Paracord bracelets are stylish, come in many colors, and can save your life. Who knew that a DIY Paracord Bracelet scored so high on the list of must-have survival gadgets? Apparently, lots of people are aware of it. The tightly woven bracelets, made out of 550 cord, are used by survivalists, campers, hikers, climbers, and others who love the outdoors. The bracelet is made with 10-15 feet of cord that can be unraveled when needed. The inner cord can be gutted out. This allows for even more cord length that can be used for building shelter, fishing, or many other tasks. Paracord bracelets are invaluable in emergencies.
Making these bracelets has become a very popular craft among males. Men and boys enjoy making and wearing them. Kurt Walchle shares how he invented the bracelet. In 2005 he fixed his watchband using paracord. It got so much attention that he started making the watchbands and bracelets to sell on eBay. He has countless stories from individuals who have used the bracelets in an emergency. One story involves a soldier who credits the bracelet with saving his life and bringing him back home.
The parachute cord was originally used in parachute suspension lines. Astronauts used this cord to make repairs to the Hubble Space Telescope on the 82nd mission into space. Today it is used as an all-purpose utility cord. It also continues to be used by several military units where light cord might be needed. Typically it is used to harness equipment, tie-down rucksacks, secure camouflage net, and so forth. It can even be used as a pace counter when threaded with beads. This allows for the estimation of ground that has been covered in feet.
The cord is lightweight nylon so even the 15 feet of cord that makes up a bracelet is not heavy on your wrist. The bracelets are relatively easy to make. Since they first came about many people have turned paracord bracelet making into their full-time business. Author, J.D. Lenzen, makes online tutorials and posts them on his YouTube channel, Tying It All Together. He states that the Cobra knot is the most popular knot and the easiest.
You can follow the instructions below to make your paracord bracelet. Be sure to purchase your paracord from a reliable seller. It needs to be military-issue or Type III which can hold up to 550 pounds per strand. Cheaper paracord is weaker an will not provide the security that the bracelet is meant to. Three online sources to try are Armed Forces Outfitters, Inc, The Supply Captain, or Survival-Pax Co.
To make your bracelet you will need 10-15ft of paracord, a lighter, and a side release buckle or steel shackle. Choose whichever color cords you like.
1. Fold the cord in half evenly. Bring the cord through the shackle from behind. Thread the two ends through the loop that you made to create a girth hitch.
2. Measure how long you want the bracelet. For example, a woman’s bracelet would be six inches. Fold the cord at the 6-inch mark. Separate every long string and fold it back beside the short string it corresponds to.
3. initial two knots make the base of your bracelet. Start by taking the longer right cord and wrapping it behind the remaining cords, leaving a small loop at the start. Thread the end of that cord through the loop and pull it snug.
4. Repeat this process using the left cord and pull both of the long cords tight. Push the knots up to the shackle. Now you have a solid base to continue repeating the knotting process.
5. When you reach the point where you have less than an inch of middle cords, make you final knots and create a slipknot. Thread the remaining loops into the shackle or side buckle. Use a lighter to burn the ends and your paracord bracelet is done.
