para-cord bracelet

by Carl Rooker
(Michigan)

A recent and popular survival idea is the Para-cord bracelet. A simple bracelet made by brading 550- 7 strand para-cord. Many are made without any other device on them. The buckle is a simple loop and knot arrangement.

Aside from looks, this bracelet allows one to carry between 6 and 10 ft. of para-cord with them in a very easy fashion. 550 para-cord has a tensile strength of 550 lbs. It can be broken down into 1- 7to10 ft peice of 300 lb cord and 7 peices of 35 lb cord with a total lenght of about 50 ft. This can be further broken down to about 100 ft of 17 lb cord.

Cordage is very useful in a wilderness survival situation. Can be used to help make shelter, fish line, traps, tools, repair clothing, and many other uses.

You can look up on line how to make these bracelets.

However, I went somewhat more sophisticated. I used a band for the foundation of this bracelet, and added;
1. a plastic buckle with a whistle incorporated
2. a small compass
3. a small bag of fish hooks, and about 10 ft of monofiliment, laid against the back of the plastic band and succured by the para-cord
4. 2 fire starters made of plastic straws filled with vaseline soaked tissue paper. Fits under the band of the compass, and helps to stabilise the compass
5. 5 paper matches and striker in a small plastic pouch made from a part of a plastic bag and tape. I was going to try the "strike anywhere" matches, but realised that the wood matches would break. The paper matches are flexible. I secured these the same way I did the fish hooks.

I was concerned about having some kind of water purification (tablets, or container to boil), but of course there is not much room for these. I realised that I would not be going into the wild without some type of container to begin with, and even if I did not have one and needed it, I could make a pot out of a piece of wood and the fire, into which I could put water and heated rocks to boil the water.

So, in a small bracelet I have;

1. a signaling aid
2. a navigation aid
3. fire
3. cordage of several grades that can be used for the purposes I described above
4. the ability to make fishing and trapping gear.

This is all in a package that I could take anywhere without difficulty.