Paracord Projects for Camping and Outdoor Survival E-Book

Bryan Lynch

• Herausgeber: Fox Chapel Publishing
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Seitenzahl: 233

Beschreibung

Whether you're camping, hiking, or simply on a walk, cordage is one of the most useful and important items a person can have. Not only is it crucial to have close by, but it's also a lot of fun to discover the endless possibilities! From the same author who wrote the Victorinox Swiss Army Knife Camping & Outdoor Survival Guide, Bryan Lynch teaches readers the basics of survival, 7 ways to carry paracord, and over 60 functional uses, from creating fire, collecting water, and repairing gear to keeping clean, navigating the area, making tools, and more! Learn the history of how paracord is made, what it was originally used for in the military, why it's so popular and useful, and why you'll always want to have it on you. Trust us, you'll want to know!

Leseprobe

Note: While paracord is an extremely strong and versatile material, it should never be substituted for proper climbing rope and gear.

© 2021 by Bryan Lynch and Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc., 903 Square Street, Mount Joy, PA 17552.

Paracord Projects for Camping and Outdoor Survival is an original work, first published in 2021 by Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright holders.

Print ISBN 9781497100459

eISBN 9781607657347

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019024142

To learn more about the other great books from Fox Chapel Publishing, or to find a retailer near you, call toll-free 800-457-9112 or visit us at www.FoxChapelPublishing.com.

We are always looking for talented authors. To submit an idea, please send a brief inquiry to [email protected].

Because working with paracord and other materials inherently includes the risk of injury and damage, this book cannot guarantee that creating the projects in this book is safe for everyone. For this reason, this book is sold without warranties or guarantees of any kind, expressed or implied, and the publisher and the author disclaim any liability for any injuries, losses, or damages caused in any way by the content of this book or the reader’s use of the tools needed to complete the projects presented here. The publisher and the author urge all readers to thoroughly review each project and to understand the use of all tools before beginning any project.

Illustrations by the author.

Photographs other than those listed here taken by the author.

Some of the paracord and hardware used in this book were provided by Pepperell Braiding Company.

To my stunning wife, Nikki.

CONTENTS

Preface

Introduction

PREPPING

1 FUNDAMENTALS OF SURVIVAL

2 ESSENTIAL TECHNIQUES AND TOOLS

Know Your Knots

Fusing Cords Together

Helpful Tools for Making Paracord Projects

Useful Accessories and Hardware

Organizing Your Paracord

3 PREP PROJECTS

Quick Deploy Paracord

Making Rope

Bracelets

Dog Leash

Equipment Sling

Water Bottle Holder

Drawstring Pouch

Monkey Fist

Multi-Tool Pouch

SURVIVING

4 FISHING AND HUNTING

Fishing Without Hooks

Fishing Without a Pole

Fishing Hooks

Paracord Lures

Fish Trap

Fish Lines

Fishing Net

Fishing Rod

Fishing Spear

Simple Rock Sling

Woven Rock Sling

Bola

Basic Snare

Spring Snare

5 MAKING FIRE

The Fire Triangle

Paracord Match

Paracord Tinder

Friction Fire

Fire Bundle

Torch

Drying Out

Straps for Carrying Wood

6 HEALTH AND EMERGENCIES

Handwashing Kit

Shower in a Bottle

Protecting Your Skin

Paracord Stretchers

Paracord Sutures

Cordage Splints

Paracord Tourniquet

7 CAMPSITES AND COOKING

Hanging Up Your Food

Camp Chair

Paracord Bed

Security Perimeter

Shelters

Cooking with Paracord

8 MAKING AND MODIFYING TOOLS

Repairing an Ax Handle

Making a Knife

Tool Loop

Knife Handle

Grappling Hook

Wood Ladder

Rope Ladder

Snow Shovel

Snowshoes

Pulley

Crossing a Frozen Body of Water

Collecting Water

9 NAVIGATION AND RESCUE

Compass

Drafting Compass

Trail Blazing

Drag Lines

Making Pace Count Beads

Signaling

Raft and Paddle

Depth Gauge

10 OUTSIDE-THE-BOX PARACORD USES

Miscellaneous Paracord Uses

Gear Repair

Glossary

Additional Paracord Resources

About the Author

Acknowledgments

Image Credits

PREFACE

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 ft. (24 m) of usable cordage! Of course, always keep in mind that some length will be lost to the knots that join the lengths of yardage together.

Type III 550 paracord with seven inner yarns.

I cut approximately 1 ft. (30 cm) of type III paracord and laid out the strands below the outer core. If you tie all these ends together, you will have close to 8 ft. (2.4 m) of cordage. Note: Some length is lost in the knots joining the yarns together.

