Double Figure-Eight Loop
Also known as: Bunny Ears Figure-Eight
loop knot
Life-safety notice
TyingPoint's illustrations are for learning. For any life-safety use — climbing, rope access, rescue, or load-bearing rigging — seek qualified in-person instruction, and always inspect and test every knot before you trust your weight (or anyone else's) to it.
Climbers building a two-bolt anchor without a separate cordelette or sling often reach for the double figure-eight loop, sometimes called the bunny-ears figure-eight for the two loops it produces side by side. It's tied from a bight the same way a single figure-eight loop is, except the folded end is pulled open into two separate loops instead of a single one - each can then be clipped to its own bolt or anchor point directly from the rope itself.
The knot's real advantage over rigging a separate equalizing sling is speed and simplicity: no extra hardware, just the climbing rope itself folded into two independently sized loops. Because the two ears don't have to match, a climber can size them to reach anchor points set at different distances, something a fixed-length sling can't easily do without extending one leg.
The tradeoff is that, unlike a true self-equalizing system, the two loops don't automatically redistribute load if one anchor point were to shift or fail - each ear simply carries whatever share of load its geometry gives it at the moment it's dressed and loaded. This is a well-understood, taught limitation, not a hidden defect: anchor-building courses specifically cover how to size the ears so neither anchor point is badly overloaded relative to the other.
It shares the standard figure-eight loop's general behavior under fall loading - it tightens rather than capsizes, and can be genuinely difficult to untie after a hard fall, the same trade climbers accept with the single-loop version in exchange for not having the knot loosen unexpectedly. Because it's tied directly from the lead or rappel rope with no separate hardware, it's also a common choice for building a quick top-rope anchor from two trees or bolts when weight matters and carrying a dedicated cordelette isn't practical.
How to tie the Double Figure-Eight Loop
Fold the rope into a bight and tie a standard figure-eight shape treating the doubled bight as one working end.
Strength & security
Approx. strength retained: 70-75%
Its two loops - the 'bunny ears' - can be tied to different sizes and clipped independently to two separate anchor points, letting a climber equalize a load across two bolts or cracks from one knot without needing a separate sling or cordelette.
Cautions: The two ears are not automatically equal in size and don't self-adjust once tied, unlike a true equalizing sling - if the anchor points are at very different distances, one ear may end up bearing more of the load than intended.
Alternatives
- Figure-Eight Loop
The single-loop original; use it whenever only one anchor point, not two, needs a tie-in loop.
FAQ
Do the two loops of a double figure-eight have to be the same size?
No - that's one of its main advantages. They can be sized independently to reach anchor points at different distances.
Does the double figure-eight self-equalize like a sliding-X sling?
No. Once tied and loaded, each loop carries whatever share of the load its fixed geometry gives it; it doesn't redistribute automatically if one anchor point shifts.
Is it hard to untie after a fall, like a regular figure-eight loop?
Yes, for the same reason - the knot tightens under shock-loading rather than capsizing, which is good for security but means it can cinch down hard and take real work to open again afterward.
How much extra rope does tying the second ear use up?
Roughly the same length as adding a second, separate figure-eight loop would - climbers building an anchor need to budget slightly more working rope than a single-loop figure-eight requires, which matters when rope length is already tight near the end of a pitch.
Can the double figure-eight be tied one-handed in an emergency?
It's harder than the single-loop version since sizing two separate ears by feel takes more coordination, but it's still a learnable field skill - most anchor-building courses have students practice it repeatedly until sizing the two ears becomes reasonably intuitive.
Can a third ear be added if a three-bolt anchor is needed?
Not cleanly with this same knot - beyond two loops, most riggers switch to a cordelette or separate sling system rather than trying to fold a third ear out of the same figure-eight, since the geometry doesn't extend as neatly past two loops.