bed sheet escape & knots
Interesting knot diagram:
http://home.zonnet.nl/willeke_igkt/frames/homepage_frame_eng.html
Being a former corrections officer, the only thing I have to offer
about this episode is this. When using sheets to make a rope, inmates
don't use the entire sheet. They will take a stolen razor blade, cut
about a 1 inch strip down the long side of the sheet. Then trade the
sheet in for a new one (cutting on it only once). They'll repeat this
until they have enough strips to braid it together for a rope.
It would be interesting to see how a torn-sheet rope compares in
strength to what Grant used,
Two things about this episode. First - i work for the florida dept of
corrections and as such ive seen the rope and TP ropes. second the TP
rope was not done like our inmates do. they twist the rope then braid
it then wet and let it dry. if you repeat this a couple times it is
just as strong as rope.
Finally our staff actually just found some bed sheets braided with 1
foot sections of wooden broom handles made into a rope ladder.
Toilet paper rope is actually used for rope in prisons. I visited my
local jail as part of my study and they had shanks, "rocks" made out
of paint, and of course rope made out of toilet paper.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/99436/the_flight_of_john_parsons_the_most.html?cat=8
http://www.mcccj.com/news2003/509.html
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http://www.moi.gov.tw/english/faq_detail.aspx?qa_code=5&sn=33&pages=0
Stay calm in this case, make use of the articles or the landform or
things on the spot. Try your best to escape. (1) Roll up bed sheet or
curtain within the room into a rope shape, and tie up the ends to make
an escape rope. Tie one end of the rope to a pillar or fixture within
the room, and throw the other end out of the balcony or window. Climb
down for escape. (2) Climb down to a safe floor or the ground using
the drainpipe outside the house for escape.
http://forum.mythbustersfanclub.com/index.php?action=printpage;topic=4658.0
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prison escapes:
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BedsheetLadder
Nazi Prison Escape
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/naziprison/cold_03.html
Escaping Colditz
3: Mid-May 1941
Polish Lieuts. Niki Surmanowicz and Mietek Schmiel, doing time in
solitary confinement, somehow managed to get out of their locked cells
and into the prison yard. Friends in the Polish quarters in floors
above lowered a rope, which the pair used to get into the adjacent
guardroom's attic. Putting the same rope out the attic window on the
castle's western side, they began sliding down, but the nails in
Schmiel's boots scraped on the wall, giving them away.
Two Polish PO Ws almost escaped this way from Colditz Castle in Saxony
in 1941. They were in solitary, the bedsheet rope was supplied by
accomplices on a higher story, and the escape route took them through
the attic of a guardroom. They were caught only because they made too
much noise trying to get down the outer walls.
http://escapingfromprison.blogspot.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attempts_to_escape_Oflag_IV-C
http://www.mikekemble.com/ww2/colditz.html
http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/12/new-way-into-prison-and-an-old-way-out/
Mt Eden prison shimmy down
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/2165964
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10509732
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4523488a11.html
http://freeipodsetc.co.uk/blog/prisoner-escapes-using-arope/'
http://www.answers.com/topic/jack-sheppard
200-foot rope he had cobbled together from sheets, blankets and pieces
of inmate uniforms
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_413078.html
http://www.mlive.com/flintjournal/index.ssf/2007/09/escape_foiled_at_lapeer_prison.html
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE2DA173CF934A25751C1A966958260
http://edition.cnn.com/2003/US/Northeast/10/13/jail.escape.ap/
http://www.darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin1997-12.html
http://www.nyscopba.org/news/2003/030710howtheydidit.htm
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.gutenberg.org/files/18813/18813-h/images/k.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.gutenberg.org/files/18813/18813-h/18813-h.htm&h=375&w=240&sz=44&hl=en&start=80&um=1&usg=__VD2jnJaNQkd9ZsltKP4fs0HGscY=&tbnid=w9qoPV4i9C3A6M:&tbnh=122&tbnw=78&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbed%2Bsheet%2Brope%2Bprison%2Bescape%26start%3D60%26ndsp%3D20%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN
"He put a loop, composed of a rope some four feet long, over Dick's
shoulders and under his arms. To each end was attached a strong double
hook, like two fingers."
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http://www.realknots.com/knots/
We learned about sheet ropes in Boy Scouts (many years ago).
http://www.tollesburysc.co.uk/Knots/Sheet_bend.htm
I just went looking for knot info. For the uninitiated, knots that are
used to tie two ropes together are called "bends." Wikipedia has a
list of bends (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bend_knot).
