A better way to tie gym shorts (or any drawstring) [video]

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• Hacker News
• Amazing, I love learning about knots! Is there a better shoelace knot? Not faster, but better
  by aardvarkr
• Yep: one extra rotation at the end, like when you are tying the loops together, go around a second time. Never comes undone, but releases easily.
  by dools
• I favor a technique I was taught by a nursing student almost 30 years ago. You basically use the usual technique but each time the lace crosses another do it one extra time.

  So first you wrap one lace around the other and pull it tight, well before you pull it tight wrap it around one more time. This helps hold the laces tight for the next step where you fold the laces and wrap them around each other. Do that a second time as well before you pull it fully tight.

  Without video or illustration I suspect this is not easy to follow. Oh well.

  by kencausey
• Yes, there is my friend. https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/secureknot.htm

  I've learned it a month ago and couldn't be happier.

  by ctrl4
• As long as you switch directions when tying a bunny ears knot, it will stay tied. I do left over/right under for the first step and then left under/right over for the second step. The ears/loops should sit balanced and not lopsided. I use the same knot to tie my shoes.
  by quickthrowman
• This is similar to how traditional Afghan pants are tied. For those who have seen then, the first time putting them on can be a shock. Because when fully extended out, the waist is like 75-100 inches around, you'd think there was a mistake but that's how they come. You tie the drawstring like this so you can pull that waist all the way in comfortably and it lets the pants be very airy, comfortable, and cool.
  by Rotdhizon
• Gosh I need to learn more about knots. I've been thinking about this recently: if I wanted to maximise utility and could only learn 5 knots, what would they be.

  Or alternatively, what are the "better" alternatives to the classics everyone knows.

  by quibono
• IMO it's important to start with what possible uses of knots there are, and then learn a knot for each use. I'll exclude decorative knots, because those are subjective & very diverse.

  Stopper knots prevent rope from passing through a hole & keep the end from unraveling. The Overhand knot is the simplest. The Double Overhand is a very simple addition to an overhand. The Figure-8 is slightly bigger, and useful to know.

  Single loop knots create a single fixed loop in a line. The Butterfly (aka Alpine Butterfly) can be tied mid-line (without access to the end) or with the end of a rope, and is two overhand knots interlocked in a particular manner.

  A noose is any loop that tightens when a load is applied. I like the Scaffold Knot, it's a double overhand around the standing part of the rope. Its biggest disadvantage is it can be difficult to undo. Any fixed loop can also be made into a noose by tying it around the standing part, forming a "Running <name of fixed loop>".

  Bends join the ends of two ropes. The Fisherman's knot (also has lots of other names) is two overhand knots, one with each rope, tied around the standing part of the other rope. It's strong, secure, but difficult to untie. The Double Fisherman's uses double overhands. The Butterfly Bend is a Butterfly tied as a bend, it's strong, secure, and much easier to untie. The Butterfly Bend is tied the same way the Butterfly Loop is when tying with the end.

  Hitches tie a rope to a rigid object. They can attach a rope to something where you have access to an end of the object like a bollard, or where you don't like tying into a fixed ring. They can be for lengthwise pulls, or for right-angle pulls. Adjustable loops are hitches tied around the standing part of the rope. For right-angle pull, the scaffold knot works well (again). It can be tied without access to the end of an object, so it works for rings and bollards. For lengthwise pull, the rolling hitch is nice, and the Rolling Hitch Ziptie is a use of the rolling hitch which works as an adjustable loop and a binding knot.

  Binding knots hold only when tied around an object. The Double-Slipped Reef Knot is a common shoelace knot. The Turquoise Turtle or "Ian's Secure Shoelace Knot" are different methods of tying a structurally identical resulting knot that's a bit more secure. Worth knowing at least one of these three, or you'll only wear slip-ons or Velcro closure shoes. Also the Rolling Hitch Ziptie is worth knowing.

  There are also some systems of knots called "trucker's hitch"es, which are all ways to use loop knots as improvised pulleys with a final hitch to secure a load in place. IMO they're not independent knots. Handy to know at least one sort though in case you don't have ratchet straps or snatch blocks. The Versatackle is nice, self-locking, and tied with just Alpine Butterflies and any hitch.

