New reason to take the dog along - Cordage!!!

A

Arma Moluta

Joined
Sep 12, 2001
Messages
15
As if I needed another reason to take my long-hair Akita with me into the wild, I just mannaged to make some pretty strong cordage from the undercoat she always seems to be blowing. Cordage is one of those essentials that I have always felt somewhat unequipped to improvise, so this discovery is really welcome.

The method was pretty straightforward:

1) Pet/scratch dog, acculmulating fur
2) Twist small portion as tightly as possible
3) as you run out of fur, simply blend in another bit

Its not exactly 550, and I haven't figured out how to make a multi-strand rope yet, but I have an almost endless supply, and the pooch certainly likes the attention!

Whoda thunk!? A 100 lb. rope factory!!!
 
auh, yeah, er-right..I take my girl friend fishin all the time, cause shes' got worms..
 
Dog talking this time. Cairns don't shed so no cordage here, and as for those other funny replies, we may have you for dinner.:D Not!A little to salty for our taste normaly.

Did anyone ever see the movie: A Boy and His Dog. 1976 with a young Don Johnson who with his dog wandered the post apocolyptic wasteland.

The ending explains it all and yes, that's how we got our screen name. :)

ph1.jpg
 
What, no recipes for "Wok the dog"? ;) Since staying warm is a more immediate need than food in a (shor-term) survival situation, she's probably pretty safe. (Not to mention, my wife says my longevity would be in SERIOUS jeopardy if I were to return without her!) :rolleyes:

Back to cordage, if I can. The single-strand cord that I made is pretty strong, but has a tendancy to untwist, losing all of its strength, unless used right away. Also, I haven't tested it yet to see how it stands up to moisture and such. Does anybody know how I could make a multiple strand rope (or, more accurately, yarn)? I guess I could braid 3 strands, but I don't know how strong that would be.

If this turns out to be viable, it seems that any fur-bearing critter in the woods would be a potential source of cordage. Of course, they may need some "persuading" before you can harvest the fur.

P.S. If any of you are curious what the Akita looks like, take a look at the dogs accompanying Doc Ron in his first couple of videos.
 
I remember seeing, many years ago on some "light" news program, a segment about a woman who was using dog fur to spin into yarn. She then knit sweaters out of it. I recall she touted the superior strength and warmth of dog fur yarn, but she did recommend you not wear the sweaters in the rain because of the "diSTINCtive aroma" :barf:

I am no textiles expert, but I would bet that, if you were to use a pet brush on your dog to harvest the hairs instead of your fingers, you would not only get more fibers, but would also, in effect, "card" them. The collecting brush, when full, could be combed with another brush (or a comb) to align the fibers for ease of twisting (or spinning) into a yarn. If you really wanted to get into it, I'm sure most craft stores would have information about primitive spinning techniques. Perhaps you could ultimately improvise a spinning wheel and then a full sized loom in the wild and make your own clothing.

If you try it, let us know how it turns out. I think there is real potential for this skill in the wild. :cool:
 
MacHete,

I used to have a Great Pyrenese, and heard that people spun yarn from their fur. From the texture of Tasha's undercoat, I'm sure that it would work as well. Now if I can just figure out how to fit a spinning wheel in my mini-kit. :D

I'll try harvesting fur from the brush, and see if that significantly alters the finished string.
 
To make multi-strand rope:
take a piece of one strand twisted, twice as long as the segment you want to make. twist is some more. If you do it right, you should be able to pull the center of the rope to the side (in your teeth, or have someone else do it), and it will form a kink. let go of the kink, and keep twisting the ends. it should form a double twist rope. experiment with something easy, like string, before you try it with dog hair. You can take two of these double strand ropes and make a quad strand rope, then an 8 strander, etc.
 
I don't know if I'll be able to describe this so it makes sense. John & Jeri MacPherson make it crystal clear with just a few sentences in "Naked Into the Wilderness." Here goes:

You've got the first part down already. You just have to make two of the strands. We'll call them strand 'A' and strand 'B' for clarity. Let's say you're twisting the hairs clockwise to make the strands. The secret is to wind strands 'A' and 'B' together counter-clockwise. IOW, you give strand 'A' a few clockwise twists and wrap it counter-clockwise over strand 'B'. Twist 'B' clockwise and wrap it counter-clockwise over 'A'. Lather, rinse, repeat. Voila. Cordage that doesn't unwind.

Lemme know if I :confused: the hell out of you.
 
I have used the method that Powderburn describes. I've made string/twine/rope from dry grass, cattails, tules, wild iris, yucca, and a myriad of other materials.

However, using a soft fiber like dog hair I would suggest you learn to make a drop-spindle and use how to make it. One can be improvised in a primitive environment, and it would allow you to make long strands of yarn. The yarn, in turn, could be twisted more tightly and counter-wrapped as in Powderhorn's example to make a stronger cord, or you could use the loosely twisted yarn for other projects like weaving.

Consider other uses of your dog's hair, too. In freezing weather you can stuff it down inside your shirt, or stuff your shoes with it to protect yourself from hypothermia and frostbite. You can make a makeshift pillow (if you really want the comfort) by stuffing any unused piece of clothing with it.

BTW, I read that in Alaska it is becoming quite vogue with mushers to have sweaters made from their dogs' hair. It reinforces the bond between man and beast and gives the owners a satisfaction and pride in their animals.

Good topic! Keep it coming!
 
Not only do the Alaskan mushers form a bond with their dogs, they smell like them too!:eek: :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top