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How to make a cracker; and tying it on

Always carry a spare cracker or two; or some thread with which to make one (or go whip cracking with someone who does).

You will lose crackers from time to time as the fall snaps or the knot undoes after seeming to be securely tied for six months. I'm happy to take your money and send you some spares but really, it's very easy to make your own.

People get very fussy about what sort of material to use in your cracker. Any bit of 'tat' will do at a pinch, but I prefer use bonded nylon thread. Polypropylene twine is cheap, tough and available in many supermarkets. It's less durable than nylon twine, which is readily available in DIY shops, but tangles less.

There are several ways of making a cracker. Far and away the easiest is just to cut a length of twine, fold it in half; tie a knot in the halved end to make a loop; and finish by putting another knot a couple of inches from the other end to hold the thing together and stop the ends unraveling. Then tie it on to the end of your whip in the normal way.

If that's too simple, here's a way to make to make a traditional twisted cracker:

1. Cut a length of twine.

2. Secure one end. For example, hold it in your teeth or tie a loop in it and put it over a nail. Hold the other end and twist (works best with laid rather than braided stuff).

3. When you've twisted it so much that it's on the point of bunching up, take hold of the middle with one hand (don't let go with the other), fold the twine in half so that both ends are in one hand, and release the middle. Hey presto, it coils round itself.

4. Smooth it out if it needs it, tie a knot in the fluff end to stop it unraveling, trim off or untie any knots you used to secure it, and put it on the whip in the normal way.

What do you mean, you don't know how to tie it on?

2 Ways of Tying a Whip Lash Knot

1. Fold the end of the fall back on itself to make a loop (or bight) with the end laying on top

2. Untwist the top of the cracker to make a loop in that. 

3. Slide this loop over the tip of the fall.

4. Pass the other end of the cracker under that part of the fall which is heading back towards the fall knot (the standing part), then up through the bight you made in step 1. 

5. Pull the cracker, and crack a few times to tighten.

6. Don't worry too much if the fall straightens out, you end up with something like a rolling hitch, which should grip fine once it's cracked-on. Keep an eye on it: if you can see that it's shifted after a few cracks, tie it on again!

Or

1. Untwist the top of the cracker to make a loop

2. Slide it onto the fall (leave enough room for the next bit)

3. Fold the end of the fall back on itself to make a loop (or bight) with the end laying on top

4. Pass the fluff end of the cracker down through the bight.

5. Tighten by pulling the end of the cracker without letting the end of the fall slip loose.

6. Don't worry too much if the fall straightens out, you end up with something like a rolling hitch, which should grip fine once it's cracked on. Keep an eye on it: if you can see that it's shifted after a few cracks, tie it on again!

The second method is supposed to reduce the chance of the cracker biting into the fall and be easier to undo. Can't say that I'd noticed!

Other Top Tips for attaching crackers: 

If the fall is stiff and won't bend easily, try wetting it with saddle soap; or using a touch of vaseline. Failing that, you can straighten it out deliberately after tying the knot to get something like a rolling hitch or lark's foot. This works vary well. For target work, ensure that the cracker is pointing in line with the fall.

Climbers and cavers will find that prusik knots work well, even if rather fiddly.

If you don't have enough twine to halve it and make a cracker, attach what you've got using a sheet bend with an extra turn or two. Not so easy to crack, but seems to result in less wear on the end of the fall. You need to heat seal the end of the cracker where it's tied to the fall though, otherwise it gets fluffy and makes it harder to crack.

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