Suggest a knot that appears difficult to untie

Practical Knots
1

Soon, I’ll be hiking in Spain where, I’ve been told, that it is often requested/recommended/required to leave my backpack outside of restaurants and other establishments. I will be carrying a length of 550 paracord for a variety of uses, as well as using it to secure my backpack to a pole or bench or table or whatever. All I need to do is make my backpack appear to be more difficult to grab-n-walk-off than the next backpack. Certainly I realize that paracord would be easily cut. If the bad guy has a knife, then all bets are off.

I’m looking for a knot that appears difficult to untie, but in fact is quite easy to tie and untie. I want the knot to give the appearance of security. The appearance that my backpack is securely tied down and to much hassle to bother with. But, in reality, the knot is easily untied when I’m ready to leave and be on my way.

Is there such a knot? What do you suggest?

2

Good day runamuck13 and welcome.

My first thought is that you should just go ahead and purchase a bicycle locking cable and be done with it. Or some other mini cable and lock.
The pretense of security won’t feel very good if the bad guy happens to want your pack and has a sharp blade. Gone in seconds… even if you see it happen.

Most knots that look fairly complicated are usually not quick and easy.

Best of luck on your trip and I hope nothing happens to you or your stuff.

SS

3

Thanks for the response.
A bike lock or mini-cable would certainly be more secure. But then I fear the bad guy would simply cut the straps on the backpack (which the cable would be run through). This is also a problem with a good knot. But I would hope the bad guy would choose the easiest route and cut the paracord rather than the straps (which would take more work to cut).

Actually, I just hope they see my tied-down bag and move on to the next one that they can simply pick-up-like-they-own-it and walk off.

Maybe darn near any knot would work for me.

4

If you have no place to lock up your belongings, I would keep hiking until I found an establishment that would let me bring in my pack.

Aside from that, we’ve had discussions about how to keep bears out of your belongings with the help of a pole or walking stick:

https://igkt.net/sm/index.php?topic=5505.msg37358#msg37358

But thieving humans are far more clever than bears. You’d have to hope no one sees the suspended pack.

5

Here’s what I came up with …

  1. Tie a Stopper Knot at one end of the rope. Create a loop from a Truckers Knot. Picture #1
  2. Pass the Stopper Knot thru the loop. Picture #2
  3. Tighten the loop of the Truckers Knot. Picture #3

This makes a really ugly knot. Hopefully a knot that appears difficult or time-consuming to untie. When, actually, it is very easy. Just loosen the loop and slip the stopper knot thru it. Done.

Pic2.jpg

Pic3.jpg