True Paracord

Not all paracord is created equal. The kind of paracord that you want, and what is used in this book, is “mil-spec,” which means that it meets military specifications. Both the yarns and the outer sheath must be made of 100% nylon.

Some knockoff paracord is manufactured with a nylon sheath and inner strands made of polyester. Most people can’t tell the difference between polyester and nylon just by looking at them. Here is a quick test you can do to find out what you’re looking at. (But don’t do this in the store before purchasing it!)

All you need is a cutting tool and a lighter. When two pieces of nylon are melted and pushed together, they will stick to one another like glue. When a piece of nylon and a piece of polyester are melted and pushed together, they will not stick together. So, if you are unsure about the materials in your paracord, try this test. Never risk your life by using subpar materials.

PARA-TIP: Check for Strength

If you are reusing paracord, it’s a good idea to check its integrity first. Simply pull it through your hands and check the nylon sheath for any nicks or fraying. If you find a damaged section, cut it out or use the cord for a light-duty task.

PREPPING

1 FUNDAMENTALS OF SURVIVAL

Panicking is a natural reaction in a survival situation, but you can learn to let the panic pass.

To begin thinking like a survivalist, realize that you cannot control many aspects of your situation, especially past actions, both your own and those of others. You don’t have control over the fact that you turned right instead of left, for example, or that it is hot outside, or that a lightning storm is coming. All of those factors are out of your hands. The only thing that you have 100% control over is yourself and what you are going to do in order to improve your situation. So the first thing you need to do is calm down and get your emotions under control. Doubt, fear, frustration, anger, sadness—these emotions cloud your judgment and make choosing the right way forward harder than it has to be. Get rid of them.

Also realize that no matter how fit and tough you are, your natural first response in a survival situation is going to be to panic. The key to getting past panic is to not fight that feeling. Do not try to outrun the emotion. Instead, let the panic pass.

Assess Your Situation

Once you are calm, it is time to assess the situation. I like to think about my surroundings in terms of three zones.

ZONE 1

Zone 1 is you. You need to take into account everything that you have on your person that can be used for your survival. Turn your pockets inside out and take inventory of everything you have. No matter how useless an item may appear, do not discard it. Remember that what you have on you is all that you have to survive. Zone 2

ZONE 2

Zone 2 is the immediate area within your line of sight. Are there usable resources that you can see within walking distance?

ZONE 3

Zone 3 is any area beyond Zone 2. Typically, unless you are setting up camp for an extended time and may eventually run out of resources, this zone isn’t a factor. This is where you explore to find more available resources.

Survival Rules of Three

Knowing the survival rules of three will help you focus and set priorities. The rules of three are not absolutes; however, they give you an easy way to begin thinking about survival.

1. You can survive three minutes without air.

2. You can survive three hours without shelter (maintaining your core body temperature).

3. You can survive three days without water.

4. You can survive three weeks without food.

The Survival Pyramid

Along with the survival rules of three, another concept to keep you focused is what is known as the survival pyramid. It has three sections.

1. The base, which is the largest section, is the will to survive.

2. The middle section is your knowledge and skills.

3. The top of the pyramid, which is the smallest section, is gear and supplies.

Some people may think this hierarchy is upside down. They’re tempted to focus on their gear and supplies. But the most important aspect of a bad situation is your will to survive—your ability to keep putting one foot in front of the other in order to get where you need to be. You could have all the supplies you need at your disposal, but if you don’t have the will to survive, the best gear in the world won’t help much.

Gear and supplies can be lost or perhaps were never available in the first place. Knowledge and skills cannot be lost or taken away from you. Gear and supplies are last because without the previous two levels of the pyramid, your gear is going to be ineffective.

Train for the Survivalist Mindset

What if you had to find your own food in the woods and cook it?

Someone once asked me, “How can you possibly be prepared for everything?” The answer is, you can’t. But knowing the basics of first aid, navigation, getting food and water, dressing in proper clothing, and how to set up camp will help you in almost any emergency situation.

In addition to learning about survival techniques, it helps to rehearse “What if?” scenarios in your mind. For example, let’s say you are in a restaurant and a fire breaks out. What do you do? Do you know where the exits are located? What can you use to break windows or pry open doors if you have to quickly leave the building? Another example: Imagine you are rafting down a river. You hit rapids and your raft capsizes, leaving you stranded without your gear. What is on your person that you can use? Do you know where you can find safety? Training yourself to have a “what if” mindset can prepare you for the unexpected.

Your raft capsizes: now what do you do?

