Print PDF
Favorite
Email
This is my first Instructable and i would appreciate your votes in the Paracord Contest!
I will be showing you how to create a Paracord Rescue Belt. While bracelets can be useful they simply do not contain enough cord for a real emergency. 8-12 feet can certainly be handy in some situations but think of what you can do with 50 feet!
The belt essentially has two main functions.
1. The buckle is a high decibel whistle for attracting attention
2. The Belt section itself is a single length of 550 Paracord which can be unravelled literally in seconds for a whole manner of rescue techniques.
In my opinion speed is what makes the difference in a survival situation. You can unravel the entire belt with one pull, there is no need to undo a whole series of knots or weaves.
Depending on the method you use to weave and the size of your waist, the belt can supply you with a length upwards of 70 feet of cord, This particular belt used 50 feet for my 32" waist however i will explain how to increase or decrease the amount of cord you can carry while maintaining the same length of belt.
Although the side release buckle means that the belt is not adjustable, there is about 15% elasticity in the belt so you need not worry if you put on a little holiday weght, your belt should be able to acommodate you. The elasticity also means it will remain tight but flexible if you are wearing it during outdoor pursuits.
Its worth noting that this same technique can also be used to make a bracelet which i have pictured at the end of the instructable.
I will be showing you how to create a Paracord Rescue Belt. While bracelets can be useful they simply do not contain enough cord for a real emergency. 8-12 feet can certainly be handy in some situations but think of what you can do with 50 feet!
The belt essentially has two main functions.
1. The buckle is a high decibel whistle for attracting attention
2. The Belt section itself is a single length of 550 Paracord which can be unravelled literally in seconds for a whole manner of rescue techniques.
In my opinion speed is what makes the difference in a survival situation. You can unravel the entire belt with one pull, there is no need to undo a whole series of knots or weaves.
Depending on the method you use to weave and the size of your waist, the belt can supply you with a length upwards of 70 feet of cord, This particular belt used 50 feet for my 32" waist however i will explain how to increase or decrease the amount of cord you can carry while maintaining the same length of belt.
Although the side release buckle means that the belt is not adjustable, there is about 15% elasticity in the belt so you need not worry if you put on a little holiday weght, your belt should be able to acommodate you. The elasticity also means it will remain tight but flexible if you are wearing it during outdoor pursuits.
Its worth noting that this same technique can also be used to make a bracelet which i have pictured at the end of the instructable.
Remove these ads by
Signing UpStep 1Materials
For best results use genuine 550 Paracord. I purchase mine from supplycaptain.
As with anything in life you get what you pay for, if you are intending on using this as a rescue belt you want to have the best cord available and with suplycaptain they guarantee the quality and authenticity of their cord. Many online retailers sell similar looking but poor quality cord with no guarantees on the breaking strains.
1. 550 Paracord
You can use any colour you like. You will need approximately 50 feet of cord for the belt shown.
2. Fastener
Im using an emergency whistle side release buckle which can be picked up online or in any good outdoors store.
3. Scissors
To cut the cord
4. Lighter
To seal the ends of the cord so they dont fray.
5. Forceps (optional)
Depending on your dexterity you may benefit from using forceps or needle nose pliers to help pull through the cord, i managed the whole belt without.
As with anything in life you get what you pay for, if you are intending on using this as a rescue belt you want to have the best cord available and with suplycaptain they guarantee the quality and authenticity of their cord. Many online retailers sell similar looking but poor quality cord with no guarantees on the breaking strains.
1. 550 Paracord
You can use any colour you like. You will need approximately 50 feet of cord for the belt shown.
2. Fastener
Im using an emergency whistle side release buckle which can be picked up online or in any good outdoors store.
3. Scissors
To cut the cord
4. Lighter
To seal the ends of the cord so they dont fray.
5. Forceps (optional)
Depending on your dexterity you may benefit from using forceps or needle nose pliers to help pull through the cord, i managed the whole belt without.
| « Previous Step | Download PDFView All Steps | Next Step » |
Waist Size: 32"
Actual Belt Length: 37"
Total Construction Time: ~4 hours
Paracord Used: ~70 feet, woodland camo
I sell a lot on ebay myself ( i have at last count 90 different colours of paracord available)
Your doing everything fine, the weave naturally 'leans' to the right. As the length increases this becomes much less noticeable as the end near the buckle will stretch ever so slightly. In my experience making the belt if it doesn't flex easily at any point then its been made too tight.
The weave has a variety of names, you'll get best results if you google
slatts rescue knot
or chain sinnet knot
I apologise if I've gotten that wrong, I'm by no means an expert on knot work!
If you want something stronger than parachute cord, you will probably need to look into higher end specialty rope and cordage, such as used by mountain/rock climbers. However, the cost per foot for that rope will be significantly higher, and there's a good chance it'll be thicker.
Parachute cord is incredibly popular because it hits a great price point and thin size for its strength.
My original source was this instructable.
Finally, how "lame" is it to fully acknowledge my lack of support for my original claim, which wasn't even "snarky" except the last sentence? I'm fully aware that my following comment was the "backup" that any thinking person would prefer to have for my claims, and you don't need to tell me that. (Please don't interpret that as contrasting you with "thinking people." Obviously we both are since we're taking the time to conduct an [I hope, civil] debate about this.)