paracord ?

R

rodloos

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Aug 27, 2009
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I'm sitting here wondering about the paracord that came with my Izula kit.

What exactly is paracord? Sounds like cords used for parachutes?

Why is it so popular to survival kits, wrapping knife handles, etc. Is it *stronger* than nylon rope of similar diameter? It feels strong, but I don't know that I could trust my (substantial) weight to it.

It feels like it has less stretch than nylon rope. What other properties make it so popular here -- as opposed to typical outdoors stores or REI, where they have nylon rope and ropes designed for mountain climbing, but I didn't see any paracord?

Just wondering...
 
Paracord is parachute cord or 550 cord. And the reason it is called 550 cord is because it has a tensile strength of 550 lbs. Paracord has a sheath and 7 inner strings. The inner strings are actually 2 strands braided together. Because of this you have many options with paracord. If you only have 10 ft. of paracord you can actually strip it down and have around 150 ft. of cordage if completely broken down. Sense the sheath is rated at 300 lbs. it still has quite a bit of strength. The 7 inner strands are rated at 35 lbs. and if unbraided the smaller strands are at 17.5 lbs. The smaller strands can be used as fishing line, for snares, or structure building.

I am pretty sure there is more to it, but that is what I know of it.
 
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I'm no expert but here's why I think paracord is so popular ...

Most paracord is 550 paracord (in other words, it has 550 lbs test). It's very lightweight, does not rot or stretch when in contact with water, comes in a multitude of colors and is easy to work with.

Here's what Wiki has to say about it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paracord
 
They've got you sorted pretty much.

I like that it is nice and smooth on the outside.

It makes really nice boot laces. (Though they don't hold a knot that well after a while.)

You can use it normally, or gut the strands and just use the outer casing. (Like to cord wrap a knife handle)

Use a lighter to keep the ends from fraying.

It is nice and slim for it's strength.
 
rodloos said:
It feels strong, but I don't know that I could trust my (substantial) weight to it.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't trust a single instance of paracord with my weight unless I was up the proverbial creek with no paddle. Multiple instances, as seen on parachutes, wouldn't be a problem. :)
 
its fairly cheap and avalible too..... also mil over runs etc , not to metion all the accesorys for it....

but no i wouldnt repel with it or use it a safety line.... but if your building a small shelter , making lashings etc... it doesnt have to hold a whole lot.... i cant remeber but i dont think its rated for 550 dynamic... its been a while sence i was into ropes....
 
Paracord is easily purchased, fairly cheap, takes up relatively little storage space, and is very versatile. The decent weight rating means that just about any lashing job can be taken care of. I keep several packs of it in my Jeep as well as my various bags. I have used it for everything from boot laces to tying 2X12 boards to the top of my Jeep to securing a damaged front bumper on a Nissan for transport.

Like someone else said, it's basically the duct tape of the rope world.
 
I just read the wiki article and it is spot on. It is inexpensive, rotproof, has a very strong tensile strength (550 pounds obviously) and the individual core strands can be used for sewing, fishing line, traps and snares, fishing nets, stitches (God forbid), an oil/alcohol/fat lamp wick or anything you can come up with for use of a high test string. The sheath or ungutted parachord is good for making tools in the field like improvised hammers etc, and wrapping handles for tools with damaged ones.
 
shoelaces and bowdrills are another use. Yes we can recommend places to buy it and yes it is cheapest buying it by the 1000 foot roll ;)
 
1000 footers(and more sizes): http://store.nexternal.com/shared/StoreFront/product_detail.asp?CS=armynavy&RowID=155&All=

100 foot hanks: http://www.knivesshipfree.com/Paracord

Sterling accessory cord: http://www.ems.com/catalog/subcategory_simple.jsp;jsessionid=K6fc1n2GQDsj2x8v72v1jHT5GBRsq5jhKJwcgyRvnZtc0XWCvxw8!-707038822!647613044?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302160811

The acc cors is more expensive, and probably holds less weight. I usually get it thinner than paracord, and really only keep it around for variety. the 1.5mm and 2.75mm spools are useful, and at 7/14 dollars, inexpensive.
 
Thanks for all the responses! :thumbup:

It sounds like it is far more versatile than I had realized! I had seen it available online, but in lengths that seemed far longer than what i needed for a simple knife wrap. Now I see that there could be plenty of uses for the leftover cord, so no problem ordering longer lengths since it isn't very expensive.

I just wonder why the typical camping retail stores around me don't seem to carry it, I guess it is still more expensive than plain old nylon or poly rope so they wouldn't sell much of it except to the more knowledgeable customers.
 
I stumbled upon another use for paracord today. The cord to my push mower broke, so I decided to use some paracord, even though it's a little thicker than the nylon cord, and it worked! Was able to start the old beast up and clear some of the jungle away!
 
D1omedes said:
I'm no expert but here's why I think paracord is so popular ...

Most paracord is 550 paracord (in other words, it has 550 lbs test). It's very lightweight, does not rot or stretch when in contact with water, comes in a multitude of colors and is easy to work with.

Here's what Wiki has to say about it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paracord
Click to expand...

D1omedes you are so right! Wiki has the best meaning for the Great stuff. I
Love it,I wear it,always have 50' near me.:thumbup:
 
The sent you the paracord and instructions so that you can wrap the handle of your Izula.
 
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