  So, a list of 5:

  1: Overhand knot. 2: Butterfly loop (mid-line). 3: Butterfly loop (with the end). 3 (used differently): Running Butterfly. 3 (used differently): Butterfly bend. 4: Scaffold knot. 5: Rolling Hitch. 5 (used differently): Rolling Hitch Ziptie. 5 (used differently): two opposed Rolling Hitches for tying your shoelaces together works, with difficulty. 2+5: Versatackle trucker's hitch formed from two Butterfly loops and a Rolling Hitch.

  All except the Rolling Hitch are based on the Overhand knot. If you're willing to add a sixth knot, pick something better to tie your shoes.

  by SAI_Peregrinus
• There are (I'd contend) four basic types of knot: Bends, hitches, bindings, and loops. Bends tie two cords together, hitches tie cords to objects, bindings wrap & grip objects together, and loops are loops.

  You only really need one bend. I suggest the zeppelin bend, but they're all pretty similar. Hitches can benefit from a bit more variety, but a round-turn with two half-hitches will serve you well in most situations, along with its more secure variant, the anchor hitch. There's a trade-off between how secure a knot is and how easy it is to untie, which is why the less-secure variant is useful.

  The best loop is the angler's loop, which will even hold in bungee cord. The alpine butterfly is also good to know because you can tie it "in the bight" (without access to either end of the rope), which is very handy.

  Bindings are (I think) the most commonly-used family of knots for most people. Lashing a load into a truck so it won't move, tying a bag shut, and even tying shoes are all situations for bindings. For large loads, I'd suggest a trucker's hitch, which is good for (e.g.) tightly strapping a load into a truck bed, hence the name. For smaller situations, like cinching a bag shut, try the jam hitch—an underappreciated favourite of mine. It works like a zip tie, tightening around an object and not loosening. (Make sure the knot itself is tied tightly before you zip it. After you zip it, you can tie the ends together for extra security.)

  Zeppelin bend: https://www.animatedknots.com/zeppelin-bend-knot

  Anchor hitch: https://www.animatedknots.com/anchor-hitch-knot; round turn & two half-hitches: https://www.animatedknots.com/round-turn-two-half-hitches-kn...

  Angler's loop (sometimes called "perfection loop"): https://www.animatedknots.com/perfection-loop-knot; alpine butterfly: https://www.animatedknots.com/alpine-butterfly-loop-knot.

  Trucker's hitch (feat. alpine butterfly): https://www.youtube.com/shorts/o3BcaoPXK5Q; jam hitch (aka "rolling hitch zip tie" or "reverse midshipman's hitch"): https://www.reddit.com/r/knots/comments/12vsuk1/how_to_tie_a.... (Though these have "hitch" in the name, I'd argue they're better described as bindings, because they preserve tension.)

  If nothing else, learn the round turn & two half hitches, the alpine butterfly, and the trucker's hitch. Some combination of these will serve you well in most situations.

  One final tip, while I'm talking about knots. You may be tying your shoelaces wrong: https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/grannyknot.htm.

  by bccdee
• There is a reason scouts require you to tie so many knots. Not that any scout remembers their knots longer than needed pass that requirement, but it is still important and once in a while they do need them.
  by bluGill
• Love this "auto" truckers hitch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1J8MuOWO0Qs

  Edit: Same knot, with an explanation before showing what I knew as the classic trucker hitch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKM5gaYJWN0

  by jotux
• Bowline, truckee’s hitch (the better alternative to a truckers hitch), prussick come to mind
  by fylham
• The marlinspike hitch is the best bang-for-your-buck. The author of this video shows it in quite a few of his other videos. Depending on what you do with the tag end, you can quickly collapse it into a bowline for a fixed loop (and subsequently apply any bowline finishing you might like), or you can end up with an Ashley stopper (which provides triple the diameter of the rope, so is an excellent stopper). Using it actually as a marlinspike hitch gives you a really nice handle to pull in tension on a trucker’s hitch. The knot also does not jam, so you can easily pull it out just by completely tightening it. This same property makes it an excellent choice for the loop in a trucker’s hitch… provided you get the directionality right so the force of pulling in tension counteracts its desire to collapse. When you’re done, the loop can just collapse out when you untie it—no dealing with a jammed alpine butterfly.
  by teeray
• The Farrimond Hitch is my favorite knot. Useful to tie a line to another line and have it adjustable, but strong under load and a single pull to undo it. Easy to remember, it's like a prusik knot.

  https://www.animatedknots.com/farrimond-friction-hitch-knot

  (overhand and double 8 are probably used more often by me, but not that versatile)

  by master-lincoln
• Depends what you're doing.

