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MilSpec Paracord vs. Commercial ParacordMost Paracord now manufactured is considered “Type III” Paracord,and comes in two general varieties – Military Specification (MilSpec)Paracord and Commercial Paracord.MilSpec Paracord is manufactured in theUnited States in strict compliance with MIL-C-5040H.As such, MilSpec Paracord must bemanufactured from 100% nylon, and is moreexpensive, less readily available, andgenerally found in only a small number of“military-related” colors.If you're interested in Military Specification Paracord, we also sell thisproduct through our “sister company,” Paracord 550 MilSpec (TM),exclusively on Amazon.com.Want Your Own PDF Copyof MIL-C-5040H?Click HERE to downloadCommercial Paracord is manufactured inmany parts of the world under no ls or quality, whatsoever. And it ismanufactured from a variety of materials,including Nylon, Polyester, Dacron, or othermaterials. It is also less expensive thanMilSpec Paracord, and can easily be found ina huge selection of colors.Page 8HappyParacordCustomersFive Stars.“Awesomeparacord!!! Manyuses, great to havearound!!”- Matt WaybrightWhat you order iswhat you get, nohassles!"It was sent on timeand exactly asordered. Can'texpect more. I usedit to replace theplastic cord on ouroutdoor dryer and itdoes the job andshould last longerthan the cordsupplied with thedryer. Being aVeteran myself Iliked the idea thatthe company is Vetowned andoperated. Good Joband thanks.”- Keith K.And happy to buymore from you allagain.“Very well madeproduct. And happyto buy more fromyou all again.Thanks”- Mark SanchezJust like theoriginal.“Nice stuff, 500'wound on a spindle.Arrived in time for aknife and knot classtaught to 9-12 yearolds by WildernessAwareness. Workedreally well forteaching most knots.Contrasting colorsworks best formultiple pieces.”- P. Gorman

The problem is, since commercial paracord is not manufactured to anyagreed upon standard, you simply don't know at all what you aregetting, and very few people can actually tell the difference between“high-quality” and “low-quality” Paracord.This affords many opportunities for manufacturers of commercialparacord to make their product “cheaply,” sell it less expensively, andeven misrepresent their paracord.“550 Paracord” Does NOT Mean that the Breaking Strength is 550Pounds!Paracord is often referred to as “550 Cord,” 550 Paracord,” or“Paracord 550.”Here iswhat happened: AlthoughMIL-C-5040H does not referto Paracord as “550 Cord”or any other variations of“550,” it DOES clearly definethe minimum breaking strength of MilSpec Paracord to be 550 pounds.So the descriptive names of “550 Cord” or“550 Paracord” have evolved from the MilitarySpecification requirements for the minimumbreaking strength of MilSpec Paracord.However, when these terms are used today todescribe Paracord, they absolutely do NOTindicate that the breaking strength actually IS550 pounds. We've found plenty of “550 cord”with an advertised breaking strength of less,and sometimes much less, than 550 pounds.Beware of cheap“550 paracord”Your Dakota GearTM Commercial Paracord is manufactured from 100%Polyester, as good as, and in some ways, better than, nylon. Thispolyester Paracord is less expensive, supple, and still maintains abreaking strength of over 550 pounds.In short, be SURE you buy your Paracord from an honest and reliablemanufacturer and distributor!Page 9HappyParacordCustomersGreat product andservice.“Exactly what Ineeded. Worksperfectly and we arevery pleased,withboth the productand the service.,especially like theebooks.”- Rita HawkerExcellent qualityparacord.“Excellent qualityparacord. I receivedit on time. I'm atrucker and I'm soreto use the paracordto tie down heavyduty tarps instead ofusing bungees whichnever get tightenough. I orderedthe midnight blue.The color is exactlythat. I'm pleasedwith the purchase.Add to the fact is anAmerican madeproduct sold byveterans and youcan't go wrong.”- bigbluelemonFive Stars.“Works just as itshould.”- Amazon CustomerSuperior Product.“Great to dobusiness with. I willabsolutely be areturn customer.This cord is as goodor better than mostof the MilSpecs Ihave purchasedfrom other outlets.Thank you!”- Bob Branson

