The idea behind this experiment was to explore rope braided out of bed sheets and see if it would be an effective means of escape.

A. Could a rope braided out of one bed sheet hold my weight?
B. How long would this sheet rope be?
C. How long would it take to make?

Step 1: Get a Sheet

I picked this one up a a thrift store for the project for about one dollar. However, the concept behind using this material is that it is readily available in many locations you might want to escape from (your parent's house, a bad date, prison etc.)

Step 2: Cut the Sheet for Making Strips

I cut the end of the sheet about three inches from the side. If I were to repeat the project I would try using wider strips.

Step 3: Tear a Strip of Fabric of the Sheet

The cloth should tear into relatively straight strips. However, in a covert situation this might not be the best option because it was somewhat noisy.

Step 4: Braid the Strips Into a Rope

I used standard flat braiding method with three strips. A round braid might create a stronger rope. If you tie off one end of the rope braiding will be faster. This was the most time intensive part of the process.

Step 5: Test the Rope.

An hour later I was finished with my initial rope. This rope would have been long enough to scale a three story building, however it was not strong enough to support my body (100 Kilos, 220 pounds).

Step 6: Sucess

I cut the long rope into three equal pieces, and then braided these together (additional 15 minutes). This meant that my rope was now only long enough to climb out of a one story building.

Lesson, a rope braided out of bed sheets would not be effective for escaping from situations where time was a limiting factor.

If I had to escape out of my of my third floor bedroom because of fire or other natural disaster braiding a rope out of bed sheets would not the solution. Other escape methods to contemplate include knotting whole sheets, towels, or jeans together. However, I should probably keep a prefabricated rope on hand for now.