Paracord is NOT the Best Cordage for Your Bug Out Bag

Is paracord really the best cordage for your Bug Out Bag? This is response video to The Urban Prepper's "URBAN Survival Starter Kit | Modified 10 C's of Survival"

CORDAGE COMPARISON
LBS. COST @
CORD STRENGTH WIDTH FOOT
Amsteel Blue 1400 2.5 mm $0.45
Technora 600 600 2.03 mm $0.40
550 Paracord 550 4.0 mm $0.32
Bankline 60 530 2.95 mm $0.17
Bankline 36 325 2.1 mm $0.08
Kevlar 200 1.1 mm $0.12
Bankline 18 160 1.52 mm $0.05
Mason line 18 160 1.52 mm $0.03
Cost is based on Amazon prices at the time of this video

[TheUrbanPrepper]

OK, You WIN, Prepper Potpourri! BANKLINE it is! This video is AWESOME! I loved all of the points that you made. As a fellow content creator I'm a little jealous that you looked to have filmed this video in ONE take. I wish I could do that! I'm deranking paracord in my Urban kits and bringing back the tarred bankline in its place based on all of the excellent reasonings that you laid out. Thank you so much for making this video!

[CityPrepping]

Nice. I'm going to need to re-watch this again and revise my setups :)

[scottcatchot]

Use paracord for my reusable lines, I have pre-made Ridgeline and utility cords, but bank line for everything else. This is the first of your videos I have seen. Good job.

[lizp]

I love the fact that you not only question the conventional way but back it up your findings too. Thank you. I am sharing this video with family and friends. Please make more like this!

[LittleUrbanPrepper]

That cord organizer is pretty cool. Will definitely check that out .

[germarisalameda]

This video is AMAZING! Clear and direct to the point with a lot of examples.

[LIBERTYVIEWS]

What a great down-to-earth approach. Thanks PP!

[mollygarza]

I haven’t purchased cordage yet for our go bags but now I need to rethink what’s in my shopping cart thank you

[LadyTSurvival]

I agree that bankline is the bomb. I keep bankline, paracord and mule tape in my cordage bag. Mule tale is rated 1200 lbs. It takes up more room though

[AndreasCreations]

Great info. I need to look at cordage you talked about as I am not familiar with it. Thanks for sharing.

[steveday]

Very interesting. Something else I've learnt from you today, thank you, going to add bank line to my kits

[hootowlholler]

I lack in this area. Thanks for the excellent break down. After your expert video I'm leaning towards bank line. Thank you very much.

[bayardoarellano]

Outstanding sister! BTW, Paracord was used by the military for parachutes. and they used a lot of strings. Each side has 32 strings. The length is related to the diameter of the chute. I was not familiar with that orange cord for boats. However, I always used the 1/2 inch that is already made with the loop at one end. Great job explaining the different cords. Muchas Gracias!!

[midtennprepper]

I love it when preppers come up with new ideas and share them. Thank you

[lovinglife]

Prepper Potpourri versus TUP! 😂🤭😎 You are both awesome. I love the YouTube prepper community. TUP I think you need to convert those charts into pdf for Prepper Poutpourri!

[oldtimerlee]

Excellent advice on cordage. Agree that 550 cord is not the "End All, Be All" cordage that some people tend to proclaim. I have some. Have even more bankline, for the reasons you mentioned. Additionally, I have all sorts of other cordage, ranging from sewing threads to good sized rope, too. Jute baling twine, butchers twine, clothesline wire, clothesline rope, artificial sinew, crochet cotton and rug weight yarns, along with bungee cords, ratchet straps and tow straps, to mention a few.

When buying and storing cordage for long term needs, consider how it will be used. Some situations are one time use and then discard. Tying tomatoes to stakes in the garden would be an example. An inexpensive, natural fiber, with sufficient strength is all that's needed. Save the expensive stuff for things like guy lines for tents and tarps, that will be used over and over again.

BTW, many types/sizes of electrical wire as cordage in an emergency. Extension cords are a good example. Another source of cordage can be green vines. Learn to recognize and stay clear of the poisonous varieties.

[ShadeSlayer]

I love this discussion. I got into paracord back in college. Made a bunch of bracelets, lanyards, and all sorts of other things. But after using it so much for that, I realized that other cordages are worth getting too. Similarly to you, I found that Bank Line is great for storing in the altoids tin kits, due to being much more compact while still being very tough. I've now collected some jute twine, braided mason line, Type 1A paracord, and Kevlar line.

Despite paracord being the common go-to for a lot of people for good reasons, it's also worth looking at other types of cordage.

[PreparednessVeteran]

Yes, the Prepper obsession for paracord seem to stem from it's military use. As you say, the main benefit is that of multifunction.
Beware of synthetic ropes/string that has been exposed to the sun - degradation is a key factor in it's strength.
Kite string is pretty tough.
One should also consider Sailing Dyneema rope/cordage, very strong and robust.
A great and thought provoking video.

[unitedstatesirie]

For mountain climbing and rappelling down cliffs & buildings I use 'dry rope' climbing rope. For hanging my clothes to dry during a camping trip I use paracord.

[treyellis]

What a well made video, I can't believe I'm just discovering this channel!