Carry any Bottle with a JUG KNOT Handle by hpstoutharrow
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Tie a JUG KNOT around a water bottle, soda bottle, or aluminum bottle to make a secure carrying strap.

Re-purpose any container into a reusable water bottle by adding a convenient carrying strap. This Instructable will demonstrate how to tie a JUG knot which like its name suggests, is meant to properly secure around the neck of a container.

With some cord and the knowledge of this knot, you will be able add a handle, lanyard, or carabiner loop to any of your favorite beverages to carry them on the go.

It works perfectly for those disposable water bottles, and who knows, once you add some colorful cord to the plain old clear water bottle you just might be inclined to refill it and use it again.
(Check out pictures 4&5 below)

In addition to plastic beverage bottles like pop, water and sports drinks, you can turn those rugged aluminum beer bottles into a backpacking canteen.

Those of you familiar with my previous aluminum bottle Instructables:
ROLLED RIM METAL TUMBLER
http://www.instructables.com/id/Aluminum-Bottle-Tumbler-Cup-Cook-Pot/
ALUMINUM BOTTLE LIGHTWEIGHT ALCOHOL STOVE
http://www.instructables.com/id/Aluminum-Bottle-Alcohol-Stove/
will recognize the water canteen shown below as a re-purposed aluminum beer bottle. Here, I have added a painted surface treatment to turn it into a proper looking water bottle. More on that in steps 13, 14, 15.
 
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Step 1: Getting Started

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Cord size is important. Select a small medium weight cord like the one shown here. It is a general purpose camp cord sold at most sporting goods stores. (shoelaces might also work)

Do not use a heavy cord or rope because the larger diameter will not tuck under the relatively small lip at the top of the bottleneck and the bottle will fall out.

Also, the smaller cord cinches tight on itself and will not loosen accidentally.
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TheGeek1984 says: Apr 21, 2013. 9:17 PM
I had the same reaction as bmelton1, to be honest, this is the first paracord instructable I've ever tried, and it came out perfect. Now I've got a water bottle to attach to my camp/survival pack.
paracorded_inspirations says: Apr 10, 2013. 9:43 AM
It looks like its just a Turks head with a loop in one end
Mr.1911 says: Jun 11, 2012. 12:04 PM
I commend you on the clear, easy-to-follow, precise instructions. The idea of marking the bights made this a very simple knot to tie. If there were any ratings that went above 5, no matter how much, I would give them to you. Keep up the great work. To sum up what I've written, EXCELLENT JOB!!!!!
bmelton1 says: Nov 13, 2011. 4:45 PM
I actually laughed when I started tightening mine. Not because it was funny but in disbelief that I did it right!
nutsandbolts_64 says: Nov 6, 2011. 8:24 PM
Tip: put up a video, it makes everything easier than it already is ;)
CaseBoy says: Sep 29, 2011. 2:37 PM
can this be removed without uniting the knot
hpstoutharrow (author) says: Sep 29, 2011. 5:06 PM
Yes, the knot can be loosened without untying it.
JMRaphael says: Aug 18, 2011. 6:35 PM
I've been to about a half-dozen other sources and is this is the first one that explained the knot in a clear, easy-to-follow fashion. Most sources fail around the point where you begin crossing loops over, but you did an excellent job of explaining those steps. Kudos to you; keep up the good work.
MSCRCEI7 says: Aug 15, 2011. 9:10 PM
I liked the color coded tape to help explain. Kudos.
wibown says: Feb 26, 2011. 6:37 AM
Thank you so much. Your directions are VERY clear and easy to follow. I really enjoyed learning how to tie this knot.
Covo says: Sep 24, 2009. 12:07 PM
I grew up calling this knot the Anga-gah-sec-agnute (sp?)...not sure if my Grandfather made the name up or it was the scandinavian name. He also said that the vikings would use this to tie a line to their "spirits" and other beverages, then throw them overboard to keep them cold. Anyone ever hear this or was I the victim of childhood gullibility? I currently use it on my key chain.
geoslim13 says: Jan 31, 2011. 5:49 AM
was he a sailor, because this knot was most common on sail boats and sailors make words like that up.
ybunnygurl says: Jan 24, 2011. 12:47 AM
I don't know the name but I have heard this story too, when I learned how to make almost the same knot... this is easier then the way I was tough so I'm using this one now.
WayfinderAli says: Sep 20, 2010. 5:53 PM
I haven't heard of this, but, if Vikings kept their water/spirits in glass or ceramic bottles it would be VERY possible that they did this. I'm not sure if it would work using some sort of container made from an animal bladder. I do this (this being hang my water bottle over board) when I'm out on an expedition kayaking trip. I lead 5 day kayaking trips along the North Carolina outer banks. To keep it cool I'll often use a carabiner to lash it to my deck rigging and drag it with me. The sound isn't that much cooler than the air, but if I store my water in my cockpit with me, it still gets warmer than the water in the sound. On the deck of the kayak it'll get as hot as bath water. Out on the ocean, where the Vikings would have been sailing, the ocean water would be pretty cold even on hot days and would keep tasty beverages pretty cool.
stormy0314 says: Jun 11, 2012. 9:53 AM
Oft times, in days of yore, containers made of animal bladders were covered with a natural waterproofing material such as insect shellac or some sort of tree sap or gum. This kept bottles from leaking. It didn't keep them from aquiering,(sp), an off taste. The coating also made them hard and they could be hung with out distorting.
jarofol says: Jan 16, 2011. 9:24 AM
I must commend you on this instructable on what now seems such a simple not to tie, NEVER have i seen such clear and easy to understand instructions on any knot before.
WayfinderAli says: Sep 20, 2010. 6:54 PM
I love the cork stopper. How did you cut a hole in the synthetic cork so that it looks so nice and clean? I was thinking about drilling a hole but that seems like it would look ragged. Also, where did you find a cork that was plain white? All the synthetic corks I see from wine bottles have something printed on them like grapes or something.
hpstoutharrow (author) says: Sep 22, 2010. 4:43 PM
The cork does have printing, just not on the side shown. At the risk of plugging a product...Barefoot Wines has a cork with a footprint on it. (Very appropriate for a hiker's water bottle.)

