Welcome to Another Travel Hacks Friday. As part of a new series, every Friday, we will be introducing new travel hacks for outdoor and urban adventures. We will scour the web for the best and most practical hacks, as well as dig into our reserves and share our own awesome moments of ingenuity!
Paracord is such an amazing and useful piece of gear, that in order to do it justice, I’m going to split this hack into 3 parts.
This is Part 3 of the Paracord series. If you want to learn more about why paracord is so awesome, and you haven’t yet read part 1: How to Make a Paracord Belt and part 2: How to make a Paracord Bracelet
If you’re not yet convinced of the overall cool factor of paracord, and still need a bit of a nudge, I’ve put together a list of the many possible things to do with paracord. The list I’ve put together is not finite, as what you can do with it is limited to your imagination. Its versatility is due to its sheer strength and lightweight nature. Conventional ropes could do the trick, but thin gauge ropes just don’t have the strength, and thick gauge ropes are too damn heavy. Best of all, paracord is low profile and can be worn as a belt, a bracelet, and even a bandolier, saving on precious bag real estate while adding another layer of usability.
Related Posts:How to make a paracord belt
Related Posts: How to make a paracord Bracelet
Remember, it’s one of those things you never know you need until you actually need it. So don’t leave home without it!
So without further adieu, we finally get to the fun part.
27 things to do with Paracord:
- Replace as shoelaces – Stronger and more durable than conventional shoelaces. Paracord shoelace is a convenient way to carry and use when and if needed
- Replace a broken zipper pull
- Use to hold up your pants – read this post on how to make a paracord belt
- Use as a stylish enviable wrist decoration –read this post on how to make a paracord Bracelet
- Fishing –separate the internal strands for fishing line.
- Make a Whip – Indian Jones fans rejoice! The inherent strength and elasticity of paracord surprisingly makes a great whip. Some knowledge of braiding is necessary, but it can be done
- Make a bola – tie stones to each end and you have yourself a bonafide bola. You’ll have to teach yourself how to use it though.
- Make a Lasso
- Tie, strap, hang or suspend
- Clothes line
- Tent lines
- Hammock lines
- Safety line to cross rivers and ravines
- Use as friction saw – This is where paracord shoelaces come in handy. By dragging the cord back and forth you can cut through a number of objects, like zip ties.
- Sew rips and tears in clothing – separate the internal strands into finer threads for spot fixes like sewing and tears
- Sew and repair equipment – The internal strands can also be used to repair equipment
- Towing and pulling - a single strand has 550lbs of tensile strength, doubling you get 1100, tripling 1650 and so on. With enough paracord, you can pull a whole mess of cumbersome things
- Pull someone up
- Lower yourself down or climb up – paracord is not climbing rope, but in emergencies it’ll still do the trick. Remember doubling, tripling and so on, can increase that tensile strength.
- Perimeter trip wire – Tie some pots and pans, or anything that makes a lot of noise, and you got yourself a perimeter security. Lasers not included.
- Leash for animals
- Make a snare to trap animals
- Dental floss – separate the internal strands to scrape the meat out of them teeth
- Sling – can be used as support if you’re arms broken
- Splint – Tie up to sticks to support broken bones
- Sew up a cut – although not ideal, in survival situations, the internal strands can be used as stitches.
- Make a tourniquet
Surprisingly for all the uses of paracord, you can get paracord for pretty cheap online.
Here’s where I buy paracord
Amazon.com
REI – a little more expensive than the options at Amazon, but you know you’re getting the paracord 550
Hopefully I’ve persuaded you on the importance of having some paracord in your gear sets. The list above is nowhere near definitive and what you can do with the stuff is truly limited to your ingenuity.
Do you think you have better ideas for paracord?
Carey
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I absolutely love Paracord!! Always with me when I travel and just essential!
Piritta recently posted…Looking For the Big 5 – It’s a Game
Hi Piritta
You and me both! Even as I hit the reply button, I’m weaving a paracord bandolier
I thought I’d heard almost all of the uses for paracord but I keep finding more! Never thought of making a whip or bola!
Evan Michaels recently posted…Paracord: Projects & Uses – Posts of the Week Wednesday