Paracord

[Andrew Middleton]

Hello, this is my first posting on this website (any website in fact).

Can anyone point me in the direction of 550 paracord? The stuff I always seem to come across is inadequate "paracord-like" nylon.

Cheers

[Martyn]

I've got a couple of different tyupes myself, and I'm not sure which is which. I've got some very flat stuff with fluffy fibres in the middle from silvermans, but it seems cheap and not very wear resistant (it goes all hairy very quickly). I've got some other stuff which seems much better quality but it came bundled with something else.

What exactly is 550 paracord?

EDIT/ reading up, it seems that 550paracord has seven strands inside like this picture...


This is definitely different to the stuff I got from silvermans. I too would like to know where to get it from.

[Celtic Dragon]

Try Attleborough Accessories at www.attacc.com they sell paracord on huge spools.

HTH
Simon

[giancarlo]

Had a hard time finding that on that site Simon!
this it?
Field line (half way down)
only cord i could see on there.. so guess so.. looks good.

most of my paracord is the same cheap stuff which seems to fray with the smallest of use :-x

cheers
Carlo

[Celtic Dragon]

Aye thats the stuff. Looks like para to me. Aternativly you can find a old chute and get yourself a shelter and paracord at the same time.

Simon

[Martyn]

Thanks, but they just seem to have something called "field line" - which I suspect, is the same fluff filled cord I got from silvermans. The thing with the pukka paracord, is that it can be gutted and the insides used for other stuff.

EDIT/ oops, seems we posted the same response while I was looking. Note to self, refresh page before replying.

[martin]

Field line is different to paracord. It doesn't have the inner core. It is not as hard wearing as paracord but a lot cheaper, I got 100m for 12 quid. O.K for practicing with, but I wouldn't push it too far.

[Andrew Middleton]

Thanks for all the tips. I like the idea of getting an old chute. At least that will guarentee the cord is paracord!

Next question: anyone know where to get an old chute from?

[Tony]

You will have a hard time getting a chute these days, the best thing to do is call all the surplus stores you think you can get to and see what they have. At the moment the French chutes and the Cargo chutes are the only ones about, if your lucky! The other problem with them is that it is illegal to sell them with the para cord still on so it gets stripped off and the main chutes are sold. Your options are to tear the chute apart or try to buy some from somewhere else. I would go for the latter. One of the reasons that chutes are getting rare is that they are being stripped down as they are worth more as para cord and fabric.
The smaller chutes make great shelter for a small group :-D

[Justin Time]

The bloke at http://www.strikeforcesupplies.co.uk was saying (At the gathering) that he was intending to get paracord in by the spool. It might be worth giving him a ring.

Justin

[gurushaun]

Try www.paragear.com , they sell all sorts of genuine para cord up to 1000kg and above and all sorts of kevlar and spectra line. They also sell used canopies which you can spilt down into sections, so if one or two people get together they can split the cost of a 'chute. If anyone is interested I'd be glad to split postage on an order, or split a reel of 550. If they only post to the US I also have a brother who lives in Washington DC who can forward anything on.

Cheers

Shaun

[Martyn]

I was hoping for something UK based. I hate paying through the nose for shipping, especially for something as vbasic as string.

though this looks OK...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...category=16042

[ChrisKavanaugh]

True paracord has a static strength of 550 lbs, 7 inner strands cased in a braided nylon sheath. As a survival item you can remove the inner strands for sewing, fishing,snares and fine lashing. There are many shoddy imitations with solid or braided 3 strand inner cores. If you use it have a care melting the ends. This stuff can readilly drip molten drops onto careless users with nasty burns resulting.

[alick]

Guys - Most of the so called "paracord" I've ever found in the shops is rubbish. I suggest going to any shop that sells climbing kit and asking for accessory cord.

This is a bit nerdy but in case anyone's interested :

"Accessory cord" is normally nylon (polyamide) because it will stretch and absorb shock.
Anything 3mm and above is made "kernmantel" style - i.e the white stranded core that provides the strength, wrapped in a woven sheath that provides the wear resistance and handling.

Minimum breaking strengths are typically :
3mm = 180Kg = what I use instead of paracord.
4mm = 330Kg
5mm = 580Kg
6mm = 750Kg
7mm = 1050Kg
8mm = 1400Kg
9mm = good enough to save your neck falling off a rock face

2mm is good for putting lanyards on light stuff like whistles and compasses. It's good for 70Kg though, so it's strong enough to strangle you and too strong to snap bare handed.

Generally you buy by the metre off the roll. Watch out for the price - 40m x 2mm or 20m -30m x 3mm can sell for under a fiver, but some people mark it up pretty heavily.

Exotic spectra or dyneema cord is v dear, but gives an amazing 1800Kg tensile strength in a 5.5mm dia cord which doesn't stretch.

Cheers

[Steffan]

I haven't tried this stuff but I noticed that SASS are selling 'paracord' at £24.50 for 100m - it doesn't say whether it is 550.

http://www.sass-kit.fsbusiness.co.uk...ival/index.htm

Look down the page a little on the right - sadly no picture.

