Paracord has long been a staple of campers, and DIYers. It can be purchased in all kinds of colors now, the cord I used in this Instructable even has a strip of reflective fibers in it making it even better for camping uses as it will stand out in the dark and is less likely to leave you on your face when heading back to your bed or getting up for nature in the middle of the night.

One issue I have always had with paracord or any other rope is no matter how neatly I coil it I always ends up with a giant bird nest when using it; particularly when out in the field and there are bushes and branches for it to get caught on. For that reason I have gotten into the habit of always daisy chaining my paracord when I purchase a new length of it. This process take less than 10 minutes for a 50ft section and will save many headaches and much time down the road.

Supplies

-Paracord (I used 50ft for the pictures)

-Lighter (to fuse the ends)

Step 1: Step 1: Fuse Your Ends

It only takes a moment and will ensure the longevity of your paracord. Be careful not to touch the end until it has fully cooled as the melting cord will stick and burn. There is no need to light it on fire, if you make a clean cut, a simple touch of a flame will melt and fuse it cleanly.

Step 2: Step 2: Overhand Loop

I start with a simple overhand loop knot.

Step 3: Step 3: the First Loop

To start off, I push the cord through the loop I had previously made.

I have seen other methods to start, this just happens to be my method of choice. It is easy and it holds.

Step 4: Step 4: Continue With Loops

Now you continue in a similar fashion. Push one loop through the previous, then tug on the line towards the end you started on to tighten the previous loop.

Step 5: Step 5: Play With the Cat

Cats are a great help when completing any kind of task with rope and string. Make sure to seek their council in the completion of your project.

Step 6: Step 6: Finish

When you have reached the end of your rope you can lock it down easily by simply feeding the end of the rope through the very last loop and pulling it tight. When it comes time to use the rope all you need to do is back out the end of the rope and start pulling and it will easily undo itself. By doing this we have taken 50ft of paracord and compacted it down to just over 10ft and have ensured that it is less likely to get tangled up.

Step 7: Step 7: But Wait! There's More!

To save on space, make it even more compact and easy to work with, I have gotten into the habit of doing the daisy chaining twice. Starting back at the beginning end I push a loop of the chain through the start and repeat the process again. When I reach the end, I again push through the end of the rope through the final loop. By doing this process I have now shortened the cord from 50 ft to just over 2ft. By making it thicker it is also easier to hold and manage while working with it in the field as I just slowly pull out the length that I need.

In the end I can prep 50ft of paracord in less than 10 minutes (depending on how much help the cat provides). It pays dividends when I go to use it in the field.