Where Do You Get Guaranteed High Quality Paracord?Obviously, we're biased! But we're alsobona fide “Paracord Snobs,” and we DOknow the difference between high qualityand “cheap” Paracord. We manufactureand distribute the Paracord that we love,and you will love, too.Dakota GearTM Paracord is 100% guaranteed with our “No Muss, NoFuss, No B.S.” Unconditional 1-Year Guarantee. We make a greatproduct, we know it, and we guarantee it period!Click HERE to see the Dakota Gear TM line of commercial Paracord onAmazon.com.If you want MilSpec Paracord manufactured to beyond therequirements of MIL-C-5040H, check out our “sister company,”Paracord 550 MilSpecTM, also sold exclusively on Amazon.com.Take Care of Your Paracord and it Will Take Care of YOU!NOTE:Do Not Use Your Paracord for Rock Climbing orRappelling. Paracord, including Military Specification Paracord, isNOT adequate or suitable for use with rock climbing or rappelling.Ropes and lines used for rock climbing and rappelling aremanufactured very specifically for those purposes, and have a muchhigher breaking strength.High quality Paracord does not rot, mold, mildew, or fade in color.However, no Paracord is indestructible.Protect Your Paracord from Chemicals:You will generally want to protect yourParacord from exposure to corrosivechemicals, like harsh detergents or cleaningsolutions, bleach, kerosene, oil, gasoline,“white gas” (like for camping stoves andlanterns), lye, paint, paint thinner, turpentine,Page 10HappyParacordCustomersVery Happy!!!!“I received myparacord a monthago and I couldn't behappier. The junglecolor was exactlywhat I was hoping itwould be. I'mdefinitely orderingagain.”- Amazon CustomerFive Stars.“Perfect we use thisto wrap paddles formilitary going awaya and retirements.”- navygrl1977Really like the colorcombo.“Good stuff. I was alittle hesitant on thecolor when Iordered. But after itshowed up, I reallylike it. Will workgreat in both aforest or sagebrushenvironment andblend right it.”- diann davis martinFinally, paracordmore than a couplehundred foot of it!“I just received thiscord and am thrilledupon receiving it, Ihope to enjoy usingthis cord as a hobbyto give my madearticles to friends.ThankYou DakotaGear for making itpossible for cratfspeople to finallypurchase more thata couple hundredfeet of paracord.”- Nom de plume

acid, and other chemicals, especially those which might react with orweaken nylon or polyester cord.Store Your Paracord in a Cool, Dry Place:Even though your Paracord will not rot ormildew when exposed to water, it is betterstored in a cool, dry place. And, although alsoresistant to the deteriorating effects of ozone,your Paracord is best stored in places withoutextended periods of direct sunlight.Be CAREFUL Using Paracord Around Open Flames or ExtremeHeat: Your Paracord is flammable. Although it is not explosive, itWILL melt and burn when exposed to extreme heat or open an openflame. So do not allow your Paracord to come into direct contact withopen flames, like a campfire, or extreme heat, like from a campinglantern or room heater.And when you do intentionally burn or melt Paracord, be extremelycareful NOT to allow the molten Paracord to come into contact withyour skin. It can stick onto your skin and leave a very nasty burn.Protect Your Paracord from Dirt, Abrasionand Unnecessary Knots: Be careful not todrop your Paracord in the dirt and walk on it,or snag it, or scrape it over sharp edges, likethose of rocks, metal, concrete or trees. Yourparacord is RESISTANT to abrasion, but willbe damaged by abuse.Page 11HappyParacordCustomersHigh quality, greatprice.“This paracord iseverything they saidit would be. I wasreluctant to buy itbecause it almostseemed "too cheap".In the end it turnedout to be a goodvalue instead!”- UFi911Looks and smellsgood.“Arrived on time,looks and smellsgood (no weirdchemical smells). Ihaven't used it yet,so not sure if theentire roll isconsistent with theoutside layer - butassuming it is veryhappy with thisproduct.”- Amazon CustomerFive Stars“Loved it.”- MurphGREATESTPARACORD EVER!!!!“I am a pretty avidoutdoorsman andhave gone throughmany different typesof paracord. Thisparacord is by farthe best!!! ItCOMPLETELYexceeded myexpectations. Thisplace now has aloyal customer forlife. Thank you all forthe great product!!!”- Patrick

Do not let pets or other animals chew on your paracord. Paracordis very specifically manufactured to beextremely strong cord, especially for its smalldiameter. However, the many small strandsthat make up Paracord can be easily scraped,cut, snagged, “roughed up,” burned, chewedand gnawed on.Animals chewing on your Paracord willcertainly damage it. Paracord is often usedfor animal collars and leashes just don'tallow your animals to chew on them.Do not tie unnecessary knots in yourParacord, as knots weaken all types orstring, line and rope. Learn to tie a few“good” knots and use them sparingly.“Good” knots are knots that:- hold very securely- weaken the cord as little as possible- are (generally!) easy to untieBe Careful What You Use Paracord For! One of our customers toldus he wanted to use Paracord for the string in his hoodie sweatshirt.We advised him to be EXTREMELY careful, because of the danger ofsuch a small diameter, extremely strong cord, wrapped so closelyunder his chin or around his neck.Remember, Paracord is VERY strong! Don't allow children to playunsupervised with Paracord.With just a minimum of care, your MilSpec Paracord will serve you wellfor years to come.Page 12HappyParacordCustomersAbsolutely asadvertised andperfect!“I was a little leerywhen looking at thereviews of othervendors for rolls ofparacord. I took achance and followedmy gut and orderedfrom Dakota gear.Not only was it asadvertised, the roll isa complete onepiece roll and isperfect for what Iwanted to do. I'mproud to supportsuch a qualityveteran ownedbusiness that livedby the old adage ofour word is ourbond. Manysuccesses I thefuture of thiscompany. GodBless.”- James Lanier5.0 out of 5 stars.enough to hold myweight at 179 lbs.“Not a paracordexpert but it isstrong enough tohold my weight at179 lbs. Seemspretty good.“- EricExcellent Price /Superior Quality.“The product arrivedquickly, was markedclearly, the price wasexcellent and thequality was betterthan I wasexpecting.”- Survivor Jack

