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dangerdave
09-19-2014, 11:11
I'm trying not to become too OCD about organizing my pack, but I needed a simple, lightweight way to keep my 50' of paracord from tangling. I thought of the throw bags we used for whitewater kayaking rescues and came up with the following, similar design. Maybe some of you can use or improve this idea.

I've been saving small bottles and stuff bags I come across to help keep my pack organized. One of the plastic bottles I have is a light weight empty vitamin bottle. It looked about the right size. As it turned out, I could stuff the 50' of paracord inside with little room to spare. Perfect! I drilled a small hole through the lid and another through the bottom. Passing the line through, a knot on each side of the holes keeps the two parts from sliding around. A little figure eight knot on each end with a small beaner completes this simple and compact container. Just unscrew the lid, pull out the line (no tangles), place a few stones in the bottle and toss!

I added the cool skull camo duct tape to give it style and strength. :cool:

28372

Another Kevin
09-19-2014, 11:22
I always just coil the line and stuff it in a newspaper bag. If you coil a line properly, you won't have very much problem with tangling.

I also try to keep it off the ground except when I'm actually heaving it. When I hoist my bag, I recoil the line and anchor the coil with a slipped hitch and let it up into the tree. I fish it down in the morning with a trekking pole or a stick. Keeps it neater, and advertises it less to the critters.
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5347/10282471433_6c1264261f_z.jpg (https://www.flickr.com/photos/ke9tv/10282471433/)

dangerdave
09-19-2014, 11:27
Nicely done, Kevin!

bigcranky
09-19-2014, 11:31
I have a tiny silnylon stuff sack for my rope, which doubles as a rock sack for throwing. When the bag is hung, I coil the excess rope and put it in the bag.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

squeezebox
09-19-2014, 11:40
I saw a youtube thing a while back. You streach out your thumb and forefinger as wide as possible. Then you wrap the cord around them in a figure 8 ,
and for some magic reason that I kinda understand and kinda don't the cord unwinds tangle free.

slbirdnerd
09-19-2014, 12:39
I just loop mine back n forth in my hand then wrap the end around itself a couple times, stuff back in bag or leave hanging off tree, only takes a minute. My throw bag is the little stuff sack a sleeping bag liner came in (liner useless, stuff sac great). My cord is #325 paracord, 50'. I like the 325 way better than the bigger sized stuff, which also seemed to catch on everything. When mine does get tangled, it untangles really easily.

Another Kevin
09-19-2014, 12:57
I saw a youtube thing a while back. You streach out your thumb and forefinger as wide as possible. Then you wrap the cord around them in a figure 8 ,
and for some magic reason that I kinda understand and kinda don't the cord unwinds tangle free.

What makes it tangle is usually that you're twisting it when you coil it. Coiling in a circle twists it. Coiling in a figure 8 doesn't, because you twist to the left at one end and back to the right at the other.

There's also a way to make bigger loops, which is what I do. All climbers know how. Get one to show you. Or you can probably find a video somewhere. I can't think of a way to describe it in writing that will make sense.

mudsocks
09-19-2014, 15:30
Over-under method is what I use. It essentially creates the figure 8 Kevin is talking about. No tangles. Use the same method for extension cords, computer cables, etc...

Jump to the 1:12 mark.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-74OEVUOKOw#t=72

For storage I put my slickline in a DIY silnylon rock pocket.

28377

Another Kevin
09-19-2014, 15:52
Thanks, octothorpesareus, that's exactly the method I was talking about (or the related butterfly method (http://www.outdoorresearch.com/blog/stories/how-to-coil-a-rope-3)). I don't use a rock sack. I tie a monkeys-fist around a rock.

rocketsocks
09-19-2014, 16:11
Over-under method is what I use. It essentially creates the figure 8 Kevin is talking about. No tangles. Use the same method for extension cords, computer cables, etc...

Jump to the 1:12 mark.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-74OEVUOKOw#t=72

For storage I put my slickline in a DIY silnylon rock pocket.

28377
pretty slick

I'll bet ole Will Rodgers coulda hang a bear bag in style.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pmGcmgvwqY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pmGcmgvwqY

mudsocks
09-19-2014, 16:33
I should mention that it's worth watching that video to the very end because he shows how to easily untangle your cord if you unroll from the wrong end. I'm not good enough with knots to reliably tie a monkey fist that holds. Probably not enough wraps.

rocketsocks
09-19-2014, 16:56
I should mention that it's worth watching that video to the very end because he shows how to easily untangle your cord if you unroll from the wrong end. I'm not good enough with knots to reliably tie a monkey fist that holds. Probably not enough wraps.
yeah, saw the reach through method...pretty slick.

