How much 550 cord

The recommended hanging angle for a hammock is 30 degrees from horizontal, or 60 degrees from vertical. The cosine of 60 degrees is 0. Assuming you weigh lbs …. BUT, remember that the safe working load of cord is closer to lbs.

Even Type IV paracord only has about a lb safe working load. Add some swing or bounce or the wrong knots and you could easily push it too far. Suppose you decide to increase the angle of your hang to 70 degrees so you can lay flatter.

That will increase your effective weight to lbs. At 80 degrees, the weight you put on the ropes shoots all the way up to over 1, pounds!

Factor in that moment you plop down and add some swing to the equation and you can see how quickly the stress on those ropes multiplies. The last thing I need is a bruised hip or cracked rib three days from home. Not to mention that a fall like that will probably put a dozen tiny puncture holes in my hammock, which can turn into a catastrophic tear without warning.

Why are we married to the idea of paracord for hammocking? Especially when there are lighter, stronger ropes available? Better still, it will make whoopie slings — one of the easiest ways imaginable to adjust the hammock lay. Or get some flat polyester straps. A little heavier, but much, much stronger than cord and better for the health of the trees.

Paracord is fabulous for many things. In which case, that ground is all yours. Coiled cord will sink immediately. Loose paracord will float until it gets saturated. How long does that take? It seems to depend on how tight the weave of the sheath is. The tighter the sheath, the longer it will take water to get inside the paracord — potentially hours, but not guaranteed. Another factor is whether the cord is getting stretched tight in the water.

That will force the air out faster and cause it to submerge more quickly. You can find various varieties in arborist or marine supply stores. Moderate to good. But from my experience the fibers will snag on tree bark and wear over time. Remember, this is parachute cord. Yes, a single strand of paracord will support an average sized adult in a hammock for a short time, but you will likely want to double it up instead.

A single strand of paracord subjected to a load for an extended period will stretch irreparably This quality is called "creep". You don't want to wake up to your back hitting the ground. Yes, if you are not moving and do not weigh lbs. However, if you are moving or falling, a single strand of paracord will definitely break under the weight of an average sized adult.

For climbing, it is recommended that the climber use a climbing rope that is rated to times their weight to account for the added force of a fall. Conclusion: Don't trust your life to paracord unless your life in greater danger by staying put. See answer to "Can paracord support body weight? This is only a last resort—and not a good one at that. If you are in the area and want to pick up an order in-person, you are welcome to.

However, our store is only shoppable online. That entirely depends on what you need it to do. Does "best" mean strongest? Highest quality? Most colorful? Most likely to make you look cool? The answer will vary depending on these things.

If you want to find the best quality cord, look for mil-spec that is made in the USA, and research the seller to find out if they carry the real deal.

The best tutorials include how much is needed, but not all do. As we update our site with new tutorials, our goal is to make creating with paracord as easy and enjoyable as possible. Want to know how much paracord a certain project uses that we didn't cover in this article? Ask away and we will do our best to answer. Share your stories of running out of paracord in the middle of a project down in the comment section. If you comment, you may just win a free hank of paracord! Last week, Isabel won ft.

How Much Paracord for Survival? Burning paracord releases some pretty awful-smelling smoke that I can only assume is harmful to your health.

Burning it in a campfire should be avoided for the same reasons. Great for towing, hiking, hunting, pet toys, horse halters, and outdoor projects. This reasonably priced paracord did well in our load tests, and was a standout in our abrasion tests. It has a good texture and solid structure that makes it easy to work with. Those are the rational, best choice. Black, tan, charcoal. Yellow, green, blue, red, white. The opposite, the least versatile cords are not valuable, but a pain if you buy too much of them.