Organized plant cordage info on http://www.stalkingthewild.com/making.htm that is worth to look at.
Credit to Stalking the Wild and Darryl.
HM
WHAT PLANTS CAN GIVE US
Cordage from Nature
Next to the ability to produce fire, knowing how to make cordage from natural materials is one of the most important yet overlooked skills among most outdoorsman. How many times have you been camping somewhere and needed a piece of string to tie something with? Fifteen minutes of rummaging around in your pack, a few carefully chosen words spoken to no one in particular and you are no better off than when you started.
All the while you are looking for that non-existent string, you don't realize that you are literally surrounded by all the cordage you could ever hope to use. The trees, bushes, vines, sedges and weeds scream out the word CORDAGE! to your un-listening ears. It is the same situation as the man lost, starving in the woods while food and drink and even natural compasses patiently wait to be discovered.
A knowledge of cordage made it possible for primitive man to make the jump from Atlatl to Bow and Arrow. It made the bow drill fire a reality. It made fishing progress from the spear and basket methods to fishing line and nets, much more efficient methods of food gathering. It also meant that man was no longer dependent solely upon animal hides for clothing and footwear. Woven cloth and sandles were now possible. In effect, life became easier, allowing greater leaps in other technology possible.
It doesn't matter where you go in this country, whether it is the steamy humid South, the arid Western deserts or the moist arboreal forests of the North, plants useful for cordage can be found in abundance. While the following list is by no means complete, it covers a few of the plants I have encountered in various regions of the country. Don't be locked in to only these sources. Experiment and see what new ones you can find. I discovered the use of Kudzu by accident one day while bushhogging a field. Noticing that the long vines I was cutting seemed to be fraying at the ends, I was soon making fifty foot sections of rope in short order. You are only limited by your imagination and willingness to experiment with the plants you come across in nature.
Dogbane/Indian Hemp (Apocynum) - Both of these members of the milkweed family produce a light brown, almost indestructible cordage. The plants can be easily identified by their red stalks. You can use them for a wide variety of projects ranging from bow strings to fishing lines and snares. The fiber works exceptionally well for fletching arrows. Most sources say to gather the plants when dry, then pound and clean the fibers. Another way is to gather them green and peel down from either side of the base of the plant. You will be amazed at how much more useable cordage you will get this way. Be sure to carefully dry the fibers before using. You can also pick large quantities of the plants while green, remove the leaves, dry and store for later use. This will give you stronger fibers than if picked later on into winter. To remove the outer "bark," vigorously rub between the palms of your hands. Leaving too much chaff will weaken the end product somewhat.
Common Milkweed (Asclepias) - Do you want beautiful silky white fibers most people would think came from a store? If you are fortunate enough to find a large quantity of common milkweed you will be in for a pleasant surprise. Literally resembling silk and with the strength of Dogbane, milkweed is one of my favorite plants to work with. Not only does it have the same utilitarian uses as Dogbane, it is also edible and medicinal to boot. Process green or dry, in a manner similar to Dogbane.
Nettles (Urtica) - If you ever run into this vicious, stinging plant you will never have trouble identifying it in the future! Growing in damp swampy areas and shaded woods, it produces an extremely strong, pleasantly green cordage that is superior to most other plant materials. It is best gathered as it dries towards the end of the season but can be harvested and carefully stored for later use. Be careful when gathering the fresh plants though the sting disappears upon drying. While some books will state that nettles don't work well in water as they will rot, I find it interesting that the word net is derived from the word nettles. If you can find a good supply, you will be pleased with its many uses. All of the "false" nettles make good cordage too. Use for all of the same uses as Dogbane.
Red Cedar (Juniperus) - Not meant to be used as a strong cordage, Cedar bark can be used for things not dependant upon great strength. Use it for light tying mainly. It makes a much better tinder bundle or stone lamp wick. Don't use the old, tough outer bark, stick with the softer layer lying just underneath. Cedar bark is wondrously soft and can be used to weave bags and mats.
