Paracord - is it worth it?

bladefixation2

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I'm working on putting together a small BOB for work use and have been looking at different kinds of cord to put in there. Paracord is very popular (I have some myself) but I'm wondering is it the best choice? Its quite strong, too strong for most general purpose uses (ie general tying things together) and not strong enough to hold a persons weight, yet its still quite bulky. Im wondering if some 1mm or 2mm cord/ twine and then some 5mm or 6mm rope would be better, the small stuff for general purpose tying (smaller size means more cord in the same space/ weight) and the 5mm or 6mm for heavy duty tying and to hold bodyweight in an emergency
 
I have thought about its strength too and choose to buy both 550 & 3mm utility cord from Brigade Quatermasters.

The reason for this was after a hike with a pal last summer. I was in horrible shape (still am but working on it) and after what felt like a Mt. Everest like climb I was in no mood to walk another couple of hours down to our secret camping spot. There was a shortcut, down the mountian on a load of gravel and loose rocks. There were plenty of trees about and we could have self rescued/belayed ourselves out of the situ if we had enough cord. Traditional rope would have been impossible to carry but I was convinced that Paracord or utility cord would hold you in an emergency.

When I received it I decided to do a couple of tests. FYI I weigh about 105KG or around 235 Pounds at this time.

This was Paracord but the utility cord worked just as well.

PC-knot.jpg


CC-hang.jpg
 
So 2 strands of paracord held your weight OK?

If you were belaying off of it there would be a lot more strain on the cord than just your bodyweight.
 
Thats a single strand (You can see the end is tied off in a safety), Paracord has some bounce and stretch to it, the utility cord does not.

My belayidea was not a true belay (Although I think if the carabiner used as a belay device would not cut into the cord enough to damage it. There is a knot you can tie to improvise a ATC or other belay device. This is nice as it runs over a thick'ish carabiner and will not damage the sheath or cause a possibility of shear), only to walk backwards down a slippery slope with the cord offering slip safety. We both fell over a number of times and it could have been nasty a couple of them as twisting knees and ankles was a real possibility. After this test I was impressed with it and now carry 100' whenever I hike.
 
The Last Confederate said:
I thought milspec paracord had a weight load of something like 350lbs.?

I thought it was 550 lbs. (Hence the name 550 paracord). But i might be wrong.

Will
 
bladefixation2 said:
I'm working on putting together a small BOB for work use and have been looking at different kinds of cord to put in there. Paracord is very popular (I have some myself) but I'm wondering is it the best choice? Its quite strong, too strong for most general purpose uses (ie general tying things together) and not strong enough to hold a persons weight, yet its still quite bulky. Im wondering if some 1mm or 2mm cord/ twine and then some 5mm or 6mm rope would be better, the small stuff for general purpose tying (smaller size means more cord in the same space/ weight) and the 5mm or 6mm for heavy duty tying and to hold bodyweight in an emergency

I put 2mm accessory cord in my PSK because becuse it is thinner and I can carry more. I have never needed more than simple twine for campcraft things. The 2mm cord it stronger and better than the twine and not a lot thicker so I chose it for survival purposes. It can always be doubled up if needed.

I do think paracord has it's advantages, in general, becuase it can be taken apart. There are 7 strands under the sheath, and each of those strands can even the taken apart if you thread for something. I use paracord as lanyards for lots of my gear so I always have a few lengths of it on hand.

Will
 
I've top rope jawed a small three foot alligator with it when we had nothing else. He didn't chew through it like I though he might, I got lucky. We were easly able to hold his mouth shut with just one loop, but you can use electrical tape and that would hold, so that doesn't say much. (it doesn't take much to hold the mouth shut). He did put up a huge fight, but I doubt at any point he exerted 550lbs of pressure. He was about 60 lbs.

I have some in my jeep at all times. I love the stuff, mostly because if I needed the twine inside, I could easily gut it and still have a pretty strong "sleeve" (webbing?) and use the small twine for things such as arrow heads, or even fishing string.
 
As most here know, a couple of rolls of nylon dental floss weighs virtually zip and is good for lashing together shelters (and other "stuff").

That leaves the 550 cord for heavier tasks, like "bear bags" and pitching tarps.

A couple of times when I thought there was a pretty good chance of a need to belay, I took some 7mm km.
 
I didn't think of the dental floss.....good deal good deal. I wonder, has anyone used the nylon craft bead string before? it comes in an easy dispensable spool
 
commandojoe said:
I didn't think of the dental floss.....good deal good deal. I wonder, has anyone used the nylon craft bead string before? it comes in an easy dispensable spool

I've used it and it is pretty strong, not sure what the weight load is, but it's hard to break it.
 
Paracord is rated for 550lbs, but tying a knot in it or basically using it for any task cuts the rating down almost in half. It isn't suitable for climbing or repelling, though people have used it for such. (I wouldn't risk it though)

However, it is great for general tasks as it can be seperated into the outer sheath, which is strong enough for lashing and such, and the 7 inner strands can be used for tasks where a thinner line would suffice. I carry a good 50' or so for general use.

If you want something stronger than dental floss go down to your local walmart and pick up some braided spiderwire. There is one type that is very close to thick sewing thread in size and how it ties, yet it is rated for 60lbs. I carry that too since it is small enough for sewing, yet strong enough for lashing, and 200' of it takes up little room.
 
Thomas Linton said:
Stronger than dental floss is nylon chalk line cord. Available in bright colors.

I was also considering green nylon garden twine, which i think is similar.

It would be interesting to know the breaking strain of dental floss, I may test it out.
 
Dental floss, United States Patent 5209251

A dental floss is produced from expanded polytetrafluoroethylene that has been coated with a friction enhancing coating such as a microcrystalline wax to increase the friction coefficient of the floss. The polytetrafluoroethylene is preferably expanded to form a structure having a plurality of nodes interconnected by fibrils. The floss has a tensile strength of at least about 10,000 psi and a weight of about 500 denier to about 1500 denier. The coefficient of friction of the wax coated floss ranges from about 0.08 to 0.25. The floss may be comprised of a single strand or multiple strands. The floss may contain an optional dentifrice or pharmaceutically active material for delivery to the tooth and gum surfaces during use.

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/5209251.html

You really can find everything online! :D Not sure I'd want to hook dental floss up to a carbinger but sounds like it's make good lashing material.

On a different note: if you want to carry just "some" paracord with you, make sure you get the 5- or 7-strand and use it for boot laces with an extra 24-inches +. Just use the excess length wrapped around your ankles. You can use the inner strands to make netting or use as fishing lines, etc.

Suzanne Settle
Owner
Bear Mountain Tomahawks
http://www.bmtomahawks.com
 
Amazing, so the waxy finish actually increases the friction of the floss. I always thought it made it more slippery. Maybe thats just me being dumb! PTFE is very slippery I suppose
 
Paracord is great general use stuff, I second the bootlace method of carry described above.
I would not trust it with full body weight, however. A kink or a badly tied knot will dramatically reduce the breaking strain limit.

For small tasks, dental floss takes up no room and is very strong for its thickness.
 
In my main BOB, I keep 100' of shroud line and my other gear packs have 50'. I wouldn't leave home without 20' in my pocket. But, I also carry untreated Jute twine in my gear. A few bucks is all it costs and it's pretty darned strong for shelter and other uses, not to mention that it makes a pretty fair firestarting material.
 
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