Many people may not be familiar with the term ‘paracord’ but for sure you’ve seen them in the outdoor section of department stores, or maybe you even have one as a bracelet or a keychain. Paracord is short for parachute cord which is a lightweight nylon kernmantle rope. It was called such because originally, the paracord was used in suspension lines of parachutes.
However, the uses of this cord have now evolved and it’s being utilised for many purposes. Paracord was even reportedly used during the 82nd Space Shuttle Mission by astronauts to repair the Hubble Space Telescope! If you’re going on a venture abroad or heading into space, you may want to consider bringing some with you. Here are a few ways you can use this multitasking piece of your kit.
Rescue
Because the paracord is a lightweight rope, you can easily carry it with you, maybe braided into a belt, a bracelet, a keychain or in just rolled up in your pack. In emergency situations, this rope can be used as a rescue line if someone has fallen too far for your to grab them, is in trouble in water, or stuck and needing help for some other reason.
First Aid
The paracord can be used to make a sling, splint, or tourniquet in case of an accident. This can help secure the broken bone or stop blood loss before emergency responders arrive at the scene. The inner threads of a paracord can also be used as a suture to stitch up wounds in severe emergencies. You can even create a makeshift stretcher using a paracord to transport people.
Protection
A paracord can be used to create a trip line or even a makeshift barrier in case you need to spend the night in the outdoors. This can help disorient potential predators and prevent them from entering your campsite.
If you have a pet with you like your dog, you can use this as a leash to prevent your dog from wandering while you are asleep.
Another use is to tie up bag zips so it makes it harder for people to steal your kit.
Gathering and Cooking Food
You can use the inner threads of the paracord as a fishing line by using a drink can tab as a hook and putting worm or grub as a bait. If you need to catch a lot of fish, the paracord can also be fashioned into a fishing net so you won’t need to worry about honing your spear-fishing skills!
The paracord can also be used to create a snare or a trap when hunting for food on land. When cooking, you can use it to hang your pots over the fire. You can even use it to hang your food on top of the trees so hungry predators will not steal your food.
Shelter
The paracord can be used in putting up your tent and securing it to the ground. By braiding it for extra strength, it can also be used to make a hammock by tying two ends of a tarp with paracord on two trees.
In case of rain, you can use this to secure tree branches together to make a roof over your head. You can also use the paracord to tie your items to a tree to get them off the ground and away from insects.
If you want to learn more about wildlife and travelling to Africa, send us a message today. We’ll tell you all about how you can plan your adventure!