Paracord Skills ClinicBelow are some of the “key” skills that you willdefinitely find helpful when using Paracord.They will also help you get the most out ofyour Paracord.Review: The Paracord “Kern” and “Mantle”: Paracord is made upof multiple internal strands, called the “kern.”These internal strands generally make up thetensile strength of the paracord.Theseinternal strands are contained inside a woven,outer sheath, called the “mantle,” and slidefreely inside the “mantle.” This “free sliding” ofthe internal strands contributes to the flexibilityand pliability of Paracord.This externalsheath protects the internal strands fromabrasion and damage.The internal strands of Paracord can be removed from inside of thesheath and used as individual strands. For example, you could usethe inside strands individually for fishing lines, sewing thread, or evendental floss.The braided and colored outside sheath can also be used by itself,with the internal strands removed, in situations where you might wantthe color of the sheath, but not the “bulk” or extra tensile strength ofthe inner strands. For example, you could use the Paracord sheathwith the inner strands removed for shoe or boot laces. (remember totie a “double-knot” in your boot laces or the knot will slip.)Cutting Paracord: The best way to cutparacord is with a sharp knife or scissors.With so many smaller threads twisted andbraided together, a “clean cut” will allow you tobetter secure the ends of your Paracord (see“Securing the Ends of Paracord” below) andprevent the internal strands from sliding out ofyour Paracord.Page 13HappyParacordCustomersIncredible Value!“I have used my newparacord for myusual householdtasks of securingitems, with nocomplaints. It isstrong and with thethe bright orangecolor that I ordered,fun and easy to see. Iplan on replacing myhiking boots laceswith paracord andlearning to make aparacord braceletfor thosebackcountry survivalemergencies.”- elsie m RomeroParacord yay!“I've gotta say thatI'm actually quiteimpressed as to howversatile this type ofcord is. Thisparacord comes witha really cool, fullcolor ebook withlarge & clearpictures and tons ofinformation aboutparacord. Don'tthink we'll ever runout of ideas on howto use up all theparacord.”- Beth BVery impressed withthe quality and thesize! Great Value.“I chose the TridentBlue Camo and lovethe color. I amcompletely satisfiedwith my purchaseand would highlyrecommend thisparacord to anyonelooking for the realthing!”- KMW

Securing the Ends of Paracord: Because Paracord has multiple,removable, strands inside of the woven sheath, if the Paracord is cutor broken, the internal strands will slide in and out of the sheath. If youdo not want the internal strands to move inside of the sheath (and yougenerally don't want them to slide out), you will want to secure theends of your Paracord. You can easily do this in several differentways:- Overhand or “Figure 8” knot: The quickestand easiest way to secure all of the looseends of a piece of Paracord is to simply tie aknot in the end. This will also help you to findthe “bitter end” of your Paracord when you’renext ready to use it.- Glue: You can also use a small dab ofeveryday household glue, like Elmer’s Glue tosecure the ends of Paracord. Remember tolet the glue dry completely before using your Paracord.Burning the Ends of Paracord: Perhaps themost popular method of securing the cut endsof your Paracord would be to burn the endswith a match or lighter. This melts the manysmall internal and external threads of theParacord together so that they don’t unravel.Be extremely careful with matches andlighters. And DO NOT TOUCH the hot endof the Paracord just after you have meltedit. The hot, molten Paracord will stick toyour skin and cause a very nasty burn.To burn the ends of your Paracord, first make a clean cut on the end.Then use a lighter or match to heat and melt the small internal andexternal threads of your Paracord together.The tip of the flame is hotter and will melt the fibers together morequickly. But some people think that using the tip of the flame causesyour Paracord to “blacken,” and they prefer to use the side of theflame.Page 14HappyParacordCustomersA HouseholdEssential.“I just made my veryfirst pair ofshoelaces with it(impressive, huh?)With this particularpair of hiking boots,I've been throughabout 4 pairs ofshoelaces in the past5-6 years. That getsold real quick. Plusshoelaces areawfully expensive forwhat you get. I used10 ft for 1 pair ofshoelaces (7eyelets), so I figurethis pair cost meabout 50 cents. Cutthe ends at an angleand hold them about1/2" to 1" over acandle flame tocarefully melt themso they don'tunravel. When youlace them you needto double-knot themas the paracord isslippery.”- Anita EdgeDakota Gear ReallyKnows Its Paracord!“Very impressedwith the quality andthe overallexperience withDakota Gear. It’struly the mostversatile cord youcould possibly buy you can't go wrongbuying this cord. Ifyou know someonein Scouting, or abackpackingenthusiast, thisshould be the nextgift you give them.”- RobertMcMichaels

