Paracord Tricks

Paracord, a strong rope that many hikers keep with them before heading into the wilderness, can serve as a valuable survival tool should a hiker end up lost. Rather than carrying a large spool of cord, hikers can braid paracord into useful items—allowing a large section of cord to be stored in a compact fashion.

  1. Cobra Braid

    • A cobra braid is a simple braid used to create a key chain from one piece of paracord. A section of paracord is cut by the braider and folded in half. The bend in the cord is then passed through a key ring, which is slid approximately one-third of the way down the length of the folded ends of cord. The two loose ends are pulled down tight against the ring, creating three sections of cord hanging down from the key ring: the center piece, consisting of the two sections of cord running from the bend to the key ring, and the two outer pieces of cord, consisting of the ends of the cord (one end each hanging on the left and right, respectively).

      To make a braid, the braider passes the left loose end over the center section, then takes the right loose end and passes it over the portion of the left that has crossed the center, behind the center section, and through the loop formed between the left and center sections when the left section was bent across. The knot is then pulled tight and repeated, until a long, flat key chain is made.

    Barrel Braid

    • A barrel braid is a simple braid used for storing a lot of cord in a key chain; however, it utilizes two even pieces of cord instead of one. The cords are laid out flat, in the shape of a cross, creating a set of four loose ends arranged like a compass, with the cord running north-south atop the cord running east-west. The barrel uses a series of box knots, completed by passing the west end over the north end, the north end over the east end and the east end over the south end. The south end is then passed over the east end, where it has crossed over the south end, and through the loop created in crossing the west end over the north end; it is then pulled tight. As the knot is repeated, the cords will create a spiraling pattern, which forms a cylindrical key chain.

    Rifle Sling

    • A paracord rifle sling is a great way for a hunter to carry his rifle, as it allows him to carry into the field a great deal of cord—approximately 40 feet, depending on the specifications of the rifle. As with the cobra braid, the cord is first folded in half. Both pieces of cord are then grabbed near the knot and formed into a loop, so that the portion of cord that extends past the loop comes together until the bend in the rope is just long enough to slip over the end of the rifle. Once the location of the loop is set, the braider simply grabs both pieces of cord from the loose end and pulls a section through the loop—creating, in turn, a new loop. This simple loop-pulling process is completed until the ends of the cord are pulled through the loop. The ends are then tied to a rifle's strap clip, and the loop created by the bend in the rope is passed over the end of the rifle.