On a ship or a medieval camp knowing about knots is a necessity, but if you take the tent out of the bag an you realize that the last society member, handling the tent was not too keen about knotting the ropes professionally a slight annoyance might be at hand... Therefore in our camp we have a rule: only scouts, firefighters and sailors have the permission to work on ropes and strings. As this is not really a suitable solution I searched the web and found some usefull information on the page of the Sportsclub of the University of Munich.
8-Knot
This one is used to thicken the end of a rope in order to prevent it from slipping through a ring or a chain.
Crossed Knot
This knot should be used if you want to connect the ends of two equal ropes.
Palstek
With this one you can tie a rope around something. The rope-ring you build with this knot will be stable and will not draw tight (like a gallow's knot does).
Schotstek
This knot is used to connect the ends of two differently sized ropes.
Roundturn
This knot ties a rope around a pot's handle or a stick.
Roringstek
Like the Roundturn this one is used for attaching the rope to things, but this version is a bit tougher.
Stopperstek
This knot attaches a rope's end to another "main-rope". It is stable under tension and will not slip. I use it for tightening the tent's side ropes.
Webeleinstek
This knot is usefull when a ship or a horse has to be tied to something very quickly. It is stable whilst under tension, just like the Stopperstek.
Tie up a Clamp
Use this knot to tie the rope to a clamp or a similar device.
Spleissen
This technique is used to form a permanent ring. Use it with "turned" ropes, not with braided. The technique needs some expertise and time but it is a lot harder to rip apart than a usual knot. Once done properly it lasts a lifetime.
Monkey's Fist
It is the tougher and more distinguished version of the 8-Knot. Like Spleissen it is a technique designed for not beeing opend again. Apart from that it makes up a nice key ring decoration.
