Introduction: Paracord Adjustable Trekking Pole Leashes

I have been building paracord structures since 1980. It is the duct-tape of the cord and string business, and widely considered one of The Worlds Most Useful Things.
This Instructable is for a ladder woven adjustable trekking pole leash, which I find a lot more practical than stock wrist straps. Stock straps can be wishy-washy and just plain cheap. Trekking poles can be an integral part of your equipment; they help lessen the impact on your feet and legs while hiking, especially on the descent, and improve your balance over rough ground. Paracord proves an attractive, sturdy and practical alternative to wriststraps.
This may very well be one of The Coolest Paracord Thingies ever built.

Step 1: Stuff You'll Need

Paracord
Knife or scissors
Lighter
Awl or marlinspike for hole-poking.
Trekking poles
A mini-carabiner as an anchored start point

Step 2: Trek Pole Strap Surgery

Step 1
Surgically remove all but 2 inches of the stock wrist strap on your trekking pole and melt the raw edge to prevent frazzle and fray.
 Then, carefully using your pokey tool, drive a hole through the middle of the two remaining short  straps on the trek pole.

Step 3: Weaving the Leash


Begin by finding the center of your length of paracord; determine the leash length using a rough measurement for your wrist size, and then about 6-8” more for the sliding adjuster portion. Anchor your paracord firmly at the start point and begin the ladder weave. My leash is 16" long, half ladder woven, half being double-strand 'tails', one of which acts as an adjuster slide.

Step 4: Weaving the Leash

Start ladderweaving the leash; Ladder weaving is simply opposite side half hitches around two strands of paracord. Once you have the length of the leash fidgeted out, make a bight on the left side;  bring the other cord under the running end of the bight, across the front of the two strands and through the bight...then tighten occasionally as you weave.

Step 5: The Secret of the Leash Revealed

Once you have decided that you have enough ladder weave, trim and fuse the raw ends, ensuring they will not loosen or untie. Carefully remove your start point anchor [I used a mini-carabiner].Then, take one of the two remaining tails, and insert it through the hole you poked in your surgically altered strap, and run it back through the loops left by your anchor point.
Now, finish off the leash with either a simple overhand thumb knot or a double fishermans knot.

Step 6: Test and Adjust

Now that The Secret of The Leash has been revealed unto you, there will be much joy.
Tweak and test the lengths and “frictionability” of your leash. When the leash is fully ‘tightened’, the trek pole should dangle from your wrist and not fall off, if you need both hands for other activities [such as taking pictures of the Secret of the Leash]. When required, it will easily slide open for removal from your wrist, after you have parted the waters with your Moses-esque trekking poles.

Step 7: The Final Product

Now the Secret of the Leash has been fully revealed unto you; I have also included photos of a Mk II leash with a Fastex buckle closure.
So far, field testing has proven these leashes to be very effective; the time is nigh to alter your trekking poles and acquire what will, in all likelihood, become one of The Best Things You Have Ever Made.

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