Paracord is an essential for any bushcrafter or survivalist. Preppers-a-plenty rely on paracord not only for peace of mind, but also for practical day to day use. Paracord is a good way to round out an otherwise pedestrian EDC loadout too.
Even if you’re in an office 5 days a week, you can find a way to use paracord. Not to mention the thousands of other uses outside of the concrete jungle.
If you haven’t seen our comprehensive article about paracord bracelet patterns, it’s a good article about how you can integrate this useful tool into your daily carry very easily.
This article is about the benefits of having some paracord in your Everyday Carry.
Why Paracord is the right tool for the job:
- It’s inexpensive
- It’s reusable
- It’s strong and easy to carry (especially if you wear it as a paracord bracelet)
- You never knew you needed it until you didn’t have it, but once you find a first use case, you’ll find more
- The real world use cases are abundant
- It’s easy to learn how to optimize using paracord with a few tutorials
Some things that paracord can be commonly used for on a daily basis as an EDC component
- As a tie down option for load stabilization (back of your truck, front of your bike, to keep things in place on your backpack or bag)
- To improve tension on items (hammock, tent, flagpole, sports equipment, etc.)
- To help you make temporary lashings or suspend items, hold items together or fix something that unexpectedly broke (fix your sweat pants drawstring so you can walk without exposing yourself; put up a pinata; keep your wallet that gave out, together long-enough to get home)
- To wrap a sharp edge to give you grip (like a knife handle that is broken, or a handle that is wrecked on a heavy object like a cooler or a bucket)
- To help lift things up when you have less than enough hands (you can make sophisticated rigging and great pulley systems with paracord)
- To help with emergency medical needs like a broken arm sling (you could also fashion a tourniquet – please do your research before using tourniquets) [we recommend using a proper rapid tourniquet instead, but emergencies don’t ask for your permission, so sometimes paracord is there to help]
- Allowing you to makeshift a carrying solution for a failed bag, or for unwieldy objects whatever your day-to-day may look like (from multiple textbooks, to groceries or firewood, etc.)
- Replacement shoe laces, makeshift belt, or purse strap
- A water bottle carrier for when you are at the zoo, or the festival, and want to sling it over your shoulder to keep your hands free
The point is this: paracord isn’t just for hardcore wilderness bushcrafters. It’s got a lot of very practical uses. Having a paracord bracelet might make sense. It’s a great way to add a few meters of paracord for life’s little emergencies – check out our paracord bracelet patterns for some inspiration.
A few caveats when considering carrying paracord as part of your everyday carry
- Paracord is bulky, so you might consider making a bracelet out of it to get some out of your pocket or bag as unobtrusively as possible
- Paracord is only part of the solution – you need to know how to make certain knots, rigging, and have some general experience with using paracord for it to be truly effective
- Not all paracord is created equal
- You can add substitutes for paracord that are stronger, thinner and lighter weight with less bulk, like spectra or kevlar cordage, but interestingly it may not have some of the value of paracord (namely friction issues and ease of reuse)
The important thing to understand is that this can be a short article that helps you realize some of the amazing versatility of paracord, and inspires you to add it to your EDC, and it’s not without caveats that most people will consider paracord for their EDC. That concept is not lost on this author.
The takeaways regarding paracord in your daily carry equipment:
- Paracord is a fantastic, versatile option for your day-to-day EDC
- It’s cheap, useful, and easy to understand with a bit of time and practice
- The use cases extend far beyond survival uses or wilderness and outdoor uses
- The bulk can be mitigated by using paracord bracelets, belts, lanyards, etc., so you don’t have to localize it to your pockets or bag
- For the money and the utility there are not a lot of things you can add to your EDC that are better, pound for pound than paracord.
Please consider following us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Also, consider sharing this content and subscribing to get 100+ free survival ebooks.