Practice burning the ends of a few pieces of“scrap” Paracord so you can get the hang of it.Try using the tip of the flame, and the side ofthe flame, and see which works best for you.Seriously, DO NOT LET THE HOT, MOLTENPARACORD TOUCH YOUR SKIN!Also, burning Paracord creates an unpleasantodor and fumes, so be sure and burn the endsof your Paracord in an area that is safe for the use of open flames andalso provides good ventilation.An inexpensive wood burning tool or a commercial “hot knife” can alsobe used to melt the ends of Paracord together.Melting 2 pieces of Paracord Together:(BE CAREFUL when burning Paracord!Read the cautions in the paragraphs above!)There are a few times when you might want to melt two pieces ofparacord and fuse them together. For example, when making someparticular types of multi-colored Paracordbracelets, like the very popular two-coloredCobra Style bracelet, you might want to melttwo different colors of Paracord together.To melt two pieces of Paracord together:- make a clean cut on the ends of the piecesof Paracord that you want to melt together.- Heat both ends of your Paracord until theystart to melt.- Gently press the molten ends of theParacord together, and hold them together formaybe 5 or 10 seconds.Practice on a few pieces of scrap ParacordPage 15HappyParacordCustomersThe real deal!“I've used paracordin scouting, hiking,camping and searchand rescue work forover 30 years. I'vealso seen manytwisted strandproducts sold as"cord" which purportto be just likeparacord. Theseproducts are lightduty only and didnot hold up over anytime or usage. ThisDakota Gearparacord is the real7 strand paracordwith the innerstrands covered bythe sheath. Mine willbe used for anemergency shelterbuilding demo withour county searchand rescue group.”- ShieldWolfThis paracord isgood to go!“I first discoveredparacord many yearsago when I served inthe Army as anInfantryman. 550cord is like ducttape, you alwayswant to have somehandy because it canfix just aboutanything. These daysI use it for hiking,camping, and oddjobs around thehouse. I’ve beenusing this paracordfor a few weeks nowand I can report thatit is up to snuff!”- Daryle

before you try this on a “real” bracelet project.NOTE: Melting two pieces of Paracord together will NOT provide youwith a “full-strength” splice and cannot be used to bear a load. Butthese two pieces of Paracord can be melted together securely enoughto use them as “one” piece of differently-colored Paracord for many ofyour Paracord Projects.Paracord Needles can be a very handy tool to use with your ParacordProjects. If you want to do much at all withParacord, you’ll very probably want to get aParacord Needle, and / or an inexpensive pairof forceps or hemostats (see “Forceps /Hemostats” below).Paracord Needles typically come in lengths of3” or longer, and either straight or curvedneedles. One end of the Needle is bluntlyrounded. The other end of the needle ishollowed out and threaded.The easiest way tothread your Paracordinto the back end ofthe Needle is to cutyour Paracord at anangle, and burn yourparacordlightly,creating a pointed end.Thread this end intothe back end of your Paracord Needle. You can pull the end of yourParacord under and through the stitches and braids in your ParacordProjects.(HINT: You can also use this technique tomake shoe or boot laces with a point that canbe threaded through the eyelets of your shoesor boots.)NOTE: Be CAREFUL when burningParacord, and using Paracord Needles!Page 16HappyParacordCustomersNothing else like it!“I am totally jazzedto have this muchcord at such a greatprice. I already havefriend in mind tosend another as abirthday gift. Ibought Neon Orangefor its visibility whichis especiallyimportant if it isused around a campsite to set up a raintarp shelter. We willbe building a strawbale house thissummer and I planto use this Paracordto retie the strawbales that have to beresized at thewindow and dooropenings.”- ADR L.A great generalpurpose rope!“I recently found outabout paracord andit's manyapplications, fromsimple bracelets andwatch bands tohanging p

Attention: Paracord LOVERS! This is a book for YOU! What IS Paracord, Anyway? Parachute cord, or “Paracord,” is an inexpensive lightweight, kernmantle type rope or cord with extraordinary breaking strength, especially relative to its small diameter. The typical diameter, or “thickness” of