A better way to tie gym shorts (or any drawstring) [video]

317 points - today at 12:45 PM

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wccrawford today at 2:33 PM
I did this for a while after seeing that video, but after some of my shorts ended up tightening into a knot that I couldn't get loose easily, I gave up on it.

I instead just use the "Ian Knot" that I use to tie my shoes. It's very quick, I already use it all the time anyhow, and it rarely goes wrong. (Sometimes, I think I end up with an end through a loop accidentally, and have to fix it.)

Learning this extra knot didn't really help much, and it definitely went wrong more than I liked.

jjcm today at 5:54 PM
These "pull the loop over" kinda knots are delightfully simple, and shockingly secure. The Palomar fishing knot is somewhat similar, and is one of my go-to ones when I need to tie a hook quickly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWw_f7CQQLg
josefresco today at 5:01 PM
Only knot I know and I use it frequently: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowline

Knots are incredibly situational which makes learning a lot of them (through practice) difficult.

SoftTalker today at 2:30 PM
Life is too short to make simple things more complicated.
adverbly today at 1:35 PM
Super cool!

Here is how to tie a bow in under 1 second in case anyone wants something that looks a bit cleaner but is less functional: https://m.youtube.com/shorts/Q5qZpQe_4EA

wffurr today at 1:54 PM
Per the video description, this is a Lapp Knot: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lapp_knot, sadly not animated by Grog.
UmYeahNo today at 1:25 PM
I learned this knot from this video a while back -- I've used it ever since. It cinches the shorts tight, but is easy to release. It works especially well on strings that are slippery and don't hold a typical bow very well.

One drawback is that the two ends often end up different lengths, but otherwise it's a great knot!

delichon today at 2:56 PM
This knot is not for me. I need my drawstrings to be permanently connected together, or else when I wash those shorts they frequently get pulled into the pants where I can't reach them, and it's a pain to fish them out again. And I can't remember to tie them together before each wash.
quibono today at 1:35 PM
Gosh I need to learn more about knots. I've been thinking about this recently: if I wanted to maximise utility and could only learn 5 knots, what would they be.

Or alternatively, what are the "better" alternatives to the classics everyone knows.

bookofjoe today at 2:57 PM
Hack to untie a knot using an ordinary fork:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/YCBD8l7Sg3M

washbasin today at 2:28 PM
Just by the headline I suspected this was first class amateur. So many great videos. That being said, use cord locks, not knots. You can often shorten the drawstring, and you will never lose one end into the waist.
tim-projects today at 5:14 PM
This is up there with opening a banana by pinching the other end
aardvarkr today at 1:39 PM
Amazing, I love learning about knots! Is there a better shoelace knot? Not faster, but better
throw7 today at 3:24 PM
I just go under and over one more time in the initial step of tying a traditional "shoelace" knot. That gives a little more friction on the initial tightening draw to keep it in place, then just finish it as normal.

I've tried alternatives, but in the end keeping it simple is what I prefer.

chriscjcj today at 3:28 PM
I tried several drawstrings.

I found that if I make it tight enough so that things don't loosen easily when there's tension, then it's too tight to adjust easily. Maybe there's a happy medium to be had, but through numerous tries, I never achieved it.

Waterluvian today at 1:41 PM
I’ve been giving this a try, and aside from Porky Pigging it through my kitchen this morning, it seems to have real promise. The rip cord isn’t a feature I value, though.
joshuahaglund today at 3:18 PM
https://youtube.com/shorts/1I9_Zxypg1s

Here's an adjustable knot for if you've got a continuous drawstring like on a hat or sweatpants

zeafoamrun today at 4:43 PM
Tightens well but I end up with a weird super long dangly side
Xenoamorphous today at 2:31 PM
A few years back I got a couple of Adidas running shorts. Instead of the typical drawstring they had some continuous string. To this day I've no idea how it was supposed to be used, I just cut it off and voila, a regular drawstring.
gegtik today at 2:15 PM
Funny, I just went seeking this video again last week

He published an addendum https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbTYCHPLWLI

ActivePattern today at 2:56 PM
It took a few minutes to get the hang of, but it does work very nicely! Being able to adjust length without any re-tying is a great feature
BrokenCogs today at 4:33 PM
Does this also work for full length pants?
lysace today at 5:28 PM
Flag rope knots are low key stressful. You only need to do them once every 5-10 years or so, so you don't really develop any expertise through practice. If you do it wrong, you probably have to pay or arrange for a team of two people to lower the flagpole.

The flag rope for our 12 meter flagpole broke. I seriously debated getting a drone to replace it in situ. Then I realized hauling just a few hundred grams of rope needs a fairly serious drone.

PatronBernard today at 1:58 PM
Doesn't seem to work very well with flat strings it seems (or I suck at knotting).
adhoc_slime today at 3:08 PM
hn really is more reddit-like with each passing day.
inanutshellus today at 1:41 PM
I lived several decades knowing only the standard set of knots (square, granny) that every six-year-old knows.

Recently, due to Scouts, learned more and I can't believe how often I use them.

    "Dryer's busted! My DIY laundry line sags! What to do?!"

    "If only I could make a loop that won't move in the middle of this rope!"
... and... this knot is new to me. I'm stoked to add it to the brainbox. Way to go, OP!
roger-2026 today at 3:40 PM
Interesting...
someguyiguess today at 3:04 PM
If you have to tie your gym shorts, they're the wrong size.
stronglikedan today at 1:28 PM
just start with a double square knot (or whatever the first step is called) and pull it tight before starting the bow. it won't move while you tie the bow, and it's so much easier than this. if you have particularly slippery substrate, start with a triple instead
quickthrowman today at 2:55 PM
As long as you switch directions when tying a bunny ears knot, it will stay tied. I do left over/right under for the first step and then left under/right over for the second step. The ears/loops should sit balanced and not lopsided. I use the same knot to tie my shoes.
esafak today at 2:40 PM
weavie today at 1:23 PM
It's amazing the things you learn here..
deleted today at 1:40 PM
mmakeev today at 1:35 PM
haha...not bad. Nice try
yesidoagree today at 2:31 PM
HN is reading my thoughts again with this one