# Question about paracord.



## Raven (Jan 20, 2006)

I've heard that not all paracord is the same. That civilian paracord, while more common, is not as strong as official military paracord.

Id like to purchase the strongest paracord possible, for my hurricane kit, so any info, on this subject, would be appreciated.


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## DUQ (Jan 20, 2006)

There are mostly two available. 550lb 7 strand and 450lb 4 strand. 550lb being the strongest of course. You can get it form hundreds of store online but I would get it from Lighhound----> Lighthound Paracord


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## Raven (Jan 20, 2006)

Some parachute shops call it MIL-C-5040H, so is that what most 550 cord is?


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## Jumpmaster (Jan 20, 2006)

You could always get Spectra or Kevlar...It's used in sport parachuting quite a bit -- higher strength than standard 550...

JM-99


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## fasuto (Jan 20, 2006)

A good source to buy it is from
http://www.supplycaptain.com/

I bought a month ago and i'm very satisfied.

Also lightbound sells 450 in a lot of colors


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## amlim (Jan 20, 2006)

sorry for the dumb question. what is paracord used for? i see it being mentioned as essential stuff for emergency bail out bag. thanks.


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## jtice (Jan 20, 2006)

You want the 7 strand 550 lbs test cord.

Get it at...
www.ubraidit.com
www.countycomm.com
www.supplycaptain.com

You should not have to pay over 7 cents a foot.

~John


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## Jumpmaster (Jan 20, 2006)

Spectra and Kevlar are stronger than 550 cord.

Depends on your application, I suppose...I make my lanyards out of 550 cord -- for higher strength applications, Spectra.

JM-99


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## MicroE (Jan 20, 2006)

amlim said:


> sorry for the dumb question. what is paracord used for? i see it being mentioned as essential stuff for emergency bail out bag. thanks.



Not a dumb question. 
Paracord is an all-around great material for tying things up. Think of it as twine that is REALLY strong. Or think of it as a strong rope that is really thin. 
The key to 550 paracord is that each foot equals 8 feet of good twine. 
It is composed of a hollow woven nylon tube that is quite strong. Inside the tube are 7 internal "threads" that are also quite strong on their own. Together, the hollow tube and the internal threads can hold 550 pounds.
In a survival situation, you could pull out one of the internal threads and use it for a fishing line. Or you could use one thread to tie up a tarp shelter.

450 cord has only 4 internal threads.---Marc


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## Deanster (Jan 20, 2006)

Exactly right - the big thing about the 550 7-strand paracord is that it breaks down into amazingly useful components. The whole paracord is good for 550lbs (working load lower, of course). Then the outer sheath by itself is very supple, and good for something like 200lbs. 

The seven internal strands are good for light twine or very heavy thread usage, and each of those breaks down into (3?) fineer strands which are good for all kinds of normal thread-type uses. I understand they've been used for stitches, repair work on tarps, cloth, etc, and for snares, and other outdoor needs. 

Even a few feet of 550 cord will supply an amazing amount of material for various emergency/survival needs. 

The 'civilian' clothesline-style cord doesn't have all the layered cords, just a weak outer sheath, and a fuzzy bunch of hair-thin fibers inside - USELESS for any of the above needs.


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## AESOP (Jan 20, 2006)

amlim said:


> sorry for the dumb question. what is paracord used for? i see it being mentioned as essential stuff for emergency bail out bag. thanks.


 
As the name implies, it was originally used in military parachutes. What you use it for is only limited by your imagination.

Michael


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## Raven (Jan 20, 2006)

Well, I'm already beginning my prep work for the next hurricane season, and a few hundred feet of paracord might come in very handy.


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## GarageBoy (Jan 20, 2006)

Just remember, it won't hold up a person if you're rappeling,etc


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## carrot (Jan 20, 2006)

DUQ said:


> There are mostly two available. 550lb 7 strand and 450lb 4 strand. 550lb being the strongest of course. You can get it form hundreds of store online but I would get it from Lighhound----> Lighthound Paracord


I ordered some 550 OD paracord from Lighthound. It's the civillian stuff, thin hair-like fibers inside. Still handy though. Does LH even sell the 7-strand stuff?