Hickory (Carya) - "Tough as Hickory" is an understatement. Not only is the wood tough and resilient, the inner bark can be stripped and used to tie a couple of elephants together. When the sap is up next spring, try cording a piece and you will be pleasantly surprised. The inner bark can be used for bow strings, bow drill cordage, and heavy tying in general. For your next bow drill fire, take a strip of outer bark from a thumb sized sapling and simply tube it for a string. Until it finally dries out, it will work great, then you can re-wet it and use it some more.
Yucca (Yucca) - It is not necessary to describe this plant it is so widely known. While commonly thought of as a desert plant, various species of Yucca can be found growing from the Deep South up the Atlantic Seaboard. All can be used for making durable, strong cordage useful for fishing lines, bow strings, nets and even sandals. I like using Yuccas as they can be used green (somewhat weak) or they can be rotted for a period of time in water and transformed in powerful light brown fibers that are strong enough to make a vegetable bow string. Yuccas also make great food, soap, medicine and a pretty good fish poison can be produced from the roots.
Basswood (Tilia) - All species of Basswood make a light, durable cordage. In the spring and early summer, peel long strips of bark from one of the many suckers adult trees produce. Soak them in water for about a week or so and then separate from the outer bark. If the sap is up and running, this step is not necessary. The clear slime clinging to the soaking inner bark is highly nutritious. Basswood bark can also be soaked in homemade lye water to increase its strength and reduce brittleness. While Basswood bark can be used for making rope, I wouldn't place my life in it hands unless the bark is also woven in at least a three strand weave.
Yellow Poplar (Liriodendrum) - You can't find an easier tree to turn into large amounts of light cordage. If you don't mind the sewer smell, take a tulip poplar log and soak it in water for a month or two. Eventually, all of the growth rings will separate and you will have long pieces of ready made rope useful mainly for light tying. The beauty of this tree is that you have almost no work time involved in its production. Simply soak and walk away.
Kudzu (Pueraria) - As I mentioned earlier, sometimes you discover a plant use simply by accident. I am always looking for plants which can be converted into cordage with as little processing as possible. Another consideration is getting long lengths without having to constantly splice in new pieces as these are going to weak spots. Kudzu is the answer to this problem. Simply find some long vines, cut and allow to dry a day or two. Next, pull the vine around a small branch to break down and remove as much of the outer chaff as possible. At this point you will begin to notice the inner fibers separating. Peel long sections apart and start cording. It doesn't get much simpler than that. Kudzu fibers are fairly strong if properly worked. I have used them a lot for tying things and for the string on bow drill fire sets.
Slippery Elm (Ulmus) - Slippery Elm, and to a lesser extent all elms make a pretty good strong cordage. The nice thing about elms is that the branches on the limps grow at 90 degree angles to each other. This makes it easy to get long strips of bark without having to worry about hitting a limb. Slippery Elm is similar to Hickory bark in its qualities.
Pawpaw (Asimina) - Not commonly thought of as a source of cordage, the inner and outer bark of Pawpaw makes a powerful cordage superior to many other commonly known cordage plants. The wood is light and makes the best fireboard that can be found in my opinion. Pawpaw bark is almost impossible to remove when the sap is down. Use like Hickory or Elm.
The plants mentioned above are just a few of the common plants you might want to begin with. You are only limited by your imagination and willingness to experiment. I have discovered a lot of plants useful for cordage simply by experimentation. You will be amazed at how many plants can actually be used for cordage. You are also not limited to plant materials. Try cordage made from rawhide, sinew, intestines. Don't pass up that roadkilled squirrel. There is enough cordage there for a bow drill fire. Don't ignore the roots of trees which can be peeled and made into baskets and cordage. In the Bible it is stated that God put plants and herbs here for the use of man. Every one of the thousands of trees, bushes, water plants and common weeds has a use. It is up to use to rediscover those uses which primitive man knew intimately on a daily basis.
