Paracord rules. It’s got so many uses that we couldn’t help but make another post about some of the cool stuff you can do with paracord.
Paracord is short for “parachute cord,” which has become a general term- what you buy in the store isn’t necessarily made for parachutes!
Paracord is an incredibly versatile material that’s worth having on hand when SHTF. It can be used on-the-fly as a solution for many issues. Paracord can help you build a shelter, fix your gear, even saw down a tree!
So we’ve combed through the thousands of uses for paracord and come up with some really cool ideas and some great paracord projects. We hope that you can find something in this list of paracord projects that you’ll enjoy. And don’t think this is the last you’ll hear from us about how great paracord is!
Here are a few examples of the many paracord projects that you can try out:
Paracord Survival Bracelet
One of the most common uses for paracord is in making survival bracelets. Paracord bracelets are made out of several feet of paracord, which can then be unraveled in case it’s needed for any outdoor activities like camping or hiking where rope might be necessary. Here’s how to make one:
- Get a set of plastic or metal buckles and attach them to the paracord, sliding them to measure the size of the Bracelet on your wrist.
- Loop two strands of paracord through the buckle, so that you have to strands of paracord laying flat.
- Bring the strand of paracord you want to be the center color across the top.
- Wrap the second strand of paracord over the top of the first strand, then pull it through the loop that the first piece of Paracord made.
- Pull the two pieces of paracord tight, and start the braid over again. Bring the first strand of Paracord across the top, and wrap the second strand of Paracord over and around the back of the bracelet, and bring it through the loop.
Emergency Knife Handle
In a pinch, paracord can serve as a handy knife handle. If you have a gear malfunction, or you are using a rock or stick as a makeshift knife, then you need a good handle. Simply wrap paracord tightly around and tie off at the butt end to make a nice handle that will be a whole lot better than nothing.
Paracord Clothesline
This one might seem obvious to you, or it might not have occurred to you. It certainly didn’t occur to us. You can use paracord anytime you need to dry your clothes, whether it’s in a SHTF survival situation, or you simply can’t or don’t want to use your dryer. Just string a length or paracord between two trees, make sure there’s a bit of breeze outside, and hang out your clothing to dry.
Paracord Friction Saw
The friction created by a 550+ Paracord is enough to cut down a tree with enough time and effort. If you’re absolutely desperate and you don’t have any other tools (which you should in your bug out bag!), you can use the friction created by paracord to cut down a small tree. Just put a length of paracord against a tree, grab both ends, and saw away. Gloves would be a good idea unless you’re a big fan of blistered hands. It’s a lot of energy to expend, so we don’t think it’s the best idea- but keep it in the back of your head just in case.
Paracord Paddle Wrap
If moving by water is part of your bug out plan, then wrapping a kayak paddle or canoe paddle in paracord can make long-distance trips a bit easier on your hands. Be sure to give this a try recreationally before you plan on doing it in a survival situation, since it might work for you or it might now.
Paracord Bow Sling & Bow Handle Wrap
Just like wrapping a canoe or kayak paddle, if a bow is part of your bug out bag, wrapping your bow handle might make it more comfortable. But try this in target practice first, so that you can get the hang of whether you like it or not. Something that you should definitely look at is making a sling for your bow out of paracord. Even if you already have a dedicated sling for traveling with your bow, it can always break. Learning how to tie up your bow with paracord so that you always have a makeshift sling is a handy skill to have.
Bug Out Bag / Pack Strap
We always try to choose the best gear possible, but the fact is that sometimes things just break. Paracord is your best friend when things start to break! If your bug out bag or backpack strap snaps, you can wrap some paracord around the pack and have a makeshift strap in minutes. It’ll last while you figure out a permanent solution.
Paracord Belt
You can easily make a belt in the same way that you can make a paracord bracelet, or you can just loop paracord around your belt loops a few times and call it a day. Nobody wants to worry about their pants falling down when SHTF.
Survival Shelter With Paracord
We’ve got a whole page about making survival shelters with paracord and tarps and other super basic materials. You should always have your tent if you’ve out in the wilderness, but things happen and sometimes you need to do your best with whatever you can. Paracord can serve as an excellent skeleton for a survival shelter. Once you tie up some paracord, you can lay tarps, boughs, sticks, etc. on top and make an A-frame survival shelter. A length of paracord can make a big difference!
Paracord Firewood Carrier
If you find yourself off-grid or outdoors in a survival situation, gathering firewood or other material can be made a whole lot easier if you fashion a carrier out of paracord. Simply wrap a bundle of wood with paracord, tie it off, and sling it on your back. It’ll help you save energy, and therefore, precious calories.
Paracord Fish Net
If you find yourself outdoors, building up a food supply is going to be a priority. You can weave a fish net out of paracord and use it to catch fish in shallow water or in rivers. It’ll take some practice, but it’s worth learning how to weave a net. You’ll probably want to include some paracord in your survival fishing kit just in case.
Paracord Dog Collar
If you’re a dog owner, a fun and easy DIY paracord project is to make a paracord dog collar. A paracord dog collar is super easy to make, just use the same method as the Paracord Survival Bracelet to make yourself a length of paracord that’s long enough for a dog collar. You’ll tie on buckles just the same as a bracelet or paracord watchband. Then you’ve got yourself a paracord dog collar!
DIY Paracord Lanyard
Just like a dog collar and a wristband or watchband, it’s super easy to make a paracord lanyard as a DIY paracord project. Just use the technique we described up in the wristband section, but don’t close the loop. A lanyard can come in handy, so we recommend keeping a paracord lanyard as a paracord keychain. That way, when you have a paracord keychain you’ll always have paracord with you. This is a fun, multi-function DIY paracord project.
Prepper Base's Paracord of Choice
You can pick up some paracord below, these guys are some of our favorite manufacturers and we’ve been using some of their paracord for years.
Paracord Zipper Pull
Now this is one of our favorite projects because it’s a paracord project that requires very little skill. All you need to do is get some paracord and make sure you have a perfect wrap into a zipper loop, and then tie the paracord off in a knot. A simple project like a zipper pull might not seem like the most brilliant of paracord ideas, but it’s a paracord project that’s useful, quick, and fun. This is definitely one of the easy paracord projects.
Paracord Tent Rigging
In a pinch, you can use paracord instead of tent rigging in order to secure your tarp or tent. this might be one of the more advanced paracord projects, since you’ll need to adapt your tent or structure your rigging to make sure that your tent is still going to stand up to the elements. Try practicing this one!
And We Are Just Getting Started
This is just the beginning. We have even more ideas for paracord uses, and in time we’ll be publishing them all.
We’ll go beyond things like a paracord belt and paracord bracelet, and get into some more complicated and badass paracord projects. Paracord keychains are fun but a paracord bullwhip is way cooler!
There are also some more advanced DIY paracord projects that we especially enjoy, like making a paracord wallet or paracord pouch. A paracord wallet or paracord pouch is a lot more advanced that a paracord bracelet project, which many of these paracord projects are based on. So we will get into more advanced paracord projects like the paracord pouch and paracord wallet in another post.
Paracord is an incredibly useful survival tool, and every time we have a fresh idea we are going to make sure we publish it.
