A Prepper’s Guide to 30 DIY Paracord Projects in 2020

As one of the most versatile tools on the planet, paracord can be used to create hundreds of incredibly useful objects. Because of this extreme utility, paracord is one of the few non-consumable items that is as necessary as water and food. It can be used to make weapons, defensive traps, item carriers, pet accessories and much, much more.

Below, you will find 30 of our favorite do it yourself paracord-crafted things that range from purely useful to just for fun. Do you have a favorite DIY paracord project that you don’t see mentioned in this list? Let us know in the comments and share your expertise with us all!

 

1. Paracord Rifle Sling - Making a rifle sling can end up costing you quite a bit more than other paracord projects since you will probably end up using just about 100 feet of the cord, but that still only means spending about $20-25. What’s most notable about using such a long piece of paracord is that the sling will become one of the best sources of rope available to you in any situation. Using the same design as the rifle slings, you can also make backpack straps, a paracord guitar strap or anything else along those lines.

 

2. Paracord Hammock - For those of you who have a bunch of paracord available, a substantial amount of time to spend crafting or you are in dire need of elevated sleeping or storage, you can’t go wrong with a paracord hammock.

 

3. Paracord Pouch - From communications gear to fire-starting kits and everything in between, knowing how to make a paracord pouch will mean helping keep all sorts of your items protected.

 

4. Paracord Whip - If you have absolutely nothing else to work with except for paracord, the best combination utility tool and weapon you can put together is a bullwhip. It might take more practice than other weapons as well, but a paracord whip offer range, power, grab and mobility not available with blades.

 

5. Paracord Toys - If you have kids with you or just feel like putting together an effigy for some reason or another, you can shape together a paracord doll or another kind of toy.

 

6. Paracord Knots - Although learning about tying paracord knots isn’t really a project more than a skill in and of itself, knowing things like how to tie a monkey fist knot with paracord or how to tie a square or slipknot can go a long way in preparing everything else mentioned here.

 

7. Paracord Firewood Carrier - It’s your choice whether you want your paracord firewood carrier to be a simple setup that only uses a couple feet of cord or if you’d like it to be a knotted sling. Either way is useful and will make transporting bundles of wood much easier.

 

8. Paracord Flashlight Wrap - Wrapping your flashlight with paracord not only makes the often slick metal surface have a much better grip, but the many colors of paracord make the look very customizable.

 

9. Paracord Dog Collar - Unless you have a habit of using metal linked chains as dog collars, one made from paracord is going to be the toughest and longest-lasting collar you’ll ever put on Fido. The wear and tear on the collar that comes with taking your dog into the woods or other natural terrain is best handled by a paracord dog collar.

 

10. Paracord Dog Leash - Like the dog collar, a paracord dog leash can practically last forever in any environment. Likewise, a leash like this can be the single best way to store a couple hundred feet of paracord knotted together.

If you don't have a dog but would like to have this large amount of rope at your disposal, this pattern can easily be used to make yourself a paracord belt.

11. Paracord Trail Markers - One of the easiest “projects” on this list (if not the absolute easiest), the variety of bright colors make using paracord for trail markers a great idea. Remember to switch up the colors when trying new routes, otherwise you could end up confusing yourself on the way back to your origination area.

 

12. Paracord Bow Sling - The popularity of bows with preppers is easy to understand considering you can end up having near unlimited ammunition as long as you have pretty much any source of wood. That being the case, making a paracord bow sling is a favorite project among paracord enthusiasts.

 

13. Paracord Bow Drill - A paracord bow drill is known and used as a tool to create the friction needed to start a fire without a lighter or flint. What’s best about these is that they’re very easy and fast to make, meaning you don’t necessarily need to prepare one until the moment you need it.

 

14. Paracord Survival Necklace - Unlike survival bracelets (which we discuss later in this list), a paracord survival necklace can comfortably hold heftier objects like tools and keys which would be a hindrance or potentially dangerous if on the wrist. .

