As twine is not that bulky and heavy, I keep a small roll in my survival fanny pack. I use bees wax impregnated whipping twine, as is used in repairing sails. But in my quest for always looking for something better, does anyone have suggestions on other types of cordage for general outdoor use. How does this twine compare with the rawhide cord used in sewing leather clothing as worn by frontiersmen.
Twine for Wilderness Use
- Thread starter B. Miller
- Start date
The absolute best cordage is 5.5 mm (about 0.25 of an inch) spectra/kevlar cord that is used in rock climbing. It has a breaking strenght of 3000+ lbs and is super abrasion resistant. Its not small enought to sew with, but for anything else it works wonderfully.
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An eye for an eye leaves everyone blind.
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An eye for an eye leaves everyone blind.
for the best twine get the three twist tarred twine that fisherman use to patch their seins. Its the best stuff in the world, keep the three strands together and its tough as you'll ever need, untwist it and you have a mother of a hard thread. I use it to patch my BDU's very tough stuff. You can get it at your local commercial fishing store. Its about $12 Canadian for a huge spool. Geoff.
Surveyor's string is my favorite light cordage & it's readily available in Home Depot & other large hardware stores. The stuff I found is 3-strand nylon. The ends are easily melted to prevent fraying and, unlike some synthetics, is nice & limp -- tight knots that won't slip are not a problem.
White is standard but I also saw a number of "day-glo" high visibility colors available. Best of all, a large spool is only about US $6.
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Cheers,
--+Brian+--
He who finishes with the most toys wins.
[This message has been edited by bcaffrey (edited 01-22-2000).]
White is standard but I also saw a number of "day-glo" high visibility colors available. Best of all, a large spool is only about US $6.
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Cheers,
--+Brian+--
He who finishes with the most toys wins.
[This message has been edited by bcaffrey (edited 01-22-2000).]
- Joined
- Jun 30, 1999
- Messages
- 18
I'd say you're on the right track w/ the whipping twine to meet your stated needs - "general outdoor use" (i.e. knots & lashings for shelter building, repairs, improvised tools, etc.). The commercial fishing twine seems worth a look & of course no 'survival' discussion on cordage would be complete w/o mentioning mil-spec para-cord. It can be stripped down into its constituent parts (sheath/7 core strings/3threads) for a huge range of applications. I usually carry ~10m of para cord and the same or more of small, flatter braided (not twisted) nylon cord w/ a breaking strength of 40-50 kg.
The climbing accessory cord is definitely tough stuff, but too expensive & less versatile for my needs in general outdoor chores.
"How does this twine compare with the rawhide cord used in sewing leather clothing as worn by frontiersmen."
If you mean modern 'rawhide boot lace' material (which is tanned), this I would tend to avoid in favor of the previous choices as being much weaker per diameter, less durable & weather-proof. Real rawhide does have the advantage of shrinking tightly into a hard permanent lashing when applied wet - if you're after wilderness expedients & capable of taking game, it can be worthwhile.
Regards, Dudley Driscoll
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The climbing accessory cord is definitely tough stuff, but too expensive & less versatile for my needs in general outdoor chores.
"How does this twine compare with the rawhide cord used in sewing leather clothing as worn by frontiersmen."
If you mean modern 'rawhide boot lace' material (which is tanned), this I would tend to avoid in favor of the previous choices as being much weaker per diameter, less durable & weather-proof. Real rawhide does have the advantage of shrinking tightly into a hard permanent lashing when applied wet - if you're after wilderness expedients & capable of taking game, it can be worthwhile.
Regards, Dudley Driscoll
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- Joined
- Apr 25, 1999
- Messages
- 94
I use a lot of different cordage, but my overall favorite would have to be 550 Para-Cord. I think it's the best all purpose cord. First runner up would have to be Spectra cord.
I have been experimenting with some Dacron fishing line. This stuff is really tough albeit a little slippery. It has a Teflon coating, but it still holds a knot very tight. I would guess the Teflon provides greater abrasion resistance.
I have been experimenting with some Dacron fishing line. This stuff is really tough albeit a little slippery. It has a Teflon coating, but it still holds a knot very tight. I would guess the Teflon provides greater abrasion resistance.