Cheers

Steffan

[Raz]

Has anyone heard of a 6 inner cord variant? How is the quality?

I've round someone who gets it directly from the MOD, and he sells it on for about £16 inc. postage, per 200m.

[Ross]

I get good paracord from Army surplus stores (H.M. Supplies). this is the stuff with seven internal strands and is very strong. for thicker stuff (e.g the tarp ridge cord) i go to a local marina store and they have a large selection.
Hope this helps!
Ross :-D

[george]

Alick

your post beat me to it.

Accessory cord from climbing suppliers is definetly the easiest way to find good quality stuff.

If you want a choice of colours then there's generally loads to choose from.

I'm not someone who reckons that everything I use should be O.D. so I like to have a few bits of bright colours around me, I always use brightly coloured cord for guy ropes so people dont trip over them - bright lanyards help when I drop something in the leaf litter in the dark as well.

That said you can get some accessory cord in all sorts including black and camo - you might have to look hard for a supplier though

George

[Martyn]

I think I may have found a source for the pukka stuff in the UK.

Braided With Thin Inner Cord For Use As Thread Or Fishing Trace

It's not cheap at £4 for 15 metres, but if it's the real deal it's cheaper than importing it.

http://www.the-outdoor.co.uk/ishop/853/shopscr312.html

I'll let you know if it's the 5 strand or 7 strand stuff when it arrives.

[Stew]

What makes you think that's the good stuff compared to any others? I've just had a quick look around and there's others that seem the same but have a 250 kilo breaking strain.

[Martyn]

Most of it isn't the 550 cord. It's the stuff with a fibrous inner, not stranded inner. At least this stuff would appear to be stranded. I've been looking for a source of genuine 7 strand, 550 paracord for ages, yeah the breaking strain is quoted as less than 550Lbs - dunno, let you know when it arrives.

[Stew]

Ok. Was just curious because the description didn't seem to be anything special.

I think when someone does find a source that it'll go very quickly when announced on here!

[Lithril]

K not sure if its the genuine stuff but I've just bought what was advertised as paracord at http://www.cotswold-outdoor.com/ for £2.50 for 15m

[Martyn]

OK, got my paracord from http://www.the-outdoor.co.uk/ishop/853/shopscr312.html today, as a refresher, it was £4 for 15m. It says 50Lb breaking strain on the site, but the packaging says 50kg plus. True 550 paracord has a breaking strain of 550Lb hence the name. Anyway, here's a pic...



The stuff at the top is what arrived (5 strand), the stuff in the middle is true 550 paracord (7 strand, sourced from the US) and the stuff on the bottom is some cheapo rubbish badged as paracord from silvermans.

The cord that arrived today is way better than the cheapo silvermans rubbish, but not the quality of the true 550 cord. It will do, it's worth knowing about if all you can find is the cheap stuff. I'm still looking for a UK source for real 550 paracord though.

[Stew]

Does the 550 always have the denser/finer outer sheath than the 5 strand stuff? Might be an easy way to tell what type it is in the shop.

[Martyn]

Does the 550 always have the denser/finer outer sheath than the 5 strand stuff? Might be an easy way to tell what type it is in the shop.

Good question and I think maybe it does. I've a few short lengths of 550, of varios colours (manufacturers?) that have come with bits and pieces. It all has the tighter weave on the outside, it feels quite "round" and firm, compared to the cheaper stuff (which feels a bit baggy and flat). Whether you can reliably tell what it is from that, I dunno. But this stuff that's just arrived, is the best (from the UK) I've seen to date.

[bothyman]

http://www.camping-supplies-uk.com/s...istlescord.htm

This place claims to sell 250kg paracord anyone bought any of it from them.

I bought some stuff and it was not a bit like the older stuff I have .
The Paracord I bought a few years back was a lot thicker, but I can't remember where I bought it.
The new stuff I got looks like it is not even fit to use as a washing line.

If the bcb in the url is anything to go by it may not be what it seems,
as I think that is the same stuff mine is branded as.

[Powderburn]

Does the 550 always have the denser/finer outer sheath than the 5 strand stuff? Might be an easy way to tell what type it is in the shop.

Good question and I think maybe it does.

I'm not a paracord expert, but all the real stuff I've ever used has the tightly woven outer sheath as shown in Martyn's picture.

The cheap junk is quite common over here, too, so don't feel bad. :wink: I guess we are lucky that the good stuff is fairly easy to find. Just FYI, the last bit I bought a few months ago in a B&M surplus store was $.08 per foot. That should help you guys get an idea if you're paying a fair price when you run across the real deal.

Why do you gents suppose it is so hard to find real paracord on your side of the pond? So many people want it that it makes sense for smart dealers to stock it.

[Stuart]

Hmmm intresting Gary has a british army parachute cannopy with some of the lines still attached and these lines have four inner strands and are white with short black stripes

[EdS]

why not forget about paracord and buy static caving rope.

9mm has a breakin strain of 23kN (2.3tonnes) and 8mm around 20kN at 80 -90p per metre.

It also is fairly uneffected by water, pretty abrasion resistant, handles and knots well. Plus you can bung it in the washing machine (on delicated of course).