Another paracord question

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bivouac

Forager
Jan 30, 2010
234
2
Three Counties
Is all paracord pretty much the same quality-wise? I use bungees with an old basha but i'm looking to save a few ounces and replace them with guylines on the corners. Is there such a thing as good quality low-stretch paracord or would any old cheap paracord from the local camping shop be ok? Would it be worth spending the extra & go for dyneema?
 

spandit

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 6, 2011
5,594
308
East Sussex, UK
It's designed to stretch and it soaks up water too. There's thinner, cheaper, better stuff out there for guylines. Dyneema is overkill, IMHO
 

spandit

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 6, 2011
5,594
308
East Sussex, UK
People have an obsession with paracord - I presume because a lot of the bushcraft stuff stems from military survival handbooks, where paracord was a readily available resource (if you'd just parachuted in). It's strong and easy to use, but not that light and it's overkill for guylines. Cheap Nylon cord would serve you well - I replace all the guylines on my tarp with paracord then changed them back again as it was far heavier than the originals they came with.
 

bivouac

Forager
Jan 30, 2010
234
2
Three Counties
It's designed to stretch and it soaks up water too.

I wondered about that. That could be why everything sags by the morning. I bought dyneema & lineloks for the guylines on the bivi poles & now everything's nice and taut with the bungees on the corners, but dyneema's not cheap if i used it all round. Thanks for the advice.
 

shaggystu

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Nov 10, 2003
4,345
33
Derbyshire
People have an obsession with paracord - I presume because a lot of the bushcraft stuff stems from military survival handbooks, where paracord was a readily available resource (if you'd just parachuted in). It's strong and easy to use, but not that light and it's overkill for guylines. Cheap Nylon cord would serve you well - I replace all the guylines on my tarp with paracord then changed them back again as it was far heavier than the originals they came with.

Couldn't agree more, in fact, I went so far as to write an article on my blog on this very subject. It's here if anyone fancies a read; http://stuartsgettingthereslowly.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/cordage.html

Cheers,

Stuart.
 

Dark Horse Dave

Full Member
Apr 5, 2007
1,739
71
Surrey / South West London
I'm guilty of being suckered into using paracord for my guylines. However in my defence I use the reflective stuff which helps a bit, but is not super bright. I also strip out all the inner threads. The outer sheath alone is plenty strong enough for the job - and it's very light too if that's what you're after.

About a fiver for 50 feet: http://www.thebushcraftstore.co.uk/...and-core---made-in-the-usa---green-2792-p.asp

HTH!
 

ged

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jul 16, 2009
4,976
13
In the woods if possible.
... That could be why everything sags by the morning. ...

No, that's because it's nylon. Nylon doesn't just stretch, it 'creeps' as well. A sort of long-term stretch that takes hours and isn't completely elastic, meaning that when you let go it doesn't spting back to the original length -- in fact it never quite gets there.
 

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