Stay Prepared with Emergency Kits

It doesn’t matter what you are doing or how close you are to civilization, you should always keep a “bug-out bag” for those just-in-case situations. It is important to never underestimate the distance between you and safety. With the ease of modern transportation and communications systems, people take too much for granted. They think help will always be available. They will say, “I’m only going fifteen minutes away,” or “It’s just ten miles away.” But I know people who have been stuck in their vehicles overnight in snowstorms, just a few miles from home. Always rely on yourself as your primary means of help and others as secondary.

Here is a list of items that don’t take up a lot of room and are easily carried. I consider this the bare minimum of what you should have with you as often as possible.

•Paracord

•A map of your area

•Compass

•Knife

•Multi-tool

•Drinking container (I prefer a metal one)

•Fire starting kit (lighter, matches, ferrocerium rod, tinder, fatwood—your preference)

•Extra set of clothes (weather appropriate for the season and region)

•Signal whistle

•Tarp

•First aid kit

2 ESSENTIAL TECHNIQUES AND TOOLS

Paracord comes in many colors and designs and is sold in tidy bundles.

There are so many types of knots, bends, hitches, and lashings it’s hard to remember them all. However, there are some knots that are especially helpful in a survival situation. They are worth the effort of learning by heart.

It can be frustrating when first learning to tie knots, but regular practice will make it second nature. If you are sitting down to watch TV, have a small length of paracord with you to practice your knot-making skills. Tying knots will eventually become muscle memory, and you will soon tie them without even looking.

Know Your Knots

Overhand Knot

Overhand Loop

Manharness Hitch

Fisherman’s Knot

Prusik Knot

Bowlines

Running Bowline

Triple Bowline

Honda Knot

Reef Knot

Hitches

Lashings

Overhand Knot

The overhand knot is one of the simplest knots there is. You probably already use it to tie your shoes.

1. Even though this is called the overhand knot, I have heard a few people refer to it as the “pretzel knot.” Loop and weave as shown.

2. Pull the end of the paracord to tighten the knot.

PARA-TIP: Knot Terms

•Hitches tie cordage to an object.

•Bends tie two lengths of cordage together.

•Lashings tie two objects together.

Overhand Loop

The overhand loop is a very quick means of creating a loop that can be thrown over an anchor point. Double over one end of the paracord and create a simple overhand knot.

1. Bring the end of the paracord around to create a U shape.

2. Grab the bottom of the U shape. Fold it over itself and through the middle to create an overhand knot.

3. Pull on the loop to tighten the overhand knot.

Manharness Hitch

This allows a series of non-slipping loops to be made along the length of the paracord.

1. Twist the paracord one time onto itself in order to create a loop.

2. Bring the top left side of the paracord down and lay it across the loop.

3. Twist the bottom half of the loop to create a smaller loop.

4. Take the smaller loop you just made and bring it up and through the top loop.

5. Pull the top loop through and slowly tighten the lower two loops. This is the most important step and needs to be done slowly and correctly. Doing this step incorrectly will result in a loop that is adjustable. Don’t worry if you have trouble with this step, it just takes a lot of practice. I still find myself messing this up and having to start over.

6. When all of the steps are done correctly, you will end up with a nonadjustable loop like this.

PARA-TIP: Fashion a Knot-Undoer

Some knots can become so tight that they seem almost impossible to untie. There are several tools that help in loosening stubborn knots, but if you find yourself in the middle of nowhere without any of those tools, you can easily make one from a small piece of wood. Use a cutting tool to sharpen the end of a stick. This end can then be pushed in between knots and used to loosen them. This can save you time and frustration, and prevent you from cutting precious cordage.

Fisherman’s Knot

The fisherman’s knot is a simple way of attaching two pieces of cordage to one another.

1. Take one end of the paracord and tie an overhand knot around the second piece of paracord. Tie an overhand knot in the same fashion with the other cord. Pull the two lengths of paracord away from each other to bring the knots together. It will help to tighten the first knot when it is made. The picture above is for demonstration purposes.

2. Since these are simple overhand knots, leave a little bit of paracord outside of the knot. This keeps it from coming undone.

PARA-TIP: Which End Is Which?

When learning knots, there are two terms that come up often that you should be familiar with: the standing end, and the working end. The standing end is the length of rope that is tied to an anchor, or bearing a load. This is typically the longer length of the rope. The working end is the end of the rope that is being used to tie a knot, or being worked with. It is typically the shorter length of the rope.

Prusik Knot

The Prusik knot is primarily used among climbers as a safety measure in arresting a fall. The loop with the fisherman’s knot is attached to your person. This knot is easily moved up or down the main climbing rope, but when pressure is exerted against it, the knot will grip the rope and not move. This can also be used as a climbing aid in a survival situation. When trying to climb up a rope, use the loop as a handhold to pull yourself up and slide the knot on the main line up as you progress.

