Make a Paracord Survival Bracelet

Possibly the most useful fashion accessory you'll ever wear.

Author:: Trent Knoss
Publish date:: Jul 5, 2017

You will need a small shackle and at least 10ft of paracord. In this example we used 12ft of cord for a size 6 (6 inch) bracelet.

Find the middle point of the cord and fold it evenly in half. Begin by bringing the cord behind and through the shackle. Thread the two ends of the cord through the loop you have just made, creating a girth hitch.

Measure how many inches long you want the bracelet to be. (In this case for a woman we measured six inches) Then proceed to fold the cord at that mark. Separate each long string and fold it back up beside its corresponding short string.

The first two knots are the base of the bracelet. Begin by bringing the longer cord from the right and wrapping it behind all of the other cords, leaving a small loop at the start. Take the end of that same cord and thread it through the loop.

Pull both long cords tight. Push up the knots up toward the shackle.

Now that you have a solid base you can begin the repetitive knotting process. Grab the long cord on the right, wrap it in front of the middle cords and around the back, leaving a small loop. Thread the end of that same cord through the loop from the back.

Pull that string tight and push the knot upward to tighten it. Continue to push up on each knot to insure a tightly strung bracelet.

Repeat on the left side, going over the front and up through the loop from the back.

Now go back to the right string. This time wrap it behind the middle cords and around to the front, leaving a small loop. Thread that string though the loop from front to back. Again pull the strings as tight as possible.

Repeat on the left side, remembering to go behind the middle cords, over the front, and through the loop from front to back. Pull it tight and slide it up.

Continue to repeat steps 8-12, Keep it tight!

Knot until you have a little less than an inch of the middle cords showing. Now you will make the final knots to end the bracelet. To do this start by taking the right string and folding it in front of itself. Slide a bite of that string through itself creating a slipknot.

Now that you have a slipknot on each side, thread the two middle cords through the right slipknot.

Pull the end string tight. Now, thread those middle loops through the left loop and again tighten the end string.

Push up on all of the knots, synching them down. Unhook the shackle from anchored point. Cut the excess string from the ends and burn them to keep them from fraying.

Slip the remaining loops through the shackle. Now you have a completed paracord survival bracelet.

The best part about the specific knotting of this paracord bracelet is the quick-release method. To release the knots push them away from the shackle. Continue to loosen the knots as much as possible.

When the middle two cords start to appear again near the shackle, you can grab them at that end and push the rest of the knots off on the middle cords. Once you have undone the shackle you again have a length of paracord ready to help with any survival needs.

Step 1

You will need a small shackle and at least 10ft of paracord. In this example we used 12ft of cord for a size 6 (6 inch) bracelet.

Skills

A cheap, simple solution for secure tent-pitching on snow or sand. Note: The dowels work better for snow. However, by using a small disk (something like kid's play dishes), you can get the same effect for sand.

Skills

Need gaiters but left yours at home? Here's a simple trick for putting together a makeshift replacement in no time.

Skills

Leaving rappel slings behind gets unsightly - and costly - but this simple technique lets you take it all with you. (Caution: Carry extra slings and quick-links in case you snag irretrievably.)

Skills

Trekking poles are a boon for security on sketchy terrain, and they'll keep your knees alive over hard-charging decades of hiking. To get the most benefit on flats, uphills and downhills, use adjustable-length poles and adjust them correctly. Here's how.