Other Excellent sources of cordage -
Hawthorn Sage Brush
Willow Mulberry
Osage Orange Velvet Leaf
Leatherwood Wisteria
American Rattan Phragmites
Scirpus Cattails
Tule Maples
Black Walnut Green, Black and White Ash
All species of Juniper Buckeye
Sesbania Psoralea
Cottonwoods Primrose
Ditch Weed (Wild Marijuana) Long Grasses
Agave (Out West) Young Grape Vines
Making the actual cordage is simple. Take a small length of fibers and roll them down your leg. This forces the fibers to all twist in the same direction. Next, hold the roll of fibers in the between the index finger and thumb of each hand. They will naturally want to kink and make a loop. Pinch this loop and -
1. Take the top set of fibers and twist away from you a couple of times.
2 Next, place your index finger between the two strands with your thumb on the top strand and your middle finger under the bottom strand. Rotate the strands back towards you and repeat the process with the bottom strand now becoming the top strand.
That's all there is to it! When you get within an inch or so of running out of fibers on one strand, add a batch of new fibers and continue cording. Be sure to start off your cording with one strand shorter than the other. You don't want to weaken your string by having to splice in both strands at the same time. This will severely weaken the final product.
There are many methods of producing cordage. You can leg roll it as is done with coconut fibers in the Pacific, you can hold the fibers in your teeth or simply tie the fibers on a limb and begin cording. All work well but the easiest way for most people is to use the pinch and twist method. Combining this method with leg rolling can really speed things up when working with fibers which are already naturally long such as inner barks and Kudzu.
[ Making Cordage ] [ Jungle Survival ] [ Jungle Waterways ] [ Poison Ivy ] [ The Buffalo ] [ Edible Daylilies ] [ Sea Foraging ] [ Weather Folklore ] [ Eating Bugs ] [ Amazon Jungle ] [ Gadsden Times ] [ Jungle Water ] [ The Turtle Hunt ] [ Brain Tanning ] [ Photos ] [ Liability Form ]
Home
Credit to Stalking the Wild and Darryl.
HM
WHAT PLANTS CAN GIVE US
Cordage from Nature
Next to the ability to produce fire, knowing how to make cordage from natural materials is one of the most important yet overlooked skills among most outdoorsman. How many times have you been camping somewhere and needed a piece of string to tie something with? Fifteen minutes of rummaging around in your pack, a few carefully chosen words spoken to no one in particular and you are no better off than when you started.
All the while you are looking for that non-existent string, you don't realize that you are literally surrounded by all the cordage you could ever hope to use. The trees, bushes, vines, sedges and weeds scream out the word CORDAGE! to your un-listening ears. It is the same situation as the man lost, starving in the woods while food and drink and even natural compasses patiently wait to be discovered.
A knowledge of cordage made it possible for primitive man to make the jump from Atlatl to Bow and Arrow. It made the bow drill fire a reality. It made fishing progress from the spear and basket methods to fishing line and nets, much more efficient methods of food gathering. It also meant that man was no longer dependent solely upon animal hides for clothing and footwear. Woven cloth and sandles were now possible. In effect, life became easier, allowing greater leaps in other technology possible.
It doesn't matter where you go in this country, whether it is the steamy humid South, the arid Western deserts or the moist arboreal forests of the North, plants useful for cordage can be found in abundance. While the following list is by no means complete, it covers a few of the plants I have encountered in various regions of the country. Don't be locked in to only these sources. Experiment and see what new ones you can find. I discovered the use of Kudzu by accident one day while bushhogging a field. Noticing that the long vines I was cutting seemed to be fraying at the ends, I was soon making fifty foot sections of rope in short order. You are only limited by your imagination and willingness to experiment with the plants you come across in nature.