1. Take a length of paracord and connect the ends in a double fisherman’s knot (pictured with the black paracord). Feed the ends of loop with the fisherman’s knot under the main line of cord.

2. Pull the left side of the loop, with the knot, over the main line and under the right side of the loop.

3. Slightly snug up the paracord and wrap the end of the loop to the left, over and under the main line, bringing it back to where it was. This begins the formation of the loops around the main line.

4. Make sure to continuously straighten lines as you go.

5. After making three passes, this is what the knot should look like. Be sure to snug this up as much as possible.

6. This is what the Prusik knot with the loop will look like when completed.

Bowlines

Bowlines make effective nonslipping loops at the end of a line. These can be used for rescuing someone or any other purpose where a fixed loop is needed. Remember that paracord should not be used as climbing rope unless it’s an emergency situation.

1. Shape the cord like the letter “e.”

2. Pass the working end up through the loop and under the standing end as shown. Be sure to hold the cut end where you want it so it doesn’t become too long after everything has been tightened.

3. Pass the working end back down through the loop. Then hold the bottom loop and the cut end of the paracord in one hand while pulling the top single piece of paracord with your other hand to tighten the knot.

4. The finished bowline. The fixed loop can be made to any size desired.

Running Bowline

In order to make a running bowline, first follow the steps to make a bowline (here). The long end of the paracord is then passed through the loop.

1. You will need to practice making the bowline before attempting different versions of it.

2. The bowline can now “run” along the main length of the paracord, creating a larger loop.

Triple Bowline

The steps in tying a triple bowline are almost the same as tying a regular bowline (see here). However, to start you will need to double over the paracord. The end result will produce three loops instead of one. This can be helpful for raising or lowering multiple items of gear.

1. Because the paracord is being doubled over, you will need more of it to begin with.

2. Bring the bottom loop up through the top loop.

3. Place the top loop behind the main body of the paracord.

4. Bring the loop down and through the middle loop. As this loop is brought through, hold onto the bottom loop as you tighten the knot. In the final step, you will see why this is important.

5. By holding onto all of the loops as you tighten the knot, you should end up with three loops of similar size. This may take a little practice to get just right.

Honda Knot

While you may not be familiar with how to make the Honda knot, I can almost guarantee you have seen it in action. This is the knot that is used to create an adjustable loop, like that used for a lasso.

1. Make an overhand knot toward the end of the paracord.

2. Make a small loop by passing the end of the paracord back over the main cord.

3. Push the cut end of the paracord through the backside of the loop.

4. Hold onto the loop you just pushed through with one hand, and in the other hand, hold onto the overhand knot end of the paracord. Pull the loop all of the way through to tighten the paracord onto itself.

5. The final step is very similar to the final step in the Running Bowline (here). Pass the longer end of the paracord through the loop, and you will now have an adjustable loop.

6. In step 5, the loop that is shown around the main body of the paracord is quite large. I did that for demonstration purposes. Generally, however, I make that loop much smaller. The above picture is more accurate.

Reef Knot

The reef knot, or the square knot, is used when you want to join two pieces of cordage of the same diameter. Other than the overhand knot, this is probably one of the most well-known knots. I use this knot often, and I think everyone should know it, as it is very simple to make.

1. The first step is to take the ends of two pieces of paracord and lay them over one another so that they form an X. Next take one of the working ends and go over and under the opposite cord so that it looks like the picture above.

2. Repeat the previous two steps with the working ends so that the same pattern is made above the first one. I used two different colors to help illustrate that the same-color working ends are pointed in the direction of the same-color standing ends.

3. Pull the working and standing ends of the same color to tighten the knot.

Hitches

Hitches are used to attach rope to a pole or post. While there are a variety of uses for hitches, I tend to use them as way of holding the paracord at the beginning or end of a lashing.

Half Hitch

The half hitch by itself is not all that useful, but variations of it are often used with other hitches or knots.

1. To form the half hitch, wrap the working end of the paracord around a piece of wood. Then take the working end under and over the standing end, threading the working end through the loop. From here, simply pull the working end and the standing end in opposite directions to tighten the hitch.

Clove Hitch

The clove hitch is effective when the load pulling against it is only doing so perpendicular to the hitch. Movements in any other direction tend to loosen the clove hitch. I usually use this as a temporary means of attaching cordage to another object.

1. Make one full turn around the piece of wood with the paracord so that the working end overlaps the standing end.

2. Make one more turn around the piece of wood with the working end and pull the end of the cord underneath the top piece.

3.