Wrist and Ankle Restraints

by Rope Fashions

This is a wrist or ankle restraint based on a climber’s Prusik knot. It is safe, because it won’t tighten up when your partner struggles. And it doesn’t have a lot of bulk where the ropes come in, like some restraint ties do.

	Step 1: To make the restraint, you will need a 12-foot length of 5/16-inch rope. Start by putting the two ends of the rope together, so you have a six-foot length of doubled rope with a loop at the end.
	Step 2: Slip the loop over back over the ropes, forming a doubled loop. This is called a lark’s head.
	Step 3: Slip the lark’s head over your partner's hand or foot, so it is around their wrist or ankle.
	Step 4: Pull on the loop, in order to get some slack, and wrap the loop and the extra slack around the wrist. The ropes from the loop should be on the outside, and the long ends on the inside.
	Step 5: Reach through the loop and pull the long ends of the rope through.
	Step 6: Pull on the loop again, to get some more slack, and wrap the loop around again. You may have to help the ropes move around the wrist or ankle.
	Step 7: Reach through the loop again, and pull the long ends through.
	Step 8: Pull on the long ends, helping the ropes move around the wrist or ankle, until the wraps are comfortably snug, but not tight. You should be able to get a finger between the loops and the skin.
	Step 9: Take one of the long ends and pass it under three of the wraps, starting at the outside and pulling it out the middle.
	Step 10: Pull the end taut.
	Step 11: Take the other long end and pass it under three of the wraps, starting at the outside and pulling it out the middle.
	Step 12: Pull the end taut.
	Step 13: Repeat the procedure, taking one of the long ends and passing it under three of the wraps, starting at the outside and pulling it out the middle.
	Step 14: Pull the end taut.
	Step 15: Take the other long end and pass it under three of the wraps, starting at the outside and pulling it out the middle.
	Step 16: Pull the end taut.
	Step 17: The final result looks like this.

When your partner struggles, the loops around the wraps tighten, locking them in place so they can’t tighten around the wrist or ankle.

Be careful not to make the wraps too tight to begin with. You don’t need to; they are secure even if they are only fairly snug, and if you make them too tight, you will cut off circulation, forcing you to untie your partner long before you want to.