Paracord, or parachute cord, features a fibrous core surrounded by a woven nylon casing. This cord is capable of holding up to 550 lbs. of weight on its own, giving it the name 550 paracord. Don’t confuse 550 cord with 450 cord, which will only hold 450 lbs. and is thinner. While 550 cord is extremely useful as a single cord, you can weave it into a thick, strong rope capable of holding up to 1,000 lbs.
Things You'll Need:
- Twist Tie
- Scissors
- 550 Paracord
- Lighter
Cut about six times the length of paracord that you want your rope to be. For instance, to make a 50-foot rope, you’ll need about 300 feet of cord. This seems excessive, but the tight weave you’ll be using justifies this amount of cord.
Find the center of the cord and fold it in half. Measure the desired rope length starting from the fold down the length of the paracord. Mark the spot with a twist tie, tying the two sides of the cord together. In this case, you’ll want to measure 50 feet down from the fold in the cord.
Bring the loose ends of the cord down on either side of the large loop created by the twist tie. From left to right, the cords are A, the central loop and B. Bring cord A to the left under the central loop and over cord B. Bring cord B to the right over the central loop and up through the loop created by cord A.
Tug cords A and B tight, snugging them into a half-hitch knot right under the twist tie. Continue tying half-hitch knots this way all the way to the end of the central loop. Tie the ends of the cord in a double knot around the end of the central loop. Melt the ends of the cord and the loop together with a lighter. This prevents your rope from unraveling.
References
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