Paracord bracelet opinions please.

[pauljm116]

I've been looking at getting/making a paracord bracelet for a while, but am unsure how much use one is, I cant remember the last time I needed paracord in an emergency as when I'm out in the woods I've always got spare.

Just wondered how many of you wear them and if so do you wear them all the time or just when in the wilds and also if anyone has had any need to take one apart and use the cord for anything?

 

[swright81076]

I wear mine all the time. My watch strap is para cord too.
However, they are not something you can unravel swiftly in an emergency.

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[NS40]

I've only started wearing them in the past year or so so haven't had to dismantle one yet (if I ever do). I wouldn't have any qualms about pulling them apart as I make them myself anyway so have only ever had to shell out for the materials.

I make mine with 'whistle buckles' which is probably the most regularly useful part of them. I use the whistles for calling my dogs (two lurchers), for calling my kids back in from the woods (when they're wandering about looking for firewood, etc). My kids have also got them as it's a useful distress signal with quite a few useful applications.

Because I make them myself, I've got a few now (of varying quality as they improve) and I even made a wooden jig as I was flirting with the idea of selling some (although there's not much of a return and the market is fairly saturated). I've got one in cammo, a black/orange, bright yellow and even a black 'dress one'...(I know, a 'going out' survival bracele...sad or what)

I wear one pretty much all the time now, if anything is part of the morning ritual and goes on at the same time my watch, etc goes on.

 

[resnikov]

I have used 2 at once whilst out in the woods. I managed to forget the ridge line for a tarp so I used mine and a mates to make the ridge line. They are quite easy to take to bits but the only problem was then I could not make them back in to the bracelet of the size it was again because during the making of them you need ( will i did anyway) a little excess to be able to pull through which you then trim off.

 

[Dark Horse Dave]

I think you should think of them as decoration rather than a handy or back-up way of carrying paracord.

That said I do like them though. I've made a few for my kids, and also used the knot to make little stuff like keyfobs. They are very simple to do. The Bushcraft Store do little kits if you're interested, or it's easy enough to google how to do the knot in question. I 've seen ready made up ones for sale at places like Heinnie, and they are jolly expensive for what they are - make your own!

 

[Biker]

I've been wearing a bracelet of one form or another tied permanantly on my left wrist since 1982. Mostly leather ones which break over the years due to showers and such but having made myself a paracord one with a take off clip I now wear two (leather and the paracord one) and like them a lot. I've heard them referred to here as an affectation, well that's fine to have an alternate opinion but I like having mine on 24/7.

I have had cause to use mine too when I had my bootlace on my boots break. I was at work and didn't have anything else spare, so with a satisifed grin I unravelled my bracelet and cut a piece to length.

I like 'em.

Buying them isn't half as much fun as making your own though. The clips can be bought on ebay for pence too. Even those whistle ones NS40's referring to above.

 

[Chiseller]

Thanks to swright & stone cold......

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[swright81076]

Thanks to swright & stone cold......

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:beer::thumbup:

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[Lister]

2 most common applications i find for mine are shoelaces and back-up dog leads.

 

[ex-member BareThrills]

I wear one and have used it. I lost the dogs lead whilst out and about. My border collie has a problem with cars so getting her back to the car would have been a pain without the cord in my bracelet. a simple double loop and i was away again. you can make them easy to unravel if you tuck the ends in back along the inside of the bracelet rather than melting it all. You will need a pair of forceps to achieve this but its not hard. There are also other quick deployment versions. Youtube is your friend. As far as buckles go i prefer the 3/8 inch ones as they dont dig in and are discreet. The big buckles look a bit mahoosive on a single cobra weave bracelet. Its a great skill to learn and its not hard. I soon moved on to knife lanyards and other interesting stuff. My wife calls it 'man knitting' but i find it very therapeutic

 

[mace242]

I used to wear one all the time but I gave it away to a kid on a course I was on and haven't got round to making a new one. Though I have replaced the laces in my boots with paracord and tested that it is enough to use for a bow drill. I have a lot in my pack and if I need it I'll use that. If I have anything befall me in the deepest wilds of the UK and I lose my pack, either I'll walk to a road or be in enough trouble that a paracord bracelet isn't going to help at all :yikes:

 

[spandit]

I've been wearing a paracord soft shackle on my wrist for months now - think I got lucky with the dimensions so just leave it - doesn't really have a lot of use!

 

[rik_uk3]

No real practicle use, more a fashion thing really, maybe use as a bootlace if you can't tie a knot in the broken one.

 

[Chiseller]

No real practicle use, more a fashion thing really, maybe use as a bootlace if you can't tie a knot in the broken one.

I'd say 30' has plenty of practical use, and as is, makes a comfy handle for carrying...
.

Or an improvised knuckleduster :screwy:

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[jeffz]

Always. Never had recourse to use them in the years I've worn them; but I hate making cordage enough to warrant wearing 30' in a double-looped 550 para cord bracelet. You could waste a day making a usable length of (weak) cord out of found materials.

 

[Androo]

I made about 100 bracelets and 90 or so monkeys fists over one winter and the children in my family love them, especially when they found out I made them myself. As for their practical use, I have used them for a bootlace replacement and have had a (cheap) tarp line break on me once in high winds - the bracelet came in very handy for replacing said line. I think they're largely fashion, but in a situation where you suddenly need a length of strong cord, they're invaluable - especially to bushcrafters, outdoor workers and tradesmen (amngst many others). There are many applications when out foraging, or coming across motherloads of wild food or wood, willow or kit breakages etc etc... they also have many emergency applications too.
As the materials are relatively cheap to source for just one bracelet, I reckon they're a useful thing to have on ones person.

 

[swright81076]

Our dog has a paracord collar with a heavy duty 15mm clip. Its tough and suits a tough looking hound like him

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[mace242]

It's a beast! Let's hope it never gets loose!

From somebody who owns a Scottie

 

[swright81076]

It would be like the Fenton YouTube video. Haha.

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?desktop_uri=/watch?v=3GRSbr0EYYU&v=3GRSbr0EYYU&gl=GB

But seriously, paracord does have a multitude of uses, and encourages people to take up 'manly crafts'.

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[ged]

My background is in engineering, and I've spent a lot of time working with for example rotating machinery and machine tools. When you work with stuff like that, the last thing you ever want around any part of your body is something which a rotating machine can use to get hold of you, pull you into it, and then pin you there while it chews you.

So no, I don't and would never routinely wear any kind of bracelet. That includes a wrist watch, unless I expect to be doing some serious navigation.

But I can see the appeal of having ten metres of cord handy, and I usually do have a few bits with me. They'll be in my pack, or in a pocket, or just stashed somewhere.