1-Point Hanger – Approach 1 (Rope Only) – Do a Single Column around the lines of the strap (Classic)
The Somerville Bowline method (Lower risk)
The Somerville Bowline is a great choice for creating a rope-only lock off. It is easy to tie correctly and is quite fast. Even if the knot is not perfectly formed, it is quite forgiving and will quickly settle into a stable, non-collapsing state as soon as tension is applied. It is therefore a lower-risk choice, particularly good as you are learning. This is the approach I use when going with a rope-only tie.
You are *literally* just tying a Somerville Bowline around the lines of the strap! Do two wraps around the strap.
Lay the bight over top of the strands of the cuff.
Create the loop around the bight.
Run the bight under all the strands of the cuff and up through the loop (3).
Tighten.
The Somerville Bowline is a non-collapsing knot. As such, it can be used for suspension in this state, without doing anything with that free bight.
That said, there are other choices, too. Choose what you will do with the bight (see “Options for the Bight” above).
Here I have chosen to run the tail through it to keep it out of the way. The upline is now ready to be run to the hard point.
With this approach you can either run the upline through the cuff…
…like this.
Alternatively, you can run it under the strap itself…
…like this.
The Single Column method (More traditional)
This is the more traditional/classic approach, using a Square Knot Single Column, sometimes also just called a 'Single Column'. This approach is slightly higher risk. This kind of Single Column can collapse under tension. To reduce this risk, riggers add another Overhand Knot, sometimes two, on top of the first Square Knot that is an integral part of the Single Column. I show this below. Doing this helps protect the first Square Knot. If tension deforms the top part of the knot, that deformation usually cannot travel all the way to the cuff to turn it into a collapsing loop. Usually. There is still a chance. Particularly if using rope with lower tooth (more slippery rope) or if the knots are ill-formed or are not tightened sufficiently, as is more common with less-experienced riggers. For that reason, many people have switched to using the Somerville Bowline as the lock off, as is shown above. The Somerville Bowline is much easier to tie correctly and therefore the lower-risk choice as you are learning.
You are *literally* just tying a Square Knot Single Column around the lines of the strap! Do two wraps around the strap.
Lay the bight over top of the strands of the cuff.
Run the bight under all the strands of the cuff.
Complete the Square Knot Single Column. It is important to make sure this knot is very firm. It can be helpful to pull each strand tight individually. IN THIS FORM, THIS IS NOT SAFE FOR SUSPENSION. It is easy for this knot to become deformed under tension. If that happens, the rope can work its way loose and the attachment point can fail.
To reduce this risk, most riggers will add a third Overhand Knot above the Single Column, again pulling it very tight.
They may even add a fourth. With these additional knots in place, tension on the upline will deform the first layer and maybe the second, but – assuming all the layers were properly formed and very tight – it does not make its way all the way down to the original Square Knot that is part of the Single Column. (It is more common to add that fourth layer when using the Single Column on a person directly. When attaching to a strap, many riggers stop at the third layer, but you will see some do the fourth just out of habit and muscle memory.)
That said, strange things do happen from time to time. You want to put an upper limit to how much the line can slip so that it cannot completely release and drop your partner. You need to lock this loop off. There are two choices: Either use it to create a Lift Loop. Or…
Run the upline through the bight. Either way, it is not free to move and will not slide through the attachment point if it collapses.
This is now ready to be run to the hard point.