View Full Version : paracord belt?
johnny quest
10-02-2007, 10:55
i didnt know where exactly to put this thread...but i guess this will do.
has anyone ever thought of making a belt out of 550 or paracord? the idea being you have emergency cord if needed.
SGT Rock
10-02-2007, 11:03
No, but if I were going to do it I would use a braid pattern like I normally use it to carry 550 cord in this fashion. I'm not sure what you would use to make the connection on the ends - maybe some old clips from a pack or something.
johnny quest
10-02-2007, 11:09
i have carried line daisychained but that wouldnt do it. it would have to be some tighter weave. i guess the question, other than the actual knowledge of how to do it, is how much would it weigh and how bulky it would be. im a belt wearer but if its much worse than a regular web belt it would probably not be worth it.
SGT Rock
10-02-2007, 11:12
I really don't think it would be worth it, but it could be done. I had this old cowboy that worked for me at Ft Polk that braided his own belt and watch band from 550 cord. Said he used the same weave that he used for making bull ridding cords.
Lone Wolf
10-02-2007, 11:14
i didnt know where exactly to put this thread...but i guess this will do.
has anyone ever thought of making a belt out of 550 or paracord? the idea being you have emergency cord if needed.
what emergency would call for cord?
SGT Rock
10-02-2007, 11:17
tying up someone's dog
Appalachian Tater
10-02-2007, 11:19
It's been done:
http://www.imgsrv.worldstart.com/store/images/beverly-hillbillies-4-episodes-2.jpg
This pic only shows Ellie Mae wearing it, but Jethro always had one, too.
Old Grouse
10-02-2007, 11:23
In case of emergency, pull cord.
well when I ended up with a paracord belt the emergency was that I broke the buckle to the belt I was using
the way I made the belt was to double the cord over and adjust the length til I had enough of the doubled over cord to go around me plus a bit; on the end with the loop I put a cord lock and on the other end with two strands I tied a series of overhand knots spaced apart for the "stops" in the belt (like holes in a regular belt); to use the belt I would feed the end with the knots through the loop up to the knot/spot I wanted then tighten down the loop on the knot using the cordlock. This worked well for a couple years until the pants wore out.
johnny quest
10-02-2007, 11:38
hey i found one. goes to show, keep trying different search engines and keywords.
http://www.slatts.fsworld.co.uk/slatts-knot.htm
as for what emergency would call for it....im not thinking thruhiker here as much as just light backpacking.
has anyone ever thought of making a belt out of 550 or paracord? the idea being you have emergency cord if needed.
as for what emergency would call for it....im not thinking thruhiker here as much as just light backpacking.
Could you explain that comment? What scenario would necessitate you needing this belt, whether you are a "thru-hiker" or a "light backpacker"?
earthbound
10-02-2007, 12:01
I have made a belt out of parachute cord a few times- once on trail to keep my shorts up after losing weight. I can't think of another purpose it would serve after using it for a belt, it would be too short for much else.
johnny quest
10-02-2007, 12:07
well, i guess most thruhikers would carry a 50 foot food bag hanger but nothing much beyond that. it would get used almost daily so would need to be very accessible. i dont think a "para-belt" would be good for that.
when i say "light backpacking" i guess i mean my "warbag". i keep a small daypack stocked with items for impromtu overnighting. im pretty strict with what goes in there. everything has to serve multiple purposes. here in texas there isnt much call for hanging bearbags so, while 50 foot of paracord is something i would like, it has no use....until and if i need 50 foot of paracord. hence the belt idea.
The Weasel
10-02-2007, 12:34
This is an interesting idea I'd never thought of, and a way to eliminate the weight of a belt.
I usually carry 50' of lacing, since it is strong and thinner than para cord. I've got a 40" waist (please, no laughs) so what I'm considering is taking the cord, folding it 5 times (10 thicknesses) so it's about 5' long, and doing a quick overhand knot at each end. It should still be small enough for this to fit through my belt loops. I'd probably then tie one end through the loop behind the other end's knot. Fairly easily removed at night, easy to untie.