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## Jumpmaster (Jan 20, 2006)

Paragear has the mil-spec 550 in limited colors:
www.paragear.com
Item: W9690 -- TYPE III NYLON CORD
White, black, OD green, and red.

JM-99
(Not affiliated with them...I've ordered from them before...)


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## AESOP (Jan 21, 2006)

I have also dealt with ParaGear and would recommend them.. They also have a great selection of the stronger lines as well.

I have also found lots of the mil-spec 550 cord on eBay.

Michael


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## amlim (Jan 21, 2006)

GarageBoy said:


> Just remember, it won't hold up a person if you're rappeling,etc


 
why not? its called 550 lbs paracord. or is you must use a minimum number of paracords to hold 550 lbs? thanks.


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## amlim (Jan 21, 2006)

thanks to all who have kindly replied. cheers :rock:


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## Deanster (Jan 21, 2006)

Amim, it looks like others answered you privately, but I'll just put it on here for everyone. 

550lbs is the rated BREAKING strength of the line - the amount of static weight that it will hold before breaking under ideal conditions. Safe Working Loads are generally considered to be 10% of Breaking strength, and that goes down a bit more if you're using block and tackle, or knots, or running it around corners, or whatever. 

Real-world, dynamic situations are so much more stressful, and having loads drop because of line failure is so bad, that the 90% cushion is absolutely required. If you're doing things that involve suspending people, or suspending objects over people, or anything that relates to safety, it's not a bad idea to cut that in half again - that's one of the reasons that strength ratings on carabiners and other climing gear is so high - the idea is that even a maximum real-world dynamic load comes nowhere even CLOSE to the breaking strength of the gear involved.


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## offroadcmpr (Jan 21, 2006)

Jumpmaster said:


> Spectra and Kevlar are stronger than 550 cord.
> 
> Depends on your application, I suppose...I make my lanyards out of 550 cord -- for higher strength applications, Spectra.
> 
> JM-99



Where can you find spectra cord? Most climbing shops have it in 5.5mm for climbers, but I thought that paracord was thinner, like around 3mm? Or am I just not thinking right now?


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## DUQ (Jan 21, 2006)

I just measured my boot laces (which are OD parcord) and they are 5mm.


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## Jumpmaster (Jan 21, 2006)

offroadcmpr said:


> Where can you find spectra cord? Most climbing shops have it in 5.5mm for climbers, but I thought that paracord was thinner, like around 3mm? Or am I just not thinking right now?



Paragear also sells quite a few varieties of Spectra.

JM-99


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## MicroE (Jan 21, 2006)

I recently bought a 1200 foot roll of 550 paracord on Ebay for $35.


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## GarageBoy (Jan 23, 2006)

What deanster said..yea, if you rappel with paracord..the shock will cause it to snap


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## amlim (Jan 25, 2006)

Deanster said:


> Amim, it looks like others answered you privately, but I'll just put it on here for everyone.
> 
> 550lbs is the rated BREAKING strength of the line - the amount of static weight that it will hold before breaking under ideal conditions. Safe Working Loads are generally considered to be 10% of Breaking strength, and that goes down a bit more if you're using block and tackle, or knots, or running it around corners, or whatever.
> 
> Real-world, dynamic situations are so much more stressful, and having loads drop because of line failure is so bad, that the 90% cushion is absolutely required. If you're doing things that involve suspending people, or suspending objects over people, or anything that relates to safety, it's not a bad idea to cut that in half again - that's one of the reasons that strength ratings on carabiners and other climing gear is so high - the idea is that even a maximum real-world dynamic load comes nowhere even CLOSE to the breaking strength of the gear involved.


 
hi deanster, thanks for the helpful explanation. that means the safe load is 55 lbs. right?


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## Blades (Jan 25, 2006)

I have been looking for some 4mm or 5mm emergency cord. I saw it years ago, and it was suppose to be good for a "one time" emergency rappel. It might be kelvar or spectra cord, I don't know. 
Maybe someone has an idea. I'll go check Ebay.


