Sorry this may offend the paracord lovers out theres. Oh well. :yawn:
I dont like paracord. Plain and simple. It is too thin, hurts my hands when hauling up the bear bag into a high limb, the knots are hard to get undo, impossible with cold numbed hands, the outer sheath abrades easily and it does not handle heat well under load (arching over a branch, with a load like a pack or bear bag). It is useless :thumbdn: for rescue, and i would not use it for rescue even its that all i had. Some people say you can remove the core for fishing line. yes you can. Whens the last time any of us were so bad off we needed to rig makeshift fishing lines from paracord?
Nope, its rare i use paracord.
I prefer a 4 mm STATIC KERNMANTLE rope. STATIC ropes have less than 2% stretch and have a BRAIDED SHEATH and CORE (kernmantle). The load is supported 95% by the CORE, and 5% by the SHEATH . The SHEATH is there to protect the CORE from abrasion and cuts, its like armour. The 4mm size is perfect for most hiking/camp tasks and (WITH CARE) can be used as a rescue line (NOT for overhead lifting of live loads though!). It is a perfect size for use as a tag line for hauling a lifeline up a cliff or over a stout limb.
STATIC KERNMANTLE lines are mostly nylon/ polyester construction. The sheaths are (not always) made of polyester, which is very abrasion resistant and somewhat heat resistant (this is not your dads 70's polyester
). There are other materials used in static ropes, but they are for very specialized uses and are too expensive for woods use.
A 4MM static line will have a load rating of 320KGs (700LBS) (average industry standard). It is easier to handle than paracord, and knots are easier to untie. The rope does not go "flat" under load, rather it stays nice and round. It has a solid round feel to it, yet once used a few times becomes butter soft in the hand. A 50 foot length packs down very small into a pocket or pack. Thanks to solution dying, one can get hi viz colors, mixed colors, plain ol black etc.
4MM static line
So now we have a hard wearing, strong light line - whats next? well we can add two carabiners to our line, makes it easy to rig up tensioned tarp ridge lines or to clip several packs to when storing them out of Bruins reach.
We can also add a couple of "MICRO" rescue pulleys, like the CMI single or the CMI double
these micro pulleys are rescue rated and have a load rating of 5000 - 7000lbs MAX, and can be rigged by the hiker in a mechanical advantage system. Perhaps there is a log you would like to move by yourself for a shelter, or perhaps a raise a log up for a deadfall. Maybe your ATV is stuck. A mechanical advantage system ( wether a Z rig or a 2x4 sheave block and tackle or other setups) is a valuable thing to have in the woods. A simple block and tackle setup a person can move large heavy objects by hand, with LITTLE physical exertion. Perhaps your arm is broken, you can still move heavy objects with one hand, depending on the setup you choose.
A few bits of gear like this take up very little room in a pack, are very lightweight and can be utilized in many ways. :thumbup:
somehow plain ol paracord has lost its appeal by now.
i'll get some pics up of my little kit by tonight, need the GF's cam....and i'll definitely get some action pics next BC Crew hike of the gear in action.
I dont like paracord. Plain and simple. It is too thin, hurts my hands when hauling up the bear bag into a high limb, the knots are hard to get undo, impossible with cold numbed hands, the outer sheath abrades easily and it does not handle heat well under load (arching over a branch, with a load like a pack or bear bag). It is useless :thumbdn: for rescue, and i would not use it for rescue even its that all i had. Some people say you can remove the core for fishing line. yes you can. Whens the last time any of us were so bad off we needed to rig makeshift fishing lines from paracord?
Nope, its rare i use paracord.
I prefer a 4 mm STATIC KERNMANTLE rope. STATIC ropes have less than 2% stretch and have a BRAIDED SHEATH and CORE (kernmantle). The load is supported 95% by the CORE, and 5% by the SHEATH . The SHEATH is there to protect the CORE from abrasion and cuts, its like armour. The 4mm size is perfect for most hiking/camp tasks and (WITH CARE) can be used as a rescue line (NOT for overhead lifting of live loads though!). It is a perfect size for use as a tag line for hauling a lifeline up a cliff or over a stout limb.
STATIC KERNMANTLE lines are mostly nylon/ polyester construction. The sheaths are (not always) made of polyester, which is very abrasion resistant and somewhat heat resistant (this is not your dads 70's polyester
). There are other materials used in static ropes, but they are for very specialized uses and are too expensive for woods use. A 4MM static line will have a load rating of 320KGs (700LBS) (average industry standard). It is easier to handle than paracord, and knots are easier to untie. The rope does not go "flat" under load, rather it stays nice and round. It has a solid round feel to it, yet once used a few times becomes butter soft in the hand. A 50 foot length packs down very small into a pocket or pack. Thanks to solution dying, one can get hi viz colors, mixed colors, plain ol black etc.
4MM static line
So now we have a hard wearing, strong light line - whats next? well we can add two carabiners to our line, makes it easy to rig up tensioned tarp ridge lines or to clip several packs to when storing them out of Bruins reach.
We can also add a couple of "MICRO" rescue pulleys, like the CMI single or the CMI double
these micro pulleys are rescue rated and have a load rating of 5000 - 7000lbs MAX, and can be rigged by the hiker in a mechanical advantage system. Perhaps there is a log you would like to move by yourself for a shelter, or perhaps a raise a log up for a deadfall. Maybe your ATV is stuck. A mechanical advantage system ( wether a Z rig or a 2x4 sheave block and tackle or other setups) is a valuable thing to have in the woods. A simple block and tackle setup a person can move large heavy objects by hand, with LITTLE physical exertion. Perhaps your arm is broken, you can still move heavy objects with one hand, depending on the setup you choose.
A few bits of gear like this take up very little room in a pack, are very lightweight and can be utilized in many ways. :thumbup:
somehow plain ol paracord has lost its appeal by now.
i'll get some pics up of my little kit by tonight, need the GF's cam....and i'll definitely get some action pics next BC Crew hike of the gear in action.
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