Knots

That doesn't meet the second requirement.

Trucker's Hitch. Plenty of examples on youtube

Doesn't do his second requirement.

The trucker's hitch works much better.

Round turn and two half hitches.

This site is pretty good :

I think with knots, its the order of things that matter, IE over or under and which end or loop. I had terrible problems with lace up shoes and even ties when I was younger, now I don't wear either. I'd obviously be no good as a kidnapper then. Brian

Yes but which is which loop? When I do that it just forms two loops and falls off.

Brian

In the end with guy ropes I found some natty little spring things inside a cylinder that worked as you mention, but in order to undo them you needed to pull on the middle sprung part to release the rope I'm sure there is a name for these tighteners, but I don't know what it is. Brian

Looking at the trucker's hitch, linked elsewhere in this thread, that i what I am describing. I just didn't know it had a name.

Exactly the problem with a verbal/text description. The person describing the process invariably leaves out some vital detail, either through neglect, or in the belief that it's self-evident (it usually isn't!) I also have difficulties with pictograms for the same reason. The best way is watch someone demonstrate it in a video clip and slow it down if necessary. I appreciate that's not an option for you, though.

No ratchet action.

Look up noose, that is a resistance slip knot.

Doesnt satisfy Doom's second requirement either.

Doesn't do the trucker's hitch properly. Maybe it calls it something different.

Weird.

Me neither. The tie must be around somewhere, dunno if I can still fie it, presumably given that I used to have to do it daily at the last school.

They use zip ties and duct tape now apparantly.

Even you blind should be able to manage that if you have your seeing eye dog with you.

I never have any trouble with it, but that's because I can see when its done right.

And it never falls off if not done right, just doesn't cinch up.

You never said how to do the loop. The common way that is done which isnt the trucker's hitch is to just do a loop without using any free end and that has the problem with not quickly and easily undoing the loop once you want to return the rope to a single free run of rope with no knots in it.

That still doesn't satisfy his original second requirement.

The trucker's hitch does. Tho there is a lot of variation in how the loop that acts as the top pully is done.