Prepare Yourself - Project 2 - Survival Bracelets

Well, I'm hoping you had plenty of time to try out Project 1 - Firearm Finishing, or are obtaining the necessary supplies to start the Project. Its now time to discuss different survival techniques that can and will come in handy in the event of a Zombie Apocalypse, natural disaster, mass destruction of the Union, a camping trip, getting lost in the mountains or being stranded on an island. Actually, I have found these survival bracelets handy in many different instances around the house and city, maybe you need to tie something down on the go and don't have access to rope. This project is fun and a necessary skill to learn. You have probably seen these Paracord Bracelets, Survival Bracelets or Cobra Knots as they are called by different people, no matter what you call it or where you get it, it serves one purpose, to store a substantial amount of rope in a fashionable accessory, quickly and easily accessible from your wrist.

Legend has it that these bracelets were first invented by our troops in Desert Storm. Paracord is used for many odd jobs around base where our troops are stationed and it comes in handy for almost anything. The reason why it is used as a rope substitute is simple, it does not fade, it does not rot or mildew, it floats on water, and it has a 550lb breaking point per a single cord. Your average bracelet will produce 10' to 15' of rope when taken apart. With that said paracord might just become your new best friend! Doubling and tripling up paracord or tying specific knots with it, just makes it that much stronger. I've seen some wild projects using paracord, toe straps to pull Army Jeeps out of quick sand, belts, hammocks, guitar straps, bracelets, necklaces, watches, weapons (monkey's fist), cat toy, and more! The possibilities are endless and the uses are limitless, it comes in any color imaginable and many different variations of camo's, multi-colors and stripes, it is also cheaper than most string and rope used for similar purposes. 100' runs about $8 to $10 with 300' running $12 to $15. It can be purchased in 25', 50', 100', 300' and 1000' increments from many different suppliers. The best place to obtain paracord locally is any Army Surplus store and sometimes craft stores will have a small selection. Online there are many suppliers but my favorite is Parachute-Cord.biz a sister website of Armed Forces Outfitters. This is my favorite because they offer 80 different colors and patterns, a few different sized buckles for bracelet projects, and they ship quickly for a great price! Honestly, their selection and service can not be beat by any of the other suppliers on the web.  Amazon also offers a small selection in different lengths, search: parachute cord.

Project 2 - Survival Bracelets

There are hundreds of different styles to choose from when tying these Survival Bracelets, for simplicity and to teach you the basics we will be tying the most basic of all knots, and the easiest to untie in the event that you need rope. This is the original bracelet that started it all! Note, all other knots for creating survival type bracelets and accessories are not made to be untied, some are made to add strength for tasks like towing a car, while most are purely for looks. If you are wanting to make a true survival bracelet, that looks good, and can be untied when needed, this is the knot to tie.

I purchased a Paracord Starter Kit from Cheaper Than Dirt to learn the art of paracord knot tying. It included, 50' of Black Paracord, 3 or 4 buckles and instructions to create these bracelets. These instructions are by far the best I have found to date so I have included them here. First, you will need to pick the colors you would like to use, for this project, the bracelet can be made from one or two different colors, no more. You will also need a buckle of some sort, 1/2" and 5/8" work best for these size bracelets. Remember, click on any picture to view an enlarged copy.

My collection of Paracord that I use for bracelets and other projects.

Different size buckles. The bags are full of buckles from Parachute-Cord.biz. They come 50 to a bag for $5.

Alright for the instructions. I forgot to mention you will also need some way to measure your wrist, a measuring tape of any kind will suffice. Measure your wrist and then on the chart below, find that measurement and use the lengths provided to cut your paracord appropriately.

Now follow the steps in the pictures provided to create the bracelet. Written Instructions and photos are included.

  

When done the finished product should look like these

Some of the paracord bracelets I have made, notice some have buckles and some have ball and loop knots on the ends. This is an example of another style of paracord knot. I will discuss advanced paracord knot tying in another project toward the end of the month.