  My favourite knot is the bowline. Non-slip loop, very strong, easy to tie, easy to undo. Can be used for tying two ropes together, ropes to things.

  Other useful ones (especially for sailing)

  * Clove hitch * Reef knot * Rolling hitch * Sheet bend

  by JR1427
• This knot is not for me. I need my drawstrings to be permanently connected together, or else when I wash those shorts they frequently get pulled into the pants where I can't reach them, and it's a pain to fish them out again. And I can't remember to tie them together before each wash.
  by delichon
• You can get an inexpensive drawstring tool off AliExpress.
  by kazinator
• You can find drawstring threaders (bodkins?) on amazon pretty cheaply - if you have clothes with drawstrings it's handy to have one of these around the house.
  by bentcorner
• In recent years I've needed to use a Wash & Fold service, and I've gone through at least 8 of them with acrimonious disputes and really awful service.

  The last one was getting all my clothes clean, but they always folded them in the most haphazard ridiculous way; some garments were deliberately turned inside-out, etc. (It was kind of a racist thing, by the workers who were not of the friendly owner family at the front counter. Happens all the time to me.)

  Another annoying thing that they did was that anytime a garment had a drawstring, it would end up extracted or completely pulled into the waistband. The front-counter owner lady even pointed this out, rather gleefully, and "apologized" and handed me the disassembled pair of shorts.

  In the meantime, I found that a lacquered chopstick was very useful to route the drawstring back through the waistband, along with a pair of tweezers or needlenose pliers, to fish out the end from deep inside there.

  Since then, I've switched to a service that is treating me with respect, and the lady is amazingly good at sorting and folding! Yay!

  by ButlerianJihad
• I tie knots at the ends of my drawstrings to prevent them (mostly) from retracting
  by sethammons
• I've had sweatpants with a continuous drawstring, this is the knot I use to tighten them

  https://youtube.com/shorts/1I9_Zxypg1s

  by joshuahaglund
• I once made a contraption out of the top thread-part of a plastic soda bottle and the lid. Cut a slot down the threads, put your drawstring ends through the bottle end and slot, then tighten the cap to hold everything in place. plastic. survives the wash. Then my Dad suggested sewing the drawstring to the shorts at the midpoint with a few stitches. Much better, you don't have to make and remember to use any contraption.
  by RossBencina
• Only knot I know and I use it frequently: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowline

  Knots are incredibly situational which makes learning a lot of them (through practice) difficult.

  by josefresco
• This one and the square knot are indispensable
  by O3marchnative
• Bowline is inappropriate for anything that you need to apply tension to while tying (like your gym shorts).
  by aidenn0
• Yup.. I only remeber three knots: 1. tie cows to a pole using a rope, tile show laces, third one is the most basic one which everyone knows. Sometimes, I learn a few occassinally watching youtube video and forget the next day.
  by dilawar
• I learned this knot from this video a while back -- I've used it ever since. It cinches the shorts tight, but is easy to release. It works especially well on strings that are slippery and don't hold a typical bow very well.

  One drawback is that the two ends often end up different lengths, but otherwise it's a great knot!

  by UmYeahNo
• Super cool!

  Here is how to tie a bow in under 1 second in case anyone wants something that looks a bit cleaner but is less functional: https://m.youtube.com/shorts/Q5qZpQe_4EA

  by adverbly
• Hard to tell if that's the same as the Ian Knot: https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/ianknot.htm
  by rideontime
• Per the video description, this is a Lapp Knot: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lapp_knot, sadly not animated by Grog.
  by wffurr