Another Kevin
09-19-2014, 18:20
pretty slick

I'll bet ole Will Rodgers coulda hang a bear bag in style.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pmGcmgvwqY

Yeah. Me, I more take after David. He didn't mean to kill Goliath. He was just trying to hang a bear bag. So stand back!

garlic08
09-20-2014, 08:39
On a 50' length of paracord, it might help if you double it first, making it 25' long, then do the over-under method. Fewer loops that way. You can make a mark at the middle at home. My old climbing rope came with a middle mark.

I'm a little ashamed at how long it took me to discover the over-under thing. I just thought untangling line was a normal camp chore. Then I started hanging around with climbers.

4Bears
09-20-2014, 09:33
Here is a video on the figure 8 coil, it does work. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUZNUe2X2t0

lonehiker
09-20-2014, 09:56
Whatever method you decide to use make sure that you practice it blindfolded (or in the dark). Frequently I drop my food bag before sunrise and this ability comes in very handy.

Rolex
09-20-2014, 17:25
Hard to explain but I make the normal coils and then stretch the coils out like one big rope. Take the two ends and tie a simple overhand knot in the middle. Fold over and stuff it in the bottom of the stove/food stuff sack which I hang. Never tangles.
rolex

Coffee
09-20-2014, 17:36
For some reason my zPacks bear line started to get tangled up quite a bit toward the latter part of my Colorado Trail thru hike. It got wet quite a bit and doesn't look in the best of shape, although it isn't frayed. I'm not quite sure what caused it to start tangling up.

TTMartin
08-18-2017, 09:55
I'm trying not to become too OCD about organizing my pack, but I needed a simple, lightweight way to keep my 50' of paracord from tangling. I thought of the throw bags we used for whitewater kayaking rescues and came up with the following, similar design. Maybe some of you can use or improve this idea.

I've been saving small bottles and stuff bags I come across to help keep my pack organized. One of the plastic bottles I have is a light weight empty vitamin bottle. It looked about the right size. As it turned out, I could stuff the 50' of paracord inside with little room to spare. Perfect! I drilled a small hole through the lid and another through the bottom. Passing the line through, a knot on each side of the holes keeps the two parts from sliding around. A little figure eight knot on each end with a small beaner completes this simple and compact container. Just unscrew the lid, pull out the line (no tangles), place a few stones in the bottle and toss!

I added the cool skull camo duct tape to give it style and strength. :cool:

28372

Thanks for the idea, I'm going to try it out.

MuddyWaters
08-18-2017, 13:23
Coiling a line, or wrapping it around something , usually induces twist, and requires careful uncoiling to avoid tangles.

Stuffing a line, doesnt.

Stuff the line into a small sack . It comes out last in-first out. No tangles. Mine stuff into their rock sacks.

Deacon
08-19-2017, 07:36
For some reason my zPacks bear line started to get tangled up quite a bit toward the latter part of my Colorado Trail thru hike. It got wet quite a bit and doesn't look in the best of shape, although it isn't frayed. I'm not quite sure what caused it to start tangling up.

I've used this method of coiling line now for a couple years. Wind line on your fingers in a figure right and , guaranteed, it will not tangle.

Here's a video. There's others out there as well as this one.

https://youtu.be/0PicTsgj5lA

rock steady
02-15-2018, 22:46
tie the butterfly knot. I found it on you tube. then throw it all into your vitamin bottle or a Gatorade powder container. good luck

blw2
02-15-2018, 23:08
that's an interesting diy project... the little throw bottle. Nice!

I do the figure 8 thing for small line
the over/under coil for larger stuff like my air hose or short extension cords, or longer water hoses
and for long extension cords for the last several years I have been using a daisy chain of slip knots...a trick I wish that I'd learned years ago.
like this, except I don't double up the cord
https://youtu.be/TkYQWJl3Zv8
not a great video, just what I found to make the point....
I don't double it up, that way I can drop the cord at the job site, then walk it unraveling to my outlet only the length that needs to be unraveled to reach.... (or go the other way depending on which end you start it at....)
It looks like a whopping tangle mess, but it really works well.
I suppose this slip knot method might work for small cord....I've just never done it that I can recall....

MuddyWaters
02-16-2018, 01:22
For some reason my zPacks bear line started to get tangled up quite a bit toward the latter part of my Colorado Trail thru hike. It got wet quite a bit and doesn't look in the best of shape, although it isn't frayed. I'm not quite sure what caused it to start tangling up.

Im kinda amazed you could find trees to hang from on the CT. I didn't hang a single time.