Book excerpt: A simple rope can be a lifesaver in a survival situation. Knowing how to use a rope and make effective knots will help you in an amazing variety of ways – from constructing shelters and creating weapons, to fishing and hunting. Most important, ropes and knots act as lifelines in dangerous environments, such as when crossing a fast-flowing river or scaling a mountainside. Elite Forces Guide to Using Ropes and Knots draws on the skills of the world’s best soldiers to teach you how to use these essential tools in the wilderness. Tried and tested techniques used by the world’s special forces give you expert advice on issues such as: how to take care of ropes, the most useful knots to use in a survival situation, how to make your own ropes out of animal tendons or plants, how to use your rope effectively when climbing, how to lash together a log raft or a shelter. Including more than 300 black-and-white specially-commissioned illustrations, Elite Forces Guide to Using Ropes and Knots is easy to understand, packed with expert advice and essential for anyone who wants to know the difference between and how to make a simple reef knot or complex slip knot, a clove hitch, an alpine butterfly knot and many more.