Dogbane/Indian Hemp (Apocynum) - Both of these members of the milkweed family produce a light brown, almost indestructible cordage. The plants can be easily identified by their red stalks. You can use them for a wide variety of projects ranging from bow strings to fishing lines and snares. The fiber works exceptionally well for fletching arrows. Most sources say to gather the plants when dry, then pound and clean the fibers. Another way is to gather them green and peel down from either side of the base of the plant. You will be amazed at how much more useable cordage you will get this way. Be sure to carefully dry the fibers before using. You can also pick large quantities of the plants while green, remove the leaves, dry and store for later use. This will give you stronger fibers than if picked later on into winter. To remove the outer "bark," vigorously rub between the palms of your hands. Leaving too much chaff will weaken the end product somewhat.
Common Milkweed (Asclepias) - Do you want beautiful silky white fibers most people would think came from a store? If you are fortunate enough to find a large quantity of common milkweed you will be in for a pleasant surprise. Literally resembling silk and with the strength of Dogbane, milkweed is one of my favorite plants to work with. Not only does it have the same utilitarian uses as Dogbane, it is also edible and medicinal to boot. Process green or dry, in a manner similar to Dogbane.
Nettles (Urtica) - If you ever run into this vicious, stinging plant you will never have trouble identifying it in the future! Growing in damp swampy areas and shaded woods, it produces an extremely strong, pleasantly green cordage that is superior to most other plant materials. It is best gathered as it dries towards the end of the season but can be harvested and carefully stored for later use. Be careful when gathering the fresh plants though the sting disappears upon drying. While some books will state that nettles don't work well in water as they will rot, I find it interesting that the word net is derived from the word nettles. If you can find a good supply, you will be pleased with its many uses. All of the "false" nettles make good cordage too. Use for all of the same uses as Dogbane.
Red Cedar (Juniperus) - Not meant to be used as a strong cordage, Cedar bark can be used for things not dependant upon great strength. Use it for light tying mainly. It makes a much better tinder bundle or stone lamp wick. Don't use the old, tough outer bark, stick with the softer layer lying just underneath. Cedar bark is wondrously soft and can be used to weave bags and mats.
Hickory (Carya) - "Tough as Hickory" is an understatement. Not only is the wood tough and resilient, the inner bark can be stripped and used to tie a couple of elephants together. When the sap is up next spring, try cording a piece and you will be pleasantly surprised. The inner bark can be used for bow strings, bow drill cordage, and heavy tying in general. For your next bow drill fire, take a strip of outer bark from a thumb sized sapling and simply tube it for a string. Until it finally dries out, it will work great, then you can re-wet it and use it some more.
Yucca (Yucca) - It is not necessary to describe this plant it is so widely known. While commonly thought of as a desert plant, various species of Yucca can be found growing from the Deep South up the Atlantic Seaboard. All can be used for making durable, strong cordage useful for fishing lines, bow strings, nets and even sandals. I like using Yuccas as they can be used green (somewhat weak) or they can be rotted for a period of time in water and transformed in powerful light brown fibers that are strong enough to make a vegetable bow string. Yuccas also make great food, soap, medicine and a pretty good fish poison can be produced from the roots.
Basswood (Tilia) - All species of Basswood make a light, durable cordage. In the spring and early summer, peel long strips of bark from one of the many suckers adult trees produce. Soak them in water for about a week or so and then separate from the outer bark. If the sap is up and running, this step is not necessary. The clear slime clinging to the soaking inner bark is highly nutritious. Basswood bark can also be soaked in homemade lye water to increase its strength and reduce brittleness. While Basswood bark can be used for making rope, I wouldn't place my life in it hands unless the bark is also woven in at least a three strand weave.
Yellow Poplar (Liriodendrum) - You can't find an easier tree to turn into large amounts of light cordage. If you don't mind the sewer smell, take a tulip poplar log and soak it in water for a month or two. Eventually, all of the growth rings will separate and you will have long pieces of ready made rope useful mainly for light tying. The beauty of this tree is that you have almost no work time involved in its production. Simply soak and walk away.
