Survival Cordage : Paracord and Beyond!

550 Paracord is the ultimate survival cordage, right? 550 lbs. of strength, 7 inners strands, military approved... what else could you need, right? Everyone is carrying it, making bracelets out of it, lanyards, fobs, and more. Paracord is the ultimate, right? Or... is it?

Before we delve too deeply into the "great cordage debate", let's take a moment to note why this discussion is so important. You see, many "survival experts" have claimed that, perhaps second only to your knife, no other survival tool is more critical, more versatile or more useful in a survival situation than cordage. Whether this is a definitive truth or not, I think it is safe to say that this point could easily be argued.

Think about this for a moment: We depend on cordage almost daily even in non-survival situations. We may not think of these tasks as "using cordage", but technically they are. We tie our shoes with it, we floss with it, hold up our pants with it, walk our dogs with it, carry things around or neck with it, use it to sling purses, laptop bags and diaper bags over our shoulders (straps, frequently made from webbing, are a form of cordage), hang all sorts of daily use items (like bath brushes and scrubbers) from loops of it, put our hair up with it, cinch our hats under our chins with it, put on our seat belts in our vehicles... all of those things we do before we have even left our driveways to head to work!

Now that we can all see how useful cordage is for so many tasks, let's take a closer look at cordage types and uses. 550 paracord is by far the most popular and preferred survival cordage type. You can learn lots more about merits of 550 cord on our 550 paracord page . As useful and versatile as 550 cord is, is it truly the ultimate in cordage? Is it really the answer to all of your cordage needs? Well... perhaps not.

It is a myth that one single cord such as paracord can meet every conceivable survival need. As versatile as 550 paracord is, it absolutely has it's limitations. Paracord is absolutely a great thing to have on hand, tucked away in survival kits, EDC's, Bug Out Bags, etc., but a prudent survivalist is aware of the merits of other types of cordage as well. Paracord has earned its reputation as a solid cordage type, but to make it your go to cordage for all things survival would be naive. Actually, there are lots of great cordage types out there that can meet your various survival needs, and each has its own set of advantages and disadvantages.

Let's take a closer look at some of the limitations of paracord. For starters, while cordage in general fairly inexpensive, 550 paracord is not the cheapest of our cordage options. There are lots of other types of cordage available that are not only far more affordable, but are far better suited for certain tasks than paracord is. Like what you ask? Good question. Let's discuss.

For starters, not every "camp task" requires cordage with 550 lbs. of load strength. The vast majority of survival tasks can easily get by with far less robust cordage. How many times have you hung something from your pack that weighed 550 lbs.? How many survival shelters have you made with 550 lb. logs? You see... shelter making, pack strapping, trap making, survival fishing... all of these tasks can be accomplished with a much "lesser" cordage than paracord. Many of these tasks can be more effectively completed with bungee cords, webbing, braided fishing line, or the like... but for some reason we always picture using 550 paracord when accomplishing these tasks.

On the other hand, many more survival tasks require stronger cordage than 550 paracord. Climbing, repelling and hammock hanging (more on hammock hanging in a moment) demand a cordage much stronger than 550 paracord, in an "ideal situation". You would be better off completing these tasks with climbing rope, webbing, Amsteel, or even some scavenged steel cable or fire hose.

The type of task you will be using your cordage for will dictate what type of cordage would best suit the job required of it. For example, if you are using your cordage for a task that will require it to get wet, paracord is not the best cordage for that job. While you can fish with paracord in a pinch (using the inner strands), fishing line of some type would obviously much better. In fact, braided fishing line is great for other tasks besides fishing. "Bank line" is also a better choice since it is smaller in diameter and darker in color, making it more difficult for the fish to see.

Cordage for Hammocks

Cordage availability is going to be an issue in a survival situation. That's why it is a good idea to stock up on various types of cordage and include in your kits ahead of time. If you did not stock up on various types of cordage while "the grid" was still up, you will likely be limited in your cordage options. Even if you find yourself in this situation, it's not "the end of the world" (pun intended). This is why having a solid understanding of various types of cordage before hand is critical. You may not have Amsteel or webbing on hand when disaster strikes. If not, what if you have a task that requires something stronger than 550 paracord? What then? In a pinch, you can absolutely get more performance out of your cordage with a simple and obvious trick: Multiplying it. Double it up. Triple it up. Distribute the load with multiple strands of your cordage. After all, isn't that what most cordage is? Many strands of a material combined into a single cord?

You also have to consider the value of your cordage's multi-use qualities. For example, jute cord is a great light/medium use cordage with a great secondary use: it makes fantastic tinder. Dental floss obviously has an inherent hygienic use, as does fishing line. Duck tape has an endless list of uses, and wire has conductive characteristics that make it useful for more than just cordage as well.

Other Terrific Survival Cordage Types:

"Bank Line" or "Mason Line"
"Bank Line", as it is affectionately referred to in survival circles, is a nickname given to what is actually called nylon twine. This nickname came from it's popular use for fishing, but it is the same cordage used by masons ("mason's line"), kite string, and various other uses. Just as facial tissue is often referred to as "Kleenex", nylon twine is often referred to by one of these popular nicknames. In fact, the confusion this has caused for many has resulted in some survival experts claiming that "bank line" is difficult to find. It's not when you stop looking for "bank line" and start looking for "nylon twine" instead.

Nylon twine has several advantages over 550 paracord. It is less expensive, low stretch, resistant to moisture, mildew and rotting, and is more resistant to abrasion. It is typically 160 lb test, but it is offered in various strengths. Yes, 160 lbs. is less than 550 lbs., but honestly, most survival tasks don't require 550 strength cordage. So spread your money out a bit and use the right cord for the job.

