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And I'm not talking about making these survival tools/fashion statements out of some puny cordage that you wouldn't even fly a kite from... no sir. I am talking about the survival standard of cordage: seven strand 550 parachute cord.
Why is this "550" cord such a big deal in the survival circles? Well, because it is the real deal. For starters, it has endless uses. And, it is called "550 cord" for a very good reason: A single intact strand of this cord is capable of holding 550 lbs.! And don't be fooled by the imitation cord with the crappy single core. Don't settle for anything less than the cord with the seven individual strands! These strands can be removed from the outer sheath of the cord and used individually as fishing line, for example.
Each of these seven strands is capable of supporting 35 lbs. and the sheath itself can support the remaining 305 lbs., totalling 550 lbs.
While seven strand 550 cord is the industry standard, There is also an eight strand cord that I particularly enjoy using. This adds an additional 35 lbs. of strength to the cord giving it a rating of 585 lbs.! Not necessary, but kind of cool. For many projects you can also use some other types of cord like lacrosse lacings or bead tying cordage. This stuff is great for smaller more detailed items and for lighter load bearing survival situations (fishing line or snare making).
So, am I preaching to the choir with all this paracord talk? Maybe you have some of this stuff already, perhaps tucked away in your garage already? Great... but what good is it going to do you if it is stashed away in your garage and you end up in a survival situation? You need solution for keeping this stuff on you at all times! You need to turn your paracord into a survival bracelet!
But you don't know how you say? No problem. We can help with that. Just take a look at our tutorial below!
Survival Bracelets Tutorial
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