Kudzu (Pueraria) - As I mentioned earlier, sometimes you discover a plant use simply by accident. I am always looking for plants which can be converted into cordage with as little processing as possible. Another consideration is getting long lengths without having to constantly splice in new pieces as these are going to weak spots. Kudzu is the answer to this problem. Simply find some long vines, cut and allow to dry a day or two. Next, pull the vine around a small branch to break down and remove as much of the outer chaff as possible. At this point you will begin to notice the inner fibers separating. Peel long sections apart and start cording. It doesn't get much simpler than that. Kudzu fibers are fairly strong if properly worked. I have used them a lot for tying things and for the string on bow drill fire sets.
Slippery Elm (Ulmus) - Slippery Elm, and to a lesser extent all elms make a pretty good strong cordage. The nice thing about elms is that the branches on the limps grow at 90 degree angles to each other. This makes it easy to get long strips of bark without having to worry about hitting a limb. Slippery Elm is similar to Hickory bark in its qualities.
Pawpaw (Asimina) - Not commonly thought of as a source of cordage, the inner and outer bark of Pawpaw makes a powerful cordage superior to many other commonly known cordage plants. The wood is light and makes the best fireboard that can be found in my opinion. Pawpaw bark is almost impossible to remove when the sap is down. Use like Hickory or Elm.
The plants mentioned above are just a few of the common plants you might want to begin with. You are only limited by your imagination and willingness to experiment. I have discovered a lot of plants useful for cordage simply by experimentation. You will be amazed at how many plants can actually be used for cordage. You are also not limited to plant materials. Try cordage made from rawhide, sinew, intestines. Don't pass up that roadkilled squirrel. There is enough cordage there for a bow drill fire. Don't ignore the roots of trees which can be peeled and made into baskets and cordage. In the Bible it is stated that God put plants and herbs here for the use of man. Every one of the thousands of trees, bushes, water plants and common weeds has a use. It is up to use to rediscover those uses which primitive man knew intimately on a daily basis.
Other Excellent sources of cordage -
Hawthorn Sage Brush
Willow Mulberry
Osage Orange Velvet Leaf
Leatherwood Wisteria
American Rattan Phragmites
Scirpus Cattails
Tule Maples
Black Walnut Green, Black and White Ash
All species of Juniper Buckeye
Sesbania Psoralea
Cottonwoods Primrose
Ditch Weed (Wild Marijuana) Long Grasses
Agave (Out West) Young Grape Vines
Making the actual cordage is simple. Take a small length of fibers and roll them down your leg. This forces the fibers to all twist in the same direction. Next, hold the roll of fibers in the between the index finger and thumb of each hand. They will naturally want to kink and make a loop. Pinch this loop and -
1. Take the top set of fibers and twist away from you a couple of times.
2 Next, place your index finger between the two strands with your thumb on the top strand and your middle finger under the bottom strand. Rotate the strands back towards you and repeat the process with the bottom strand now becoming the top strand.
That's all there is to it! When you get within an inch or so of running out of fibers on one strand, add a batch of new fibers and continue cording. Be sure to start off your cording with one strand shorter than the other. You don't want to weaken your string by having to splice in both strands at the same time. This will severely weaken the final product.
There are many methods of producing cordage. You can leg roll it as is done with coconut fibers in the Pacific, you can hold the fibers in your teeth or simply tie the fibers on a limb and begin cording. All work well but the easiest way for most people is to use the pinch and twist method. Combining this method with leg rolling can really speed things up when working with fibers which are already naturally long such as inner barks and Kudzu.
[ Making Cordage ] [ Jungle Survival ] [ Jungle Waterways ] [ Poison Ivy ] [ The Buffalo ] [ Edible Daylilies ] [ Sea Foraging ] [ Weather Folklore ] [ Eating Bugs ] [ Amazon Jungle ] [ Gadsden Times ] [ Jungle Water ] [ The Turtle Hunt ] [ Brain Tanning ] [ Photos ] [ Liability Form ]
Home