Please note: This article is written by ‘Above Average Joe’ and was originally seen on SurvivalLife.com.
Last week a friend of mine saw the paracord lanyard that I keep on my keychain and asked what it was for.
I explained a little history of paracord and told him and many of the different ways that it could be used.
I told him (jokingly) that there were over 100 different uses for paracord.
He laughed at me and said that if I could list off 100 uses he would take me out to my favorite steak joint and buy me dinner.
What he failed to say was that I couldn’t have help getting the list together.
I’ve come up with a list of 80 things so far and I need your help to find the other 20 (or more!)
Here is what I have so far:
1: Tie tarp to trees
2: Lanyard to hold items (knife, keys etc)
3: Emergency para cord wrist band,
4: emergency snare (from one of the strands inside)
5: Fishing line (from inner strands)
6: Boot laces
7: Floss with the inner strands
8: Dog lead
9: Emergency suture ( from inner strands)
10:Wrap knife handle
11: Bow drill
12: Clothes line
13: Improvise a seat by lashing a long log horizontally to 2 trees
14: Emergency repair for sail while sailing/canoeing
15: Belt for your trousers
16: Hang kettle/cooking pot over a fire
17: Emergency sewing thread (from inner strands)
18: Make a fishing net from inner strands
19: Make into a net hammock
20: Improvise a sling
21: Hobble your horse
22: Perimeter trip wires (attach to tin cans or anything to make noise)
23: Watch strap
24: Rig up a quick bow stringer when you’ve forgotten yours…
26: Carry gear on your back when you don’t have a rucksack
27: A platypus hose cleaner(by tying granny knots in it and pulling it through.
28: Tie house keys to forgetful children.
29: Emergency tow rope – admittedly you need several strands but it is surprising what a few together will hold!
30: A pulley line for dragging big bits of wood up the side of a hill
31: A standby strop…. for polishing a razor
32: A skipping rope for kids (needs a heavy knot in middle)
33: Hang mesh frames for propagating plants in greenhouse.
35: Rudimentary swing for the kids as and when they become bored.
37: Abseil down a cliff edge
38: Headband/ hair tie
39: Bundling around firewood for easy carry
40: Tie on to a sled so you can drag it during the heavy snow.
41: Hang a light over the designated latrine for night times
42: Replace a snapped pull string on older lights.
43: improvise a fuse
44: hanging mirror or other large objects.
45: Use as strap wrench or Spanish windlass
47: Improvised bore snake for cleaning a firearm
48: Make a tire swing
49: Hanging your hammock
50: Hang an emergency whistle round your neck
51: Pull cord for chain saw
52: Pull cord for boat engine
53: Pull cord for lawn mower/ weed eater
54: Emergency Tourniquet
55: Tying down & Securing the straps & belts of rucksacks when travelling
56: Replacing a drawstring cord in a rucksack or on gaiters
57: Tent guy lines.
58: Tying your rucksack to something solid with sophisticated bushcraft knots outside a shop.
59: To tie down a rucksack lid should one or both buckles break.
60: To make an improvised stretcher by lashing poles together and making a net.
61: To lash poles together to make a shelter
62: To lash a blade to a long pole in order to use as a spear(for emergency hunting).
63: To wrap a mini maglite handle for grip
64: For lowering equipment/packs down cliff edges.
65 :Creating a snare
66: Entertainment during stressful times ( tying and untying knots can take your mind off of your current situation)
67: Replacing a broken handle on a knife or machete
68: Create a bow string for a bow and arrow
69: Hanging a kill or your rucksack out of reach of animals at night
70: Mooring your boat to a dock
71: Replace a broken water ski rope
72:teaching yourself to tie lifesaving knots
73:use it to collect water ( tie a knot and place inside a plastic bottle, hang from a rock or damp surface area and the water will collect on the cord and drip into the bottle)
74: Help climb a tree, place around the tree to add more grip
75: Use it to make improvised snow shoes
76: make a sling for killing small animals
77: create a bullwhip for defense or entertainment
78: create trot lines for fishing
79: create a gill net for fishing
80: lash together multiple pieces for a stronger cord
That’s all I can come up with, so far…
Can you help me enjoy a steak dinner?
Leave your suggestions in the comments below!
Need more suggestions? Here’s another 50 uses for paracord that you may not know to get you started.
Author Bio
The ‘Above Average’ Joe is a guy with an exceptional passion for learning. He has always had an interest in finding uncommon uses for everyday items and believes that if you can’t find at least three uses for a single item it isn’t worth having. Joe started down the path of survival and preparedness several years ago and treats every day as a learning experience.
Joe is excited to share the things he learns from his own personal experiences and research with the Survival Life community, and strives to ensure that every “average Joe” has all of the information they need to be confidently prepared in this unsteady world that we live in.
Survival Life is more than just one man. It is a growing and living community of individuals with the desire to be prepared to survive and thrive, no matter what this world throws at us. You can follow Joe by subscribing to his newsletter on the SurvivalLife.com homepage, or by following him on Facebook.
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