As far as the hole in the cork, a drill works nicely. The cork has a tendency to close-up when the bit is removed so use one larger than you would think.
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Kryptonite says: Oct 3, 2009. 10:47 PM
Hey great Instructable, I got a new bottle from an expo that I went to on the weekend and it was great for holding it. Do you think you could post an Instructable about different trussing techniques? Any way, thanks. Favourited, and here are some pictures.
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mysss says: Jun 29, 2010. 5:34 PM
Indeed. I haven't seen anything like that, even though I was already familiar with this knot!
Kryptonite says: Jul 11, 2010. 8:56 PM
Yeah it looks awesome.
golfer12345 says: Jun 14, 2010. 6:55 PM
guess what i just figured out you can use a neck lanyard and it makes a great handle. the second picture is the clasp on my neck lanyard
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hpstoutharrow (author) says: Jun 15, 2010. 7:07 PM
Excellent
skaterqwertyuiop says: Jun 5, 2010. 7:33 PM
I always carry my load-bearing Carabiner with me (on my beltloop). If I flip it so the skinny side is down, I can insert a bottle and slide it down, it locks in place because it is a perfect fit. That's how I carry my water bottles with me :P
tulekah says: Jan 16, 2010. 2:04 PM
i've been using jug-slings for years (ashley) but it never occured to me to string a cork on the loop.  brilliant!
VikkiHowells01 says: Nov 23, 2009. 1:07 PM
Great instructable - thanks!

There is a REALLY neat way of tying a jug knot. Take a look at the link below. Don't worry about the dialoge - actions speak louder than words.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqdKyhY9X30&feature=related
spacedog73 says: Nov 10, 2009. 3:29 PM
I just did one of these for a bluegrass fest I just went to.  I didn't have an aluminum bottle so I used an big old Chimay bottle and a natural cork.  Very cool.  I cut up some old can coozies to keep the bottle cold and protected. 
scottm_113 says: Oct 28, 2009. 9:04 PM
This has got to be one of the BEST Instructables that I've seen yet. It's a simple project and Very well laid out...and Useful too! I tip my hat to you!
static says: Oct 17, 2009. 4:29 AM
 Great instructable with a useful skill to learn. Thanks  for posting.
t-b0ne says: Oct 16, 2009. 11:50 PM
i made an awesome water bottle thanks to you!  i got a sweet half liter glass bottle from the army surplus store (the type made for corks), and managed to secure a champagne cork on the knot!  thanks a lot, i have the coolest water bottle ever :)  <3
gHjM3W5T20YCS4e30 says: Sep 27, 2009. 4:16 AM
more photos of this version this is perfect for 550 paracord
rtadlock says: Sep 27, 2009. 8:10 AM
Here is the complete set of pictures I took. It includes close ups of all the knots - <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rtadlock/tags/jugknot/show/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/rtadlock/tags/jugknot/show/</a><br/>
rtadlock says: Sep 26, 2009. 3:56 PM
Awesome instructable and thanks for reminding me I like to tie knots. Here is my finished product (complete with a few more knots): http://www.flickr.com/photos/rtadlock/3957170956/
seaworthy says: Sep 25, 2009. 11:18 AM
Approximately how long a cord should I start out with to get a result like that shown in Step 1? Thanks.
hpstoutharrow (author) says: Sep 25, 2009. 7:33 PM
The cord length shown in the photo in step 1 is 36 inches.
kleinschmidt says: Sep 25, 2009. 5:17 AM
Very nicely done. Two things though: 1. For a first timer, it would be helpful to know how long a piece of cord to use. You say to put the bight in the middle of the cord, but a 24" cord or a 24' cord? 2. It would be nice if the first picture had some size reference. A pencil or a hand or something. The mat and the arrows make it very clear what steps, but they do not give much sense of scale. Thanks for a great set of directions!
hpstoutharrow (author) says: Sep 25, 2009. 7:32 PM
24 inches for a Water Bottle......24 feet for a Water Tower It all depends on what you are tying around :)

If you look closely in step 9 you can see my assistant helping with cord he may help with the scale...or k not.
angelmi says: Sep 25, 2009. 4:12 PM
Well done. Your use of graphics and color was very helpful. I was making the knot in no time. Thanks.
aphesia says: Sep 25, 2009. 2:33 PM
great instructable. and it focuses on the repurposing of otherwise useless refuse. 54 points!
Mother Natures Son says: Sep 25, 2009. 1:48 PM
This is killer. I'd love to know how you did the one in the last step, but I imagine that'd be kind of in-depth.
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