Paracord:
It’s an amazingly strong and versatile rope-like material used to suspend soldiers from parachutes and so much more. Whether you wear a survival bracelet containing 20 feet of it or keep spools of 1,000 or more feet around, paracord is a flexible survival tool—both literally and figuratively!
We have compiled a list of 40 uses for paracord, some of which you may have thought of already, and some which may surprise you.
40 Uses for Paracord
- Tie up your bedroll
- Suturing a wound (unwoven, it can become thread for stitches)
- Patching clothing or packs (again, when unwoven)
- Weaving a mat to sleep or work on
- Snaring small game
- Tying a ponytail or bun (hey, no one wants hair in their eyes!)
- Tying off fishing poles
- Securing supplies within a tree
- Creating a makeshift door lock
- Weaving a blanket
- Securing a tarp for shelter
- Making a clothesline for drying
- Makeshift meat hook for butchering game
- Create a “life line” in a body of water
- Fashion a rope for climbing
- Makeshift fan belt for a motor vehicle
- Use it as a tripwire
- Create a makeshift fishing line (unwoven)
- Sew your pants with it
- Towing a vehicle or heavy load (this will require weaving a rope of many cords)
- Rappelling (again, you’ll need to weave many cords together)
- Use it to make a field tourniquet
- Tying off a boat or raft to a dock
- Secure branches together to create a small hut
- Use it as kindling in a pinch (it will need to be unwoven)
- Use it as a shoelace
- Make a pulley (you never know when this may come in handy)
- Use it as a “life line” when hiking in groups after dark
- Create “tie-offs” on your pack, pants, or purse to free up more storage space
- Use it to suspend a hammock (heck, you could probably weave a hammock from it, too)
- Make a ladder with it
- Use it as a bow string
- On that note, use it in a bow drill for starting fires
- Use it for mapping: leave a trail of cord behind you to find your way back to base
- Use it to secure logs together into a raft
- Bundle heavy items (like firewood) for easier hefting and carrying
- Use it to secure your pack to your person (like an anchor line)
- Use it to pull a sled full of gear, wood, etc.
- Make a belt to keep your trousers up
- Make a “cat’s cradle” if the day should prove peaceful and boring
