Knot as easy as it looks
September 2, 2010 10:09 AM   Subscribe

Stormdrane's blog details some of the amazing things you can do with paracord. [previously]
posted by quin (17 comments total)

This post was deleted for the following reason: it is terrific but we saw it a few years back. -- jessamyn



 
I have never heard parachute cord referred to as "paracord" before. How embrassing.
posted by gum at 10:15 AM on September 2, 2010 [1 favorite]


Macrame is back!
posted by boo_radley at 10:16 AM on September 2, 2010 [2 favorites]


This is a double -- the "Parachute cord" link in your "previously" goes to the same blog.
posted by vorfeed at 10:18 AM on September 2, 2010


I'm surprised how cheap paracord is: about $15 to $30 for 100' at REI. Is it particularly stretchy?
posted by Nelson at 10:22 AM on September 2, 2010


I love all various kinds of rope, paracord is great lightweight stuff. I also of course love tying knots in said ropes. This looks like fun.
posted by MrBobaFett at 10:27 AM on September 2, 2010


The results are quite lovely, and dare I say dainty at times?
posted by 2bucksplus at 10:27 AM on September 2, 2010


I use a length of paracord to keep the eyepiece covers for my binos hitched to them. No fancy knots, though. Useful, tough, and not stretchy.
posted by rtha at 10:27 AM on September 2, 2010


Nelson you can also get it pretty cheap online if there is no REI near you. I've ordered it from WilsonTactical in the past.
posted by MrBobaFett at 10:29 AM on September 2, 2010


Macrame is back!

Oh my, how embarassing. Can't have the latest craze in the urban warrior/mall ninja/tactical operator craze having such a clear connection to a past hippy fad!

I hereby dub it - TACTICAL KNOTTING.

Or, perhaps, TAC-RUH-MAY.
posted by de void at 10:34 AM on September 2, 2010 [7 favorites]


err, replace 2nd "craze" with "culture"
posted by de void at 10:35 AM on September 2, 2010


macramazing!
posted by Eideteker at 10:39 AM on September 2, 2010


Paracord is great stuff. Possibly its best feature is that it's cheap enough that you don't feel bad about just cutting off a piece when you need to tie something to something else. It's durable but also consumable, in a way that more expensive cord and rope doesn't feel like it is. No one should ever go camping without a longish coil of paracord somewhere about their person.
posted by rusty at 10:43 AM on September 2, 2010


...No one should ever go camping without a longish coil of paracord somewhere about their person.

Ahem. (makes furtive adjustment to crotch).
posted by de void at 10:45 AM on September 2, 2010 [2 favorites]


I prefer Kevlar Kite String for all my string-tripod needs. The paracord is probably meant to have some bounce to it, kevlar paracord might really rattle your bones when the 'chute opens. Kevlar is the material of choice for ridged stability.
posted by StickyCarpet at 10:49 AM on September 2, 2010


Having gotten tired of breaking shoelaces, I started using paracord in my sneakers. Now I don't expect shoes to outlast the laces.

Paracord has some flex, but not at shoelace-tying levels of force -- it's a lot less stretchy than things intended as shoelaces.
posted by Zed at 11:08 AM on September 2, 2010


Zed: "Having gotten tired of breaking shoelaces, I started using paracord in my sneakers. "

This is paracord's One True Civilian Use. I have shoelaces I'm going to pass down to my grandkids cause it doesn't fray and you can just melt it to make aglets.
posted by boo_radley at 12:58 PM on September 2, 2010


it's a lot less stretchy than things intended as shoelaces

I realize that adding that bit distracted from the point -- it has no flex at all as a shoelace and this has made me realize in hindsight that pretty much all other shoelaces are annoyingly stretchy.
posted by Zed at 1:41 PM on September 2, 2010


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