[dimview]

Kalmyk loop is exploding - pull to untie. Bowline is not.

Bowline requires stopper knots when used on on modern ropes, otherwise it can slip. I've never seen kalmyk loop slip.

Both are simple and can be tied around things.

[mattiss]

I would never trust an exploding knot while rock climbing.

[dimview]

Eskimo bowline is non-exploding, nevertheless I wouldn't use bowline (or eskimo bowline) while rock climbing without somehow securing the working end.

Kalmyk loop (which is exploding variant of eskimo bowline) is probably not secure enough for rock climbing, but better than bowline for other tasks. Less likely to spill and easier to untie.

[yan]

In climbing, a great property to have is to be able to identify if a knot is tied correctly by just glancing at it. Figure-8 is obvious. A double bowline is fairly easy. Not so sure about other knots...