what about 5 strand paracord?

[ranger88]

I recently bought some paracord off of Ebay that only has 5 inner strands insted of 7. It's a little thinner than standard 550 cord, but it's very strong. Would this be good to throw into the old rucksack, or should I go ahead and pop for the 7 strand 550 cord?

 

[longbow50]

It should be fine.

 

[fnc]

It really depends on what you are using it for.

I use cord that is smaller than 5 strand,
for some purposes: securing (not supporting)
medium size sticks for shelters.

There is no magic size, braid, or material; it depends
on the application.

Sometimes a larger rope is chosen, because it is easier
to handle, not because I need extra strength.
Some types of braids are high friction which allow more
secure knots.

I like to carry a small amount of different kinds cordage,
it is light, cheap, and allows experimentation.

 

[wade]

seven will give you more cord in an emergency. Just something to consider. For example if you have 50' of the five strand thats 250' of the innerstrands, if it were the seven you would have 350' feet. I would rather have the extra 100 feet, that stuff is so verstile out in the bush. Just my two cents.

 

[akennedy73]

I think it's fine. I believe (but not completely sure) the 5-strand is 450 - while the 7-strand is 550. So the 5-strand will support 450 pounds whereas the 7-strand will support 550 pounds.

Certainly strong enough for your basic wilderness applications.