Paracord – What Is Paracord?

what is paracord?
What is paracord?

Paracord’s origins come the parachute suspension lines in WWII era parachutes.  Paratroopers, who had easy access to it very quickly found iit useful for large range of applications, for example, affixing gear to their rigs or fastening camouflage netting.  From these simple beginnings paracord spread to all branches of the military as well as civilian use.

The outer nylon sheath is braided from 32 strands and the core contains multiple woven strands of two-ply yarns. The type of cord determines the number of strands in the core. The most common paracord found is a Military Type III cord — also called “550 cord” — which contains 7 inner strands and has a minimum breaking strength of 550 pounds.


In recent years in particular, the survival and prepping community has seen the potential of this material, and it has created a wildfire of an industry overnight for it. Several companies have begun producing everything from bracelets to leashes out of woven paracord that can be unwound when they’re needed. These innovative designs can pack several hundreds of feet into a practical application that can actually be used up until the point that it is needed for something else.

Paracord can be bought in camping stores, army shops, military base shops, climbing shops, various sports shops. Usually craft stores do not have a supply of it around. A great way is also  Amazon , which you can use to get a wide selection of 550 paracord, as well as any other paracord supplies you might want or need, such as buckles and shackles for bracelets, clips for paracord belts and any other supplies you can think of.

When shopping for paracord you should always be sure that you are purchasing from a reputable website. This is going to ensure you that you will only be dealing with the real Paracord, and not the fake kind, which many websites still offer despite knowing that it isn’t up to scratch. If you’re serious about survival you should always purchase the highest quality you can afford.