550 cord is one of the most useful items to have in your kit. It can perform a myriad of tasks, and is one of the most versatile items to have. Good strong cordage is difficult to make in the wild. 550 cord has an outer sheath, and 7 inner strands. The outer sheath has a weight limit of 200 lbs, and the inner strands are each 50 lbs, which add up to 550, hence the name.
Speaking of shoe laces, one of the first things many outdoorsmen do is replace their shoe/boot laces with Paracord. It comes in many colors, including white, black, and brown which match most shoes. It is stronger than any shoelaces you can buy. In an emergency situation, you can remove the inner strands for emergency use, and leave the outer sheath to keep your shoes tied. They can be hard to get started through the lace holes, since they lack anglets like regular laces. I’ve had success using wire to pull them through. I recently thought of using small diameter shrink tubing on the ends to make my own anglets, but I haven’t tried it yet.
Some of the useful wilderness uses for Paracord are:
Shelter - Tying branches together for shelter, hanging a tarp
Fire – Use to make a bow drill
Food/weapon – Use for bow string, use the inner strands to make snares, weave fish nets with inner strands, make slings to hunt with or drive game, whittle a gorge hook and use the inner strands for fishing line.
Medical – Tourniquet, arm sling, splints, use to fashion a branch drag to evacuate an injured person.
Misc uses – Belt, “dummy cord” to keep you from losing important items, zipper pulls on clothing, hang food out of reach of bears, clothesline, rope ladder, dog leash, etc.
Project Paracord550 Paracord