Must give this a shot.
Thanks!
TW
johnny quest
10-02-2007, 12:37
well, if you make one that functions half-ass as a belt, but is easy to take apart and put back together, post a pic. the one i found (link in above post) is way to intricate for taking apart every day to hoist a foodbag.
The Weasel
10-02-2007, 12:37
*** i keep a small daypack stocked with items for impromtu overnighting. im pretty strict with what goes in there. everything has to serve multiple purposes. here in texas there isnt much call for hanging bearbags so, while 50 foot of paracord is something i would like, it has no use....until and if i need 50 foot of paracord. hence the belt idea.
JQ --- I'm the same way; I try to make every item have 3 uses or more, which is why I carry lacing for my food bag to hang by, and also for broken laces and guying off tarp when needed. You can usually buy lacing at outfitters from a 1000' roll.
TW
Gray Blazer
10-02-2007, 12:42
My outfiter sells those pack fasteners. After you braid the cord, you could fasten it to the buckes. I think its a good idea for going ultralight (like I'll ever get there......can you say hiker trash).
I like the idea of using something like this on day hikes; on overnight or longer trips I'm already carrying enough cord, but a dual-use thing so I have some cord along in other situations might be (very very infrequently) nice.
Caveats:
(1) It's easy to adjust tightness on a conventional belt, i.e., I ate too much and want to loosen it up, pants feel looser when I stand up and start walking so need to tighten it, whatever. Not so on this as far as I can tell. I'm sure you can tighten it if you want to untie and add or remove loops, but ...
While inelegant, I guess simply tying it closed a la Ellie Mae has an advantage here over plastic clip-together buckle.
(2) Ironically, this would be most useful for a pair of pants that fit snug enough that you scarcely need a belt to hold them up. I don't really want to obtain cord at the expense of my pants frequently falling down.
One could always cut a piece of the now-unravelled belt to use as a single-strand belt for that case.
(3) A web belt is already sort of multipurpose as you can use it for strapping in other contexts, with the above "pants falling down" caveat.
Really light cord isn't that heavy, and is sort of inherently multipurpose --- to quote Sam Gamgee talking to Frodo: "You never know when a bit of rope will come in handy. Gaffer always told me it’s best to be prepared for any emergency."
I think I'd be (possibly too) reluctant to unweave my belt for any but the most dire emergency, so I'm more inclined to just carry some lightweight cord.
earthbound
10-02-2007, 12:44
Instead of a belt, why not just wear shorts with an elastic top? It is much more adjustable for the post-food binge or losing weight while hiking.
Gray Blazer
10-02-2007, 12:47
While inelegant, I guess simply tying it closed a la Ellie Mae has an advantage here over plastic clip-together buckle.
Beautiful and simple! BTW, I love Ellie's critters.:D
johnny quest
10-02-2007, 13:05
all the problems with a "parabelt" are true and duly noted.
one bit....when we talk about multiuse items i dont mean something that has a primary purpose but can be used for another purpose in a pinch. i mean items that fullfill two or more primary purposes each and every day....the holy grail of multiuse..... examples?
poncho while walking, tarp while camping
parabelt in the daytime/food hanging cord at night
The Weasel
10-02-2007, 13:16
I agree about multiple uses:
-Pack for carrying during day, as partial bivy sack over lower part of sleeping bag when cold/wet
-Waterproof food bag to carry food, for hauling water from watersource to campsite
TW
johnny quest
10-02-2007, 13:22
what others?
justjeff has some kind of packcover that doubles as a gearhammock and water carrier
i have played with drawings of a gearskin-like pack that became a spe for hammock use at night. the foam wings of the spe would pad the waistbelt and shoulder straps of the pack.
and of course there is the bandana....grand old man of multiuses.
dessertrat
10-02-2007, 13:37
What's going to hold your pants up if you have an emergency and have to use the cord? Why not just carry some cord? The weight isn't so great.
Appalachian Tater
10-02-2007, 13:40
hey i found one. goes to show, keep trying different search engines and keywords.
http://www.slatts.fsworld.co.uk/slatts-knot.htm
as for what emergency would call for it....im not thinking thruhiker here as much as just light backpacking.
