Monkey's Fist Knot

Monkey's Fist Knot

I started working at a camp owned by the Boy Scouts of America back in 2005. I found my niche pretty quickly in the Scout Craft area. All of the outdoor skills merit badges are taught in the Scout Craft area including: Emergency Preparedness, First Aid, Geocaching, Orienteering, Pioneering, and Wilderness Survival. We also used to teach Cycling, Fishing, Fly Fishing, Golf, 

and Physical Fitness.

I am especially fond of the pioneering merit badge. The pioneering merit badge covers rope work. I like to define it as, "The art of manipulating rope to complete a task." It includes knot tying, lashing, making rope, splicing, throwing a rope, creating a rope and tackle (pulley) system, etc. We put the skills to use by building big projects such as swing sets, bridges, climbing gyms, 

gateways, etc. It is a lot of fun. 

For one of my classes last semester, I had to create a "How To" video. I chose to teach the monkey's fist knot in my video. The monkey's fist is basically a ball on the end of your rope. It can be used for decorative purposes, or it can add weight to the end of a rope to make it easier to throw further or higher. You'll have to excuse the quality of this video. It was a bit of a rush job. If I ever get around to remaking it, I will do better and replace it. Anyhow, enjoy! Knot tying can be a lot of fun once you get into it.