Paracords have been around since World War II because they’re so darn helpful. Originally used for parachutes, the paracord has evolved into many functions and uses. It’s why many preppers wear paracord bracelets wherever they go.
Here are 8 reasons why you need paracord in your life:
It’s Strong
Since paracords are made of nylon, they are elastic and can stand against pressure and force. A paracord is made up of 7 smaller, interwoven strands that you can take apart and use for additional cordage. There are a lot of paracords available in the market, but the aptly named 550 (Type III) cord is the most common and has a minimum tensile strength of 550 lb.
It’s Lightweight
Paracord is easy to carry around. In fact, you can easily weave it into a paracord bracelet and “release” or unravel it when the need arises. Paracord can also be woven into bags, belts, and lanyards that you can use to carry around other things.
You Can Do A Lot of Things With a Paracord Bracelet
With a paracord bracelet, the sky’s the limit. Because it’s strong, elastic, and lightweight, there are literally a hundred situations where it can come in handy — from everyday tasks to survival situations.
Here are some of them:
Practice Life-Saving Knots
Your paracord would be ten times more useful if you knew how to tie knots with it. It may sound simple and basic, but you don’t want to end up in a situation where you can’t come up with a good knot when you need one. With your sturdy paracord, you can practice tying reliable knots for survival and everyday use.
Build a Shelter
Paracord is extremely useful in making shelter. You can use it to lash pieces of wood and tarp together to build shelters like an A-frame or a basic lean-to. Paracords are essential in constructing tarp shelters. Find out more about tarp shelters in this article.
Start a Fire
When you find your matches soaked or your firestarters gone, you can unravel your paracord bracelet to make a primitive bow drill and start a fire from scratch.
Administer First Aid
There are a lot of medical uses for your paracord — from ID bracelets to sutures. In emergency situations, for example, excessive bleeding can cost a life. Your paracord can be used as an emergency tourniquet, slowing blood flow from a wound until help arrives. In cases of sprains or even fractures, you can also use it to make temporary splints to immobilize a body part and prevent further damage.
Hunt for Food
With the inner strands of your paracord, you can make a pretty effective survival fishing lure. This is useful when you’re having a hard time catching live bait.
Need to hunt game? You can also turn your paracord bracelet into a net to catch your dinner or use it to make a survival bow. Setting up snares is also easier if you have a paracord handy.
Once you’ve made the catch, go ahead and tie the animal up with your paracord, too. You can also whip up your paracord to carry multiple things all in one go.
Make a Sturdy Handle Wrap
Get a better grip on your knife or axe handles by making a wrap from a paracord. A better grip means better movement, dexterity, and comfort when using your tools.
Final Thoughts
There are tons more things you can do with a paracord bracelet. If you don’t have it yet, it’s high time you got yourself one. No prepper should be without a paracord! They also come in all shapes and sizes. Besides bracelets, you can wear a paracord as a belt, replace your shoelaces with them, or tie them to your backpack.
Like any other survival tool, the more you practice with paracord, the more confident you’ll be in using it for your ever-changing needs.
