Do you need a Mil-Spec Paracord when you are camping or hiking? The short answer is yes! A parachute cord, or commonly referred to as “paracord,” refers to a sort of rope that you can use for various things. Because of its adaptability, a Mil-Spec paracord often gets used by military troops, survivalists, and common folks alike.
Keep reading to understand the ins and outs of this useful item, whether you’re interested in disaster preparedness or how to utilize paracord for everyday tasks.
Mil-Spec Paracord for Emergency: Survival Guide
Mil-Spec paracord started as a suspension line for parachutes. Today, many people recognized its versatility in utilizing this tool in almost any situation where cordage is required. Survival paracord is so crucial that it even gets taught to young Boy Scouts.
The following are some of the most typical survival Mil-Spec paracord uses:
1. Aid in Performing Rescue Operations
In an emergency rescue situation, a survival paracord may be required for a variety of reasons. Mil-Spec paracord will keep you far enough away from the danger while providing the necessary leverage to bring a victim to safety, whether they are stuck in quicksand, drowning in water, or fallen down a ravine.
To do this, all you need is to tie a figure-eight knot in your paracord. While remaining in a steady stance, you can quickly toss the rescue line to your target without worrying that it might break or go the other way.
2. Building Shelter
Unprecedented situations may force us to spend the night out without access to the roof beneath our heads. The good news is you can quickly build a temporary shelter using tree branches and a Mil-Spec paracord.
You will need ten sturdy tree branches to get started. All you need to do is to remove the seven inner core strands from roughly ten appropriately sized, robust components and use the guts to tie knots holding them together. If you have a lightweight tarp on hand, you can build a simple hammock by threading the paracord through the eyelet and tying the ends to two trees.
3. Surviving a Steep Terrain
If you need to scale terrain that is too steep to climb, climb a tree for a better vantage point, or find yourself at the bottom of a ravine, you may make a rope ladder out of two parallel cords and navigate your way back to safety.
4. Obtain Food
You can utilize a Mil-Spec paracord to catch a variety of fresh ingredients to satisfy your hunger. You can turn a simple paracord into a trotline to catch fish. Another way to catch these sea creatures is to set up a lure and cast a line.
You may learn to utilize Mil-Spec paracord as a snare trap with some practice to boost your chances of collecting food in survival scenarios. Locate a suitable location, construct your snare, and trigger the trap using a paracord.
Additionally, Mil-Spec paracord can aid in creating a bear bag. Bear bags secure your food supplies against animals that may try to steal them. Toss your Mil-Spec paracord over a high, strong branch and clip it to your bear bag with a small carabiner using the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) approach.
5. First Aid
You can utilize a Mil-Spec paracord to provide immediate medical attention to those who might need it. Here are some ways to incorporate paracord in emergencies:
- Paracord can be used as a tourniquet if you’re bleeding profusely and can’t go to the hospital right away. Apply pressure to the wound by tying it above it to halt blood loss.
- Use survival Mil-Spec paracord to make a splint for fractured bones in an emergency. Place a stick on top of or next to the shattered limb, securing it with rope to immobilize the bone and avoid additional injury.
- Paracords can also be used as slings to aid injured limbs. Cushion the area beneath the limb you want to split with soft material like coats, shirts, or socks. To stabilize the damaged limb, find a hard item such as a branch or a walking stick. Wrap your survival Mil-Spec paracord around the limb, the padding, and the hard object to immobilize it. Make a strong knot to keep you secure but not so tight that it restricts blood flow. Tie knots above and below the broken bone or afflicted joint to secure the injured area.
- You may use the paracord as a sling for injuries and safely carry a rifle or other survival items.
