The History Of Paracord

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Parachute cord (also paracord or 550 cord) is a lightweight rope originally used in the suspension lines of US parachutes during World War II. Gaining wide spread popularity as a survival tool the paracord was often the first part of a parachute to be cut apart and retained for survival practices.

The braided sheath has a high number of interwoven strands for its size, giving it a relatively smooth texture. The all nylon construction makes paracord fairly elastic and is now used in a number of applications including bracelet making, survival accessories, hiking products and of course parachutes. Due to this demand manufacturing of paracord is aimed at both military and civilian purposes.

Within bush craft and survival communities paracord has reached an almost iconic status where it is considered that its uses are only limited by a person's imagination to use it. Take the second Space Shuttle mission in February 1997 for example... A bright and resourceful astronaut decided the best way to repair the Hubble Space Telescope was with the outer sheath of a length of paracord.

Although used for a number of mainstream purposes, paracord has not lost its identity as a functional military cord. Frequently soldiers favour paracord for a number of lightweight uses include repairing and securing equipment, shelter making, binding and even first aid. The inner strands (of which there are seven) can be gutted and used to make sewing fabrics and fishing line. Furthermore, it is possible to join or finish the ends of a single piece of paracord by melting it with a naked flame or heated knife.

Six types of paracord are commonly supplied. These are Type 1, Type 1A, Type 2, Type 2A , Type 3 and Type 4. Type 3 which has a minimum breaking strength of 550 pounds (hence the name 550 cord) is the most widely used today. Similar to any manufactured product, there can be variations in the quality of paracord supplied from different factories. However, All US Military issue paracord is certified to conform to the standards of MIL-C-5040H. There are no requirements specified in regards to the diameter of pacacord.

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