untying matters, but follow the rules of the activity and equipment rather than substituting knots casually.
Why it earns its place
Extremely secure, gets tighter under load, and — crucially — is easy for you and a partner to visually inspect. That inspectability is why gyms and instructors standardize on it.
Where it fails
After a hard fall it can weld itself shut and be a struggle to untie. Always leave a tail at least six inches long and dress the knot so the strands lie parallel.
Quick facts
| Type | Retraced loop |
| Under load | Extremely secure |
| Untying | Hard after shock load |
| Best for | Climbing tie-in |
External reference
KnotStyle provides the selection advice, written practice sequence, inspection points, and cautions above. Use this independent animation as an additional visual reference.
View external animation ↗Source and editorial notes
Reference: Animated Knots by Grog: Figure Eight Follow Through. Source checked 2026-09-30. Selection advice and difficulty ratings are editorial judgments, not strength tests. How this guide is prepared.