44 Really Cool Uses of Paracord for Survival

Gaye Levy, Contributor

My love affair with paracord continues. Not only is it strong and useful for a myriad of tasks, it is colorful and fun to work with while making bracelets, key fobs, belts and other goodies.

Enter paracord into your search engine and you will be treated to a ton of stuff – what is it, how is it use, where to buy it and more. It seems like everyone has a stake in the paracord love-fest.

What Exactly is Paracord?

I first wrote about paracord in May 2012 in the article Paracord for Function and Fashion. I described paracord this way:

Paracord is a lightweight nylon rope that was originally used in the suspension lines of US parachutes during World War II. Soldiers, however, found that this miracle rope was useful for far more than their paratrooper missions. In the ensuing years, both the military and civilians alike have found hundreds if not thousands of uses for paracord.

It is available by length, typically 50 to 100 feet (or more) and in a variety of colors. It is also available is large quantities by the spool. Many hikers and outdoor sports enthusiasts make or purchase “survival bracelets” made of several feet of paracord which is woven into a compact bracelets that can be unraveled in the field.

By the way, you will often see paracord referred to as Paracord 550 means that it has a breaking strength of 550 pounds or more. Now that is strong!Paracord can be used for many purposes such as securing things, removing heavy debris and fixed objects, strapping things together, as a harness to escape a burning building, controlling bleeding as a tourniquet, and the list goes on. You can even unravel the cord and use the individual strands as a fishing line or as thread to sew on a button. Wonderful stuff.

I touched upon a number of uses in my description above but that was merely a sampling. There is more – a lot more. What follows are 44 different uses of paracord for survival purposes.
44 Ways to Use Paracord for Survival

1. Secure a tent
2. Secure a tarp between trees
3. Hang tools from your belt
4. Hang tools from around your neck
5. Secure things to the outside of your backpack
6. Make a tourniquet
7. Secure a splint
8. Make a sling for your arm
9. Make an emergency belt to hold your pants up
10. Make emergency suspenders
11. Replace a broken bra strap (it happens)
12. Replace broken or missing shoe laces
13. Repair a zipper pull
14. Secure your boat or skiff to a tree
15. Make a tow line; double or triple up for extra strength
16. Create a makeshift lanyard
17. String a clothesline
18. Hang something up off the ground
19. Rig a pulley system
20. Make traps and snares
21. Replace damaged or missing draw strings in packs, bags and sweat pants
22. Keep rolled up items secure
23. Create a neckerchief slide
24. Tie objects together for easier transport
25. Make a rope
26. Make a hammock
27. Make a sack for carrying groceries or gear
28. Bundle stuff together
29. Tie tall garden vegetable plants to stakes
30. Make a pet leash
31. Make a pet collar
32. Secure a garbage-bag rain poncho around your body to keep you dry
33. Hang food in trees to keep the bears away
34. Tie stuff down so it will not blow away in a storm
35. Create a trip wire
36. Create makeshift hand cuffs
37. Tie bad guys or intruders to a tree or chair
38. Tie people together on a trail so that they keep together
39. Identify members of a group using different colored armbands or bracelets
40. Use as sewing thread (inner threads)
41. Use as fishing line (inner threads)
42. Emergency dental floss (inner threads)
43. Emergency suture material (inner threads) when there is nothing else available
44. Make arts and crafts to stave off boredom

The Final Word

Paracord is awesome stuff. I happen to like all of the various colors and have a number of personal favorites. You might even say I have become a collector. You can purchase paracord at most outdoor stores as well as online, most notably Camping Survival (a Backdoor Survival sponsor) and Amazon (of course). Just keep in mind that different colors are priced differently so if you are looking for a bargain, consider various color options.

Now if you are handy and want to make stuff, free instructions for paracord projects abound on the Web. Try Instructables for their set of Easy Paracord Projects. I know that I plan on making some key fobs using their Easy Paracord Key Fob instructions. (Did I mention that these instructions were free?)

Whatever you decide, be sure to pick up some paracord for your survival kit, your car and you home. You are gonna love it!

Read other articles by Gaye Levy here. 

Enjoy your next adventure through common sense and thoughtful preparation!

Gaye Levy, the SurvivalWoman, grew up and attended school in the Greater Seattle area. After spending many years as an executive in the software industry, she started a specialized accounting practice offering contract CFO work to emerging high tech and service industries. She has now abandoned city life and moved to a serenely beautiful rural area on an island in NW Washington State. She lives and teaches the principles of a sustainable, self-reliant and stylish lifestyle through emergency preparation and disaster planning through her website at BackdoorSurvival.com. SurvivalWoman speaks her mind and delivers her message with optimism and grace, regardless of mayhem swirling around us.

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