Those are very cool and there is probably a market for them.
johnny quest
10-02-2007, 13:44
What's going to hold your pants up if you have an emergency and have to use the cord? Why not just carry some cord? The weight isn't so great.
no, the weight isnt that great. admittedly, there is a certain amount of fun to finding the most uses for an item.
Well I think this is brilliant. I am trying to be the king of multipurpose and I have a length of cord that needs a purpose during the day and I have a belt that isn't anything, you solved two problems with one stone. I will post a pic once it is done, could someone point me towards directions to post pics.
Adam
Just use a slipped-sheet-bend knot to secure it.
pure_mahem
10-03-2007, 02:12
hey i found one. goes to show, keep trying different search engines and keywords.
http://www.slatts.fsworld.co.uk/slatts-knot.htm
as for what emergency would call for it....im not thinking thruhiker here as much as just light backpacking.
The site here that quotes using a Monkey chain sinnet is the same thing as daisy chaining. Daisy chaining is also known as crochet you can find numerous books on it in any craft store. Crochet is all different variations of slip knots so that in an emergency you would just have to pull the end and it would all come undone. My aunt use to crochet mittens and Hats. It's pretty easy to learn just ask around the craft circles. A crochet hook would help you out a lot doing this project, but I'm not sure what size hook you would use. Hope this helps you.
pure_mahem
10-03-2007, 02:19
Also thos black side release buckles are available at walmart in the craft section for about $1.
Appalachian Tater
10-03-2007, 10:54
The site here that quotes using a Monkey chain sinnet is the same thing as daisy chaining. Daisy chaining is also known as crochet you can find numerous books on it in any craft store. Crochet is all different variations of slip knots so that in an emergency you would just have to pull the end and it would all come undone. My aunt use to crochet mittens and Hats. It's pretty easy to learn just ask around the craft circles. A crochet hook would help you out a lot doing this project, but I'm not sure what size hook you would use. Hope this helps you.
What is really funny is that the guy with the website carved a tool out of wood to assist with making the belt.
http://www.slatts.fsworld.co.uk/images/tool.jpg
It's a crotchet hook. He's reinvented crotcheting from scratch!
RadioFreq
10-04-2007, 14:45
In case of emergency, pull cord.
While a young lad my parents were into (then) New Christy Minstrals LPs. One of their songs was a parody of Johnny Cash's "I Walk The Line." I think it went something like this:
"I keep my pants up with a piece of twine.
I keep my arms wide open all the time.
I keep myself quite willin' all the time.
Because you're mine.....
Please pull the twine."
:) T minus 17 months....and counting :)
CoyoteWhips
10-04-2007, 19:35
I can picture a couple of survival situations where lashing poles together would be handy.
However, I spend all summer wearing pants with a drawstring. A belt would be redundant. I'm a professional paracord braider and even I can't imagine needing to make a belt out of it, just to have some handy.
whitefoot_hp
10-05-2007, 09:27
raft guides make these things called guide belts. Its a piece of rope with its ends tied together with a prussic or double fishermans knot. Then a 'biner is used to attach end to end, and the biner is placed where a belt buckle would typically be. These have application in a z drag set up to unpin a raft as well as flipping a raft back over after all customers have been flung onto shallow rocks. if the prussic knot is tied properly, the belt can adjust and maintain a position.
i have thought about bringing my guide belt on hiking trips but i don't have any lightweight biners and that length of rope doesn't have much use, but it defineately could at times, such as:
1.a little extra rope to help hang a hammock between trees that are a tad bit further apart than your set up is gear for. (not likely on east coast)
2. could be used in a makeshift splint or cast (but so could any other rope in the pack, like tarp guy lines)
3. You are hiking and come accross a whitewater river where you see some rafters with a pinned raft (lol)
thats about all i can think of. Also you could use it to hang your pack from a tree, descend into a tricky water source, (again i am reaching here) so these are all reasons why i havent brought it yet.