Tie the Outside Bowline So the Tail Stays Clear of the Loop

The Problem

The bowline earns its reputation as the king of knots: a fixed loop that won't slip under load and unties easily even after being cranked tight. But the standard tie leaves the tail pointing into the loop. Anything riding in that loop — a carabiner, a hook, another rope — sits against the tail, and in rescue work that's enough to matter. A tail inside the loop can get pinched, abraded, or mistaken for part of the loop itself.

The Technique

The outside bowline is the same knot with the final tuck reversed so the tail finishes lying along the outside of the loop.

1. Tie the bowline the way you learned it: form a small overhand loop in the standing part, bring the working end up through it ("out of the hole"), around behind the standing part ("around the tree").
2. On the way back down through the small loop, pass the tail so it exits on the outside of the big loop rather than the inside.
3. Dress the knot and snug it down. The finished loop is clean, with the tail lying flat against the standing side.

The tying motion is easier to copy from the video than from text — watch the creator's hands once and the outside finish makes sense.

The creator's own take: the outside finish matters in the rescue world, but for recreational use — tarps, tie-downs, hauling — either version holds the same.