 

15. Paracord Fishing Line - To make a paracord fishing line thin enough to be useable, the line is actually created from the strands inside the cord. The majority of brands make their 550 with 8 inner strands, which means you could easily have enough length to fish with since each foot of paracord equals eight feet of line.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X056_GybqGo

 

16. Paracord Fishing Net - Depending on the type of environment that you are trying to fish in, you might be better off with a paracord fishing net rather than the aforementioned fishing line. Likewise, paracord nets have an incredible amount of utility, including use while putting together an emergency shelter.

 

17. Paracord Rope Stretcher - Alongside a couple sticks, paracord can be used to make a stretcher should someone in your group be too injured to walk. Considering the situation you will probably be in if you ever needed a paracord stretcher, adding a pull sling will help you or whoever is pulling the injured person save energy compared to simply carrying the person’s full weight.

 

18. Paracord Bracelets - Using paracord weaves, you can create a number of useful paracord bracelets for different purposes. A survival bracelet will have a few small, lightweight objects intertwined in it with the paracord itself acting as utility as well. Additionally, the weave used for bracelets can be used for a paracord watch band as a highly durable fix to a broken or worn out band.

 

19. Paracord Tree Swing - Since paracord is so strong, it can carry the weight of an adult without any issue whatsoever. That being said, there are some great paracord tree swing projects worth looking into. Putting together one of these can also be a fun family project for the preppers out there with kids.

 

20. Paracord Bow Saw - Inside a survival bracelet, you can easily store a wire saw. With that, you can connect paracord handles to the eyelets, then saw out a healthy green branch that has a strong bend to it. With that, branch and the wire saw, you can create an excellent bow saw.

 

21. Paracord Wrist Lanyard - This kind of paracord lanyard differs from a survival bracelet or necklace in that it’s best used to keep a tool from dropping to the ground rather than having it around only for the rope itself. These are particularly useful when working in thick brush, swampy areas or when there is no light source.

 

22. Paracord Hiking Stick Grip - Hiking sticks can be really helpful when traversing rough and unknown terrain, but they usually come with one of two options: Either too slick or packed with slivers. Both of these situations are conquered when using paracord to wrap and create a grip for the hiking stick.

 

23. Paracord Snare - Great for hunting small game or setting up defenses, snare traps made out of paracord are remarkably durable and are many preppers’ favorite because of the cords’ strength.

 

24. Paracord Blow Gun Darts - Because creating blow gun darts using paracord is such a stretch from the way paracord is normally used, this project is a lot of fun and is a good way to learn how to better manipulate rarely-used aspects of paracord.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaSseGpp4xk

 

25. Paracord Keychain - Using practically any paracord weaves you have a preference for, making a paracord keychain is often one of the first pieces of knotting that people make for themselves. The small size can be misleading, though - these can be very useful for adding in small survival tools (like the wire saw discussed earlier) and the cord itself.

 

26. Paracord Spear - Should you find yourself in a situation where you need a reliable weapon that can be good for hunting somewhat large game as well as defending yourself against attacking people, attaching a knife to the end of your hiking stick or a large, straight branch will make a reliable and effective spear.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiXTUmCIwDE

 

27. Paracord Early Warning Trap - With camouflaged paracord outdoors or at an indoor entrance, you can set up non-violent traps surrounding wherever you’re at - these can lead to audio or visual cues to inform you that someone or something is within your proximity. Visual traps that cause something a bright object to shake or move unnaturally when triggered are preferred to audio traps as the former allows you to maintain an element of surprise if you have gone unseen up to that point. These are best if traveling with other people as these traps won’t end up hurting family or friends.

 

28. Paracord Food Lock and Hangs - Because it’s so tough, short strands of paracord can act as locks on your coolers and other food storage bins to keep animals at bay. To add an even further layer of food security, tight woven large pouches can be created to hold storage items then hung from a tree about 10 feet off the ground.

 

29. Paracord Water Bottle Holder - Not only does a paracord water bottle holder look cool, it will help protect your bottle from cracks and chips if dropped on a hard surface. A paracord holder like this can be used to secure the water bottle to your person, and is yet another good way to store additional paracord without having it take up any real amount of space.

 

30. Paracord Fast Rope - When you know you are going to use paracord as a rope rather than crafting something completely different, a fast rope setup will let you keep your cord from getting tangled with itself or other items in a pack. Learning how to make paracord fast rope will allow you to deploy the rope quickly as you need it and it will clean up loose ends.