550 Paracord alternatives

RokJok

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Some folks have posted suggestions for using 3mm (1/8") braided nylon cord as cordage in their kits as an alternative to 550 paracord. Anyone have other cordage they recommend?

I bumped into this one while working on a fence project for a friend:

MASON'S LINE - It's a small diameter (1/16"), hard finished, twisted nylon line that has AMAZING tensile strength. It is used (stretched very tightly between stakes) to set lines for walls or to hang a string level on it to insure that your wall/fencetop is level. Mason's line comes usually in yellow, hot pink, orange, or other bright colors so that jobsite workers will see it and won't trip over it. It is available quite cheaply at your local home center, hardware store, or contractor's supply house. I got about a 100 yard spool for a few dollars. It knots very tightly. It packs MUCH smaller per linear foot than paracord, so would make a nice addition to the paracord to use for shelter building where you can burn through 50 ft or more of cordage, depending on the type of shelter built.

Warning!! - Be careful tightening knots in this stuff because it can cut you. The small diameter and hard finish make it possible to cut your fingers badly by concentrating the applied pressure to a very small area & bursting through your skin. You can avoid this danger by using a little piece of dowel/stick to wrap the mason's line around before pulling that hard on the line (i.e. set up the stick like the handle on a lawnmower pull cord).
 
Second that. it come's in two flavor's twisted and braided.I keep a 12 foot section bundled up and available in my pocket come's in handy many time's.
 
I use a sheathed nylon line that is only 3/32" diameter. Not as thin as the mason's line you describe, but still considerably narrower than paracord, and more than adequate for shelter building, etc. Furthermore, it won't cut you when you pull on it. I can fit almost 300 feet of it in the same sized package as about 100 feet of 550 style cord.
 
Hmm . . . My father-in-law has got some heavy Kevlar thread--about as thick as kite string--left over from when he was researching fiber reinforced dental composites. I think I'll do some experiments on my next camping trip.
 
Might think about trotline string, try local fishing shops or Wal-Mart,800 ft or so to a roll 3or4 dollars really good tensile strenght,knots really well.
 
Check out the new braided "super" fishing lines. I really like 550 cord, for a number of reasons, but if you are looking for a replacement, that would be a lightweight way to go.

Stryver
 
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