Bushcraft skills

Climbing walls only use figure 8 knots. I never knew why. An attendant did say it was because it was easier to check the knot but obviously more to it

Yes, a bowline can release when unweighted - and not reliable with sideways tension. A water bowline is more reliable. Figure of 8 is a good simple useful knot but really difficult to untie after it's been weighted - that's why I suggested the alpine butterfly - stable and reliable and easily untied.

As @bernieq said,for climbing I wouldn't trust a single bowline due to the potential for coming undone under repeated loading cycles and for reducing the ultimate breaking strength of the rope about 30%. The double bowline is much more secure esp. when used with a stopper knot, easier to undo after a heavy fall. Most climbers I know prefer the figure 8 knot because it's easier to tie and check.

I never said anything about climbing with a bowline. I don’t think a bunch of 8-11 year olds are going to do that. I tied hundreds of bowlines when I was in the navy. Never heard of them undoing. Not sure why you would replace a bowline with a figure 8 knot when (in the navy at least) they have 2 different purposes: figure 8 is to stop a line passing through a block or shackle, or to temporarily stop a cut line from unraveling until you can splice it. Bowline is for creating a bite at an end of a line. Bowline, clove hitch, rolling hitch, reef/sheet bend, and butterfly knots... all essentials and useful for basic ship work. In civie life Ive used bowline, rolling hitch and butterfly. Cubs would benefit from them too.

with cubs keep it simple. figure 8 makes a nice strong bight and you can see across the hall if its done right. Teach them too much and there will be nothing left for the scout leaders to teach them

How about some or the following: - Map reading and navigation - Tarp/bivvy pitching - Cotton = dangerous - Layering of clothes - Hydration - Insulation from ground - even just a talk on staying with the group, talking when you are struggling, etc

Had a proud dad moment in the weekend when the kids used their own tinder kits to light the logburner. Mr 9 used his hatchet (batoning, not swinging) to cut the kindling. Miss 6 used her pocket knife to shave curls of the pine and fatwood They worked together to form the fire while Mr 9 used a fire stick to light the tinder, and the fatwood Miss 6 put some pine gum on the burning fatwood Happy days

Sounds wonderful. And they so love making and enjoying the fires.

Hey Felixx, good onya for getting the kids started in the outdoors. I went through Cubs/Scouts/Venturers in the 70's and was lucky enough to have leaders who were all into the outdoors tramping, hunting etc. They really stoked my fire, so to speak. The skills I learnt during that time were invaluable later on when I joined the local tramping club. In fact I was astonished by the lack of basic bushcraft skills some of those tramping club members had. Keep up the good work.

Thanks team