Department of Shameless Commerce - Cordage

Welcome Preppers and Survivalists,

I listen to National Public Radio. It is awesome; they have many shows; one of the shows I listen to is Car Talk. Those guys are hilarious.

Well, one of the things they do, at the end of the show, is promote their 'stuff,' and that gave me an idea.

I'll promote useful (to me) products for my Amazon.com store, every once in a while.

So, let's begin.


Rope, twain, string, it can go by one name, cordage. It has many uses, but the number one use of cordage is joining two or more things together.

In Robert Graves' seminal work Ropes and Cords, he illustrates how to make cordage from natural material like grass, water rushes, or bark fiber, a useful bushcraft skill.

Note:
Cr*p, $40 for a used copy, It's a great book (I have a copy) but not for $40.

We're in luck there is an electronic version to a .pdf for Robert Graves' The Ten Bushcraft Books in the links. Needless to say, you will want to download it, study the techniques, and practice those skills, or print the .pdf for your survival bible.


Making ropes and cords, for most folks will be little extreme, so instead a prepper may want to purchase cordage. One of the most versatile cordage is 550 cord. There are two or three types. One is actual military 550 cord. It will be rated to hold 550 pounds and have 7 internal strings inside an outer braided sheath. Another type is the military style that will be the same as military 550 cord. The last one that I know about is 300 cord. It had only 5 inter-strings and an outer braided sheath, and it will only hold 300 pounds.

Another type of cordage is the braided nylon rope. Just like 550 cord, it comes in different colors and different test strengths.

Now, the general nylon, polypropylene, polyester rope that you'll find in your local farm and home are rated for uses like tying down traps, tying stuff together, using a tie downs, and other general uses. Ropes for climbing are different; they are designed to save your life, if you fall.

Needless to say, buying and using climbing ropes will require additional equipment and training.

OK. That's it.


Remember, Don't buy it from Amazon.com, if you can buy it cheaper, locally.

And,

Don't forget, buying local allows you to conceal your purchases from the federales when you pay cash.

Link:
Car Talk - Home
http://www.cartalk.com/

Survival Station - The Ten Bushcraft Books
http://survivalstation.org/dl/Survival/10_Bushcraft_Books.pdf

Stealth Survival - Free Online Bushcraft Books
http://stealthsurvival.blogspot.com/2009/03/free-online-bushcraft-books.html

Wikipedia - Parachute Cord
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parachute_cord

Backcountry Beacon - Learning the Ropes: Rope Ratings, Length, Rope Care
http://backcountrybeacon.com/2010/05/learning-the-ropes-rope-ratings-length-rope-care/

REI - How to Choose a Climbing Rope
http://www.rei.com/expertadvice/articles/ropes.html