Lou McLeod: 80 Uses for Paracord

80 Uses for Paracord was originally published on Total Survival

80 Uses for Paracord

What Did I Miss?

Last week a friend of mine saw the paracord lanyard that I keep on my keychain and asked what it was for.

I explained a little history of paracord and told him and many of the different ways that it could be used.

I told him (jokingly) that there were over 100 different uses for paracord.

He laughed at me and said that if I could list off 100 uses he would take me out to my favorite steak joint and buy me dinner.

What he failed to say was that I couldn’t have help getting the list together.

I’ve come up with a list of 80 things so far and I need your help to find the other 20 (or more!)

Here is what I have so far:

1: Tie tarp to trees

uses-paracord-tent-strap
2: Lanyard to hold items (knife, keys etc)

uses-paracord-lanyard
3: Emergency para cord wrist band

uses-paracord-bracelet
4: Emergency snare (from one of the strands inside)

uses-paracord-snare
5: Fishing line (from inner strands)

uses-paracord-fishing-line
6: Boot laces

uses-paracord-boot-lace
7: Floss with the inner strands

uses-paracord-floss

8: Dog lead

uses-paracord-dog-lead
9: Emergency suture ( from inner strands)
10:Wrap knife handle

uses-paracord-knife-handle
11: Bow drill

uses-paracord-bow-drill
12: Clothes line
13: Improvise a seat by lashing a long log horizontally to 2 trees
14: Emergency repair for sail while sailing/canoeing

15: Belt for your trousers

uses-paracord-belt
16: Hang kettle/cooking pot over a fire
17: Emergency sewing thread (from inner strands)

uses-paracord-thread
18: Make a fishing net from inner strands
19: Make into a net hammock

uses-paracord-hammock
20: Improvise a sling

uses-paracord-sling
21: Hobble your horse

uses-paracord-horse-hobble
22: Perimeter trip wires (attach to tin cans or anything to make noise)
23: Watch strap

uses-paracord-watch-strap
24: Rig up a quick bow stringer when you’ve forgotten yours…

uses-paracord-bow-stringer
26: Carry gear on your back when you don’t have a rucksack
27: A platypus hose cleaner(by tying granny knots in it and pulling it through.

uses-paracord-hose-cleaner
28: Tie house keys to forgetful children.
29: Emergency tow rope – admittedly you need several strands but it is surprising what a few together will hold!

uses-paracord-tow-rope
30: A pulley line for dragging big bits of wood up the side of a hill
31: A standby strop…. for polishing a razor
32: A skipping rope for kids (needs a heavy knot in middle)

uses-paracord-jump-rope
33: Hang mesh frames for propagating plants in greenhouse.

uses-paracord-plant-pot-hanger

34. Bear bag

uses-paracord-bear-bag
35: Rudimentary swing for the kids as and when they become bored.
37: Abseil down a cliff edge

uses-paracord-abseil
38: Headband/ hair tie

uses-paracord-headband
39: Bundling around firewood for easy carry
40: Tie on to a sled so you can drag it during the heavy snow.

uses-paracord-sled
41: Hang a light over the designated latrine for night times
42: Replace a snapped pull string on older lights.
43: Improvise a fuse
44: Hanging mirror or other large objects.
45: Use as strap wrench or Spanish windlass

uses-paracord-strap-wrench
47: Improvised bore snake for cleaning a firearm

uses-paracord-bore-snake
48: Make a tire swing
49: Hanging your hammock
50: Hang an emergency whistle round your neck
51: Pull cord for chain saw
52: Pull cord for boat engine
53: Pull cord for lawn mower/ weed eater

uses-paracord-pull-cord
54: Emergency Tourniquet

uses-paracord-tourniquet
55: Tying down & securing the straps & belts of rucksacks when travelling
56: Replacing a drawstring cord in a rucksack or on gaiters
57: Tent guy lines.
58: Tying your rucksack to something solid with sophisticated bushcraft knots outside a shop.
59: To tie down a rucksack lid should one or both buckles break.
60: To make an improvised stretcher by lashing poles together and making a net.

uses-paracord-stretcher
61: To lash poles together to make a shelter
62: To lash a blade to a long pole in order to use as a spear(for emergency hunting).

uses-paracord-spear
63: To wrap a mini maglite handle for grip

uses-paracord-flashlight
64: For lowering equipment/packs down cliff edges.
65: Handcuffs for bad guys

uses-paracord-handcuffs
66: Entertainment during stressful times ( tying and untying knots can take your mind off of your current situation)

uses-paracord-pastime
67: Zipper pull

uses-paracord-zipper-pull
68: Ladder

uses-paracord-ladder
69: Hanging a kill or your rucksack out of reach of animals at night
70: Mooring your boat to a dock
71: Replace a broken water ski rope
72: Teaching yourself to tie lifesaving knots

uses-paracord-knots
73: Use it to collect water ( tie a knot and place inside a plastic bottle, hang from a rock or damp surface area and the water will collect on the cord and drip into the bottle)
74: Help climb a tree, place around the tree to add more grip
75: Use it to make improvised snow shoes