How to Braid a Survival Bracelet

Most backpackers and those who enjoy spending time in the forests, hills and mountains are always mindful of carrying some basic survival items. This bracelet, while stylish and attractive, provides a number of basic functions that make it an essential for the well-equipped adventurer. The survival bracelet can provide replacement shoelaces when yours break. It can tie something together, immobilize a limb if you break a bone or provide a tourniquet if needed. By unraveling, it can even serve as fishing line or sewing thread.

Things You'll Need

  • Scissors
  • 10 feet of 550 paracord
  • Lighter
  • Tape measure
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Instructions

    • 1

      Using the scissors, cut a 2-foot piece of paracord from the end and fold it in half. Melt the two ends of the 2-foot piece with a lighter. Lay the cord over your wrist so that both halves wrap around your wrist. Slip the two free ends through the loop at the center and tie an overhand knot in the end. Make sure that you can slide one finger between the cord and your wrist.

    • 2

      Place the other 8-foot section of paracord horizontally in front of you with the center of the 8 feet of cord in front of you. Lay the 2-foot loop on top of the 8-foot piece in a vertical direction. Place the knot in the 2-foot piece at the bottom and the loop at the top. Make sure that the top of the loop extends beyond the horizontal line. The rope now looks similar to a T.

    • 3

      Grasp the cord on the right side of the loop and pull it down and over the looped cord. The cord on the left should still stretch out straight to the end and the cord on the right begins under the loop and passes over the loop ending on the left side. The rest of the cord on the right side passes back over the loop from the left to the right side and stretches out to the end. The cord on the right looks like a Z with the diagonal and base lying on top of the loop.

    • 4

      Take the end of the cord on the left and put it through the loop on the left of the looped cord. Guide the end from the lefthand side through the lefthand loop and under the looped cord and back up inside the loop on the right side. Pull the knot tight.

    • 5

      Check the knot at the end of the looped cord to ensure it will pass through the small loop left at the top of the looped piece.

    • 6

      Make an S over the looped piece with the cord on the left. Pass the end of the cord on the right down through the bottom loop created by the righthand cord. Wrap the end under the looped cord and bring it back up through the loop created on the left side. Tighten the knot. This completes the cobra knot.

    • 7

      Continue to make cobra knots along the looped cord until you come within about 1/4 inch of the overhand knot.

    • 8

      Check to see that the bracelet fits your wrist by wrapping it around your wrist and pushing the overhand knot through the loop in the end. You can adjust the fit of the bracelet by moving the overhand knot up or down. The proper fit should allow the bracelet to fit snugly against the skin but not too tight.

    • 9

      Trim the ends of the looped cord after you make the fit adjustment. Use the lighter to melt the ends to avoid unraveling of the cord.