Blades


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## Blades (Jan 25, 2006)

Anyone know about this cord??
CMC Pro Series Rit Line, item # 292005 
Weight: 1.57 lbs. / 100 ft. Temperature Rating: 900º F
Diameter: 5.6 mm MBS: 2,285 lbs.
CMC's new ProSeries RIT Line is 100% aramid fiber
link on Ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/CMC-Pro-Series-...213802071QQcategoryZ50816QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


Blades


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## thatguybme (Feb 8, 2006)

Ok.. someone set me straight... Northern Tool has 'paracord' which is 1/8" wide in various colors (black, white, camo).. seems to be the paracord described above...

Is this the same as para/550 cord?


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## ghostrider (Feb 8, 2006)

thatguybme said:


> Ok.. someone set me straight... Northern Tool has 'paracord' which is 1/8" wide in various colors (black, white, camo).. seems to be the paracord described above...
> 
> Is this the same as para/550 cord?


I went to thier site and didn't find it. Any chance of a link?

Do you understand what 550 is? This place has a pretty good close up pic. 

550 that is commonly referred to is all nylon construction, and has 7 separate inner strands with an outer shell that is tightly woven. Some of the lesser quality 550 will have inner strands that are more woven not separate. More like a bunch of fibers. It’s 3mm or 1/8 inch although the way its made can vary it‘s density making some feel thinner. The nice thing about 550 para cord is that the tightly woven outer shell resists fraying better than much of the accessory cord which usually isn’t woven so tightly. Hopefully someone else will come along to better help you.


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## parnass (Feb 8, 2006)

jtice said:


> You want the 7 strand 550 lbs test cord.
> 
> Get it at...
> www.ubraidit.com
> ...



John,
Thanks for the references. After reading your posting, I bought paracord from Supply Captain:

http://www.supplycaptain.com/store/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_ID=6

They shipped immediately via US Mail and I am satisfied with the product.


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## thatguybme (Feb 9, 2006)

The Northern tool cord looks to be the same as described here, but no where in the package does it mention 550. I will go by there sometime this weekend and get the manufacturers name/id number..


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## 22HERTZ (Feb 13, 2006)

This is supposed to be good stuff, although I have no experience with it.


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## scott.cr (Feb 14, 2006)

Oooh, I get to use my day job (military contractor) in my hobby forum, neat.

MIL-C-5040H not only covers strength, it also outlines manufacturing processes. This spec was obsoleted in 1997 and it is literally for "braided nylon cord."

The actual specs of MIL-C-5040H have probably been converted straight to ASTM specs, which is what happens to many MIL-SPEC definitions that the military discards.

Now the actual definition of MIL-C-5040H isn't just the strength, it's also the material and manufacturing method. This code means the base nylon cord must have a minimum melting point of 244 degrees C, is wet-shrunk at water boiling temp, not stretched, not bleached, etc.

In my logbooks I see the prices Uncle Sam paid for this stuff, and it is NOT cheap. Lengths of 100,000 feet have been sold for up to $5/foot, which in those quantities is sky-high. And these are competitive bids, so probably not ripoff pricing either.

Just thought you guys'd get a kick out of some "MIL SPEC" factoids.


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## Sturluson (Feb 14, 2006)

:huh: that is truly frightening...I've paid $ .06 per foot for small quantities (100 ft.) of new, genuine 7-strand 550 paracord. In greater quantities it's even *cheaper*.


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## StandOnGuard (Feb 19, 2006)

In my limited personal experience, I've seen "paracord" with 5 and 7 strands, straight and woven. If you want to be able to retrieve single strands for whatever purpose (sewing, flossing your teeth), of course you want the straight strands. But intuitively, I'd figure woven strands would make the paracord stronger.

I've found that paracord has a tendency to come untied, not as much as nylon twine, but more so than natural twine.

Aramid is a manmade fiber with flame and heat resistance. I've tried to cigarette burn my aramid jacket, to no avail. :laughing:


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