Although I grew up hunting, fishing, and camping, it was only about fifteen years ago when I first started learning about the wonders of paracord and its many outdoor applications. Paracord is extremely versatile, easy to work with, and affordable. It comes in almost any color or pattern design you could want. I used it to make bracelets, lanyards, dog leashes, dog collars, monkey fists, water bottle holders, slings, belts—the list goes on. At one point, I was making so many things out of paracord that I had almost 20,000 feet (more than 6,000 meters) of it stored in my basement. That’s when I decided I had made enough projects for myself!

In the following chapters, I discuss how to use paracord in two ways. First, I give a walkthrough of how to make functional items at home that can be taken into the field and broken down and used in a survival situation. Second, I show you how to use paracord in survival situations (such as making shelters, tools, and so forth).

As Benjamin Franklin wrote, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” Survival situations can come upon us before we even realize what has happened. In such times, nature doesn’t follow our plans. Obviously, one can survive without paracord, but having it with you can be invaluable.

My hope in writing this book is that the projects, tips, and my own experimentation will better acquaint you with paracord and how you can utilize it to its full potential when everything is falling apart.

Paracord is useful and—dare I say it?—fashionable.

INTRODUCTION

Allied troops parachuting into the Netherlands in 1944.

The History of Paracord

To understand why paracord is so useful, we should know a little history behind this amazing cordage product. In 1935, American chemist Wallace Carothers (1896–1937), working for DuPont, created a new synthetic material that came to be called nylon. At that time, parachutes were primarily made from silk. However, silk was in short supply because it relies on the silkworm to make it—a slow method of production. Since nylon was quicker to produce, and stronger, it replaced silk in parachutes. Nylon was also used to make the suspension lines—parachute cord, aka paracord—for the parachutes. When World War II paratroopers landed on the ground, they would cut the cordage from their chutes and use it to make straps and tie up gear.

Perfect Paracord!

Did you know that paracord is awesome adventure material?

• It’s mildew resistant.

• It shrinks only a little when wet.

• Just about the only thing that will degrade it over time is ultraviolet light.

Pictured from top to bottom: type 95 paracord with one yarn, type 325 paracord with three yarns, and type III 550 paracord with seven yarns.

Although it was (and to some extent, still is) primarily a military product, paracord has many civilian uses today. It is especially popular with outdoorspeople, emergency responders, and crafters. It has become so popular, and even trendy, that you’ve probably seen people wearing paracord bracelets and other accessories as part of their daily wardrobe.

There are several different types of paracord but the most common is type III, often referred to as 550 cord. One piece of cordage can hold 550 pounds (250 kilograms) of static weight. (But don’t grab your 550 cord and head for the nearest mountain! Paracord should not be substituted for an actual climbing rope.)

It is important to know the difference between knockoff paracord and real paracord—especially if your life is on the line (pun intended!). Read on to find out how.

There are three bracelet projects in this book—see here when you’re ready to make one.

The Anatomy of Paracord

To properly identify real paracord, we need to break it down into its parts. First, there is the outer woven sheath. Then there is the inner core of strands that are called “yarns.” The most common type of paracord, type III 550, has 7–9 yarns. Don’t get confused if you hear people talking about paracord and using the word “strands,” or “inner strands”—they are referring to the yarns. The yarns, then, are made up of even finer threads of nylon. These can be pulled apart into thinner and thinner pieces depending on what they are needed for.

This structure is what gives paracord its amazing strength relative to its size and weight. It also gives you much more cordage than you think you have, if you are willing to pull the yarns out of the sheath and tie them together end to end.

To get an estimate of how much total yarn cordage you have, add the number of yarns you have plus one (for the outer sheath). Take that number and multiply it by the original length of the paracord. For example, type III paracord generally has seven yarns surrounded by the outer sheath. Add those two numbers together and you get eight. If I have 1 ft. (30 cm) of cordage, I multiply eight times one. That gives me approximately 8 ft. (2.4 m) of total cordage when the paracord is pulled apart. Obviously that number increases as you increase the original length of intact paracord. A 10 ft. (3 m) piece would produce almost 80 СКАЧАТЬ

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PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

The History of Paracord

The Anatomy of Paracord

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