The one that appears to be the strongest and most resistant to jerking
is the Alpine Butterfly bend
(http://www.layhands.com/Knots/Knots_Bends.htm#AlpineButterflyBend)
The Zeppelin bend (http://www.geocities.com/roo_two/Zeppelin.html)
doesn't look bad either. Might use a little less rope.
(Can anyone find strength data on the Zeppelin? I found a table of
knot strengths, (http://www.layhands.com/Knots/) and it has the Alpine
Butterfly (75%) but it doesn't have the Zep...)
My first instinct was to use a Square knot
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Square_knot), but after learning that it
will only hold to 48% of the strength of the ropes that its tied
with... no way!!!
The Sheet bend (http://www.layhands.com/Knots/Knots_Bends.htm#SheetBend)
doesn't fare much better, at only 55% strength, and with a tendecy to
loosen when jerked.
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Title: Re: Bedsheet Escape Rope
Post by: ModernRonin on May 18, 2006, 07:05:26 PM
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Man, this one has a hold of me and won't let go! ;D
After thinking about this a little more, I though of some attributes
that would be optimal for jail-break knots:
* Easy to learn, remember and tie - even under stress or in the dark
* Strong, as not just your escape but perhaps your life can depend on it
* Resistant to coming undone when jerked or snapped
* Wastes a minimum of length in the knot
And for the "anchor knot" that secures the top end of the rope to your
bedpost or window bars, there were two additional criteria:
* Must be tieable with only one end of the rope available, because the
rope may be very long, or already out the window
* Must be tieable around an enclosed post, you can't just make a loop
and hope you'll have something to throw it over
For joining rope segements, The Zeppelin bend
(http://www.geocities.com/roo_two/Zeppelin.html) wins hands down:
- Really simple, easy and fast to tie
- Wastes very little length at the loose ends
- Quite strong (75-80% efficiency)
If you can remember "b over q" then you can tie a Zeppelin in less
than five seconds - faster with practice. The only competition here is
the Alpine Butterfly Bend, but that wastes more length, is slower to
tie, and harder to remember. Other contenders are significantly less
strong (Fisherman's) or waste much more rope (Double Dragon). It's
arguable that the Ashley Bend is as good as the Zep, but I think the
Ashley would be harder to tie in the dark.
The winner for the anchor knot is also pretty clear, it's the
Adjustable Grip hitch
(http://www.layhands.com/Knots/Knots_Hitches.htm#AdjustableGripHitch):
- Pretty easy to tie and remember (much easier than any of the competition)
- Quite strong (again, quoted at 80% efficiency)
- Any extra length in the loop around the post will slip out and
become extra length in the main rope
There were many contenders here, but the combination of strength, ease
of tying, and the ability to slip extra loop length out to the main
line bring this guy clearly above all other contenders. Trying an
Alpine Butterfly or especially a Double Dragon around a post is less
than simple in the light, and will be very difficult do under stress
in the dark. The double figure eight is very strong and easy to tie,
but also uses a lot of rope. Various other hitches are significantly
less strong, waste more rope, are prone to loosening under jerks, or
all three of the above! Traditionalists will say the Bowline is
superior, but it doesn't allow the loop to shrink and recover that
length into the main rope, and that's a disadvantage in this case.
So there you have it. If you ever need to break out of jail, remember
this post. :hope:
I've found this has been pretty interesting to research. So
interesting, in fact, that I'm considering doing it as a DIY
Mythbusters just to actually test these knots out. Also, I encourage
everyone to take a look at The Zeppelin bend
(http://www.geocities.com/roo_two/Zeppelin.html). It's the simplest,
strongest, most elegant, most useful knot I've ever seen. It'll take
you fifteen seconds to learn it, and then you'll forever know the best
way to tie ropes together.
-------------------
getting down rappelling
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to%3a-Rappelling-without-any-gear!/?ALLSTEPS
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/404269/how_to_abseil_down_a_wall_with_just_one_rope/
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The ropes, I was not surprised at the strength of the hair rope at
all. Kari should have twisted it into rope, instead of braiding it,
but re-watching the program shows her mentioning Rapunsel myth,
instead of prison break-out myth. If you were in prison, twisting it
into a rope makes sense. If they were doing Rapunsel, then it makes
NO sense, because the hair would not have joins, it would be on long
length.
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