Let's take a closer look at a fairly comprehensive list of great survival cordage options!:

Jute Twine
Terrific light to medium duty cordage. Terrific for making tinder!

Fishing Line
Braided, Monofilament, and Fluorocarbon... fishing line is a terrific light to medium duty cordage, but has great water resistance, low visibility and excellent for uses in fishing, trapping, snaring and perimeter alarms!

Amsteel
Heavy duty, small diameter, light weight, water resistant, favorite among hammockers!

Climbing Rope
Heavy duty, high stretch to reduce impacts in a fall, poor water resistance. Bulky and heavy, but obviously ideal for climbing and rappelling.

Webbing
VERY heavy duty. Frequently used for climbing purposes and has a very high strength rating usually starting at over 1000 lbs. and higher depending on the size of the webbing. Because of it's flat profile, special knots (like the water knot) are required for webbing.

NRS Straps (or other brand)
Also VERY heavy duty just like webbing as these straps are basically webbing straps with handy tension buckles. Made to be used in wet conditions, very low stretch, and are one of the most easily and quickly deployed cordage options as their buckles eliminate the need for knots in most applications. These are one of our FAVORITE cordage options for these reasons.

Steel Cable
Obviously the strength of steel cablel for it's diameter is nearly unrivaled, but steel cable is also less flexible, more difficult to tie knots in and heavy. Due to these shortcomings, steel cable is not nearly as versatile as many other cordage options in our view.

Dental Floss
Dental floss is obviously going to be a light duty cordage option, but don't underestimate it. Can be more versatile than you'd expect. No, not going to be your first choice for making zip lines, but many light duty tasks can be accomplished with dental floss. AND it comes in a handy little dispenser that is easy to toss in a kit!

Duct Tape
Alright... do we really need to spell this one out for you? We are certainly all famiiiar with the many merits of duct tape by now, but many of us neglect to consider it as a material to make cordage from or a solid replacement for cordage. Need to put together a quick survival shelter, but short on cordage? You could absolutely substitute duct tape for shelter making! You could even tear duct tape into strips, twist it and then braid these strands into cordage in a pinch!

Thread (Spectra and Kevlar)
Traditional sewing threads are common in survival kit sewing kits, but they are extremely light duty. A clever thing to do is replace the standard cotton (or other material) thread in these kits with a MUCH stronger thread like Spectra, Kevlar or even braided fishing line. You can do all of the standard sewing repairs with these specialized "threads" but also have a much stronger thread on hand useful for many more demanding tasks. While more expensive than standard sewing threads, Spectra, Kevlar and braided fishing line give you an extra edge in a survival situation.

Bungee Cord and "Shock Cord"
These unique cordages have one attribute that can either be an asset or a liabliity depending on how you leverage them: EXTREMELY high stretch. While this stretch is nice in applications like a cargo net that loosly retains gear and you can easily shove additional gear into that cargo net, if you are looking for a tight hold on gear or when fabricating, these stretchy cords will require you to stretch them to their maximum before they will hold firmly. Not to mention they are difficult to put a good knot in because of this stretch. You just have to choose carefully what you use it for, but I have seen some really clever and unusual uses for this stuff. For example, I have seen traps and snares with their "engine" designed around this stretch instead of using a bent over sapling or the weight of a rock or log! Very clever!

Zip Ties
Zip ties, in my view, are one of the most underated survival tools. I always keep a handful of them in my kits and even my EDC. They are SO handy, so quick to deploy and so versatile! They come in many sizes (and even colors) and can replace cordage on many occasions, especially for lashing needs. I have seen entire survival shelters built with zip ties instead of cordage! TIP!: Find yourself in a situation where your zip tie is not quite long enough to get around the circumference of what you are trying to lash? No problem! Just "zip" two or more zip ties together to make a longer zip tie!

Wire
Wire is another useful resource that can be used to improvise cordage in many applications. The other nice thing about wire is that it is literally all aorund us! It's in cars, homes, appliances and more! There are many kinds of wire used for many different purposes varying in material, diameter, solid core or woven, sheathed in rubber or unsheathed... You'll have to factor those properties into how you use your wire. Another nice thing about most wire is that it has "memory"... meaning that you can bend it and it will stay in the shape you bend it! This is useful for fabricating hooks, hangers, holders, supports, stabilizers, feet and more! And yes, it is also useful for the transfer of energy for electrical needs! Wire is an extremely valuable resource, so don't forget to thrwo some into your kit so it is there to factor it into your survival situation!

Extension Cords
Chain
Rubber Inner Tube
Leather Belts
Elastic Suspenders
Bag/Pack Straps & Belts
Improvised Cordage from Natural Materials
Improvised Cordage from Man-Made Materials (like tape, cloth, wire, etc.)
Fire Hose

Cordage Materials

Choosing the right cordage for the job is not as complicated as it might sound. It just requires a basic understanding of the of the strengths and weaknesses of your basic cordage types. Below is a very basic table of some common cordage types with basic characteristics and variables to consider

Cordage Safety:
ALWAYS test the integrity of your cordage before you trust your life with it. Make sure it is up to the task before you put yourself at risk using it. Using faulty or inappropriate cordage could result in severe injury or even death. This can happen by either supporting yourself with cordage and it failing, resulting in a fall, or by your cordage being asked to secure something beyond it's capability and something falling on someone. It is always better to use a stronger cordage than necessary than risk using a cordage that is not up to the task.

Knots Compromising Cordage Strength
Knot Alternatives
Carabiners, "Figure-9's" & Other Hardware (Shackles)

Improvised Block & Tackle

Improvised Survival Winches

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