Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Why A 550 Paracord Is A Must Have In The Toolkit

By Ines Flores


Sometimes, it is difficult to understand how some tools that may look simple and useless can turn out to be lifesaving. One such tool is the paracord. It comes up as a very simple yet practical tool that can find its application in virtually everything at any given time. This is simply a versatile-filament nylon cord that consists of 7 strong cords made of nylon. These are woven together and then wrapped with a branded nylon. The resulting cord is very strong with a combined breaking force of 550 lbs. The cord is in fact widely known as the 550 paracord, thanks to its breaking strength.

Having been widely used for parachute applications during the WWII, the prefix "para" was added to the "cord" to give it its name. However, it has found its use in other areas outside the military field. It is now used by virtually all other armed forces, including the police, forest guards, scouts, and all other troops you can think about. It is also available commercially for home applications and other uses like camping.

Unlike the military version, the commercial ones are not standardized. The military paracords are usually marked distinctly with military signs such as MIL-C-5040 Type III and are rated 550 pounds. These versions are made of not less than seven inner cords (yarns). Each of these is made of three separate strands. The seven cords are then wrapped with nylon to form this cord.

The same cannot be said of all the civilian varieties. In some cases, there are only 5 cords instead of seven or two strands per cord instead of 3. This might compromise their strength. However, depending on what purpose it is to be used, these varieties still good enough to serve for many applications.

The benefits are also countless. First, its strength cannot be compared with any other cord in the similar category. The sting is only one eighth inch diameter, but has a breaking strength of 550 lbs. It is also very durable. It can withstand countless uses without being compromised in flexibility.

These cords have very many advantages over the ordinary ones. With a small diameter of an eighth of an inch, it has a breaking force of 550 pounds. It is therefore used for heavy load towing, and support weight of humans and even heavier objects. Its durability is also impressive and the cord is capable of resisting water, mildew and other moist conditions that quickly destroy the ordinary cords.

In addition to this, the cord is very flexible and light in weight. A cord that is 225 feet, weighs less than 1 pound, a factor that makes it the cord of choice for campers, climbers and other operations that call for carry many tools. Today, it is commonly used to build tents and for other support activities.

There are also wide areas of application such as the use as cloth lines, towlines, survival kit, and even life line. The inner strands can also be used as fishing strings, dental floss, trapping-snares, and even shoe laces. The important factor is to choose a good cord that can serve the purpose.




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