550 paracord

[Rick]

Later we had to start using fall harnesses when working heights (non pole - Usually aerial platform work).They had a strap much like in your pic. Only the ones we used were sewn like this one. I personally never had to use one so I don't know how well they work. I was working with a guy one day that didn't have one on. He stood up, turned around and stepped off the platform about 30 feet in the air. Forgot he was aerial.

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[Camp10]

sjj, that lanyard looks just like the ones we use. They are designed to unfold at 900 lbs of force. They also open another 4 feet (I think that is what the specs are)when they operate. This means that he will need roughly 8 feet of free fall for it to do it's job. Make sure he keeps the rope tight enough when he is working near the edge or he might hit the ground anyways.

[Alaskan Survivalist]

One of the knots I tie for braclets (or what every else you wand to use it for) "unties" quickly. The braclet on the left - cut off button knot and pull. That's it. You now have (in this case) 8 feet of paracord.

Please show me that knot. Back when I started driving truck ropes were used and the whole load could be tied with a truckers knot that could be released with one tug on the end of the rope. Why not a bracelet?

[crashdive123]

Please show me that knot. Back when I started driving truck ropes were used and the whole load could be tied with a truckers knot that could be released with one tug on the end of the rope. Why not a bracelet?

Here is a tutorial on the chain sinnet bracelets.

http://stormdrane.blogspot.com/search?q=chain+sinnet

[Rick]

Good post, Crash.

AS - You can also make a belt using a similar design. It's called a Slatt's Rescue Belt and you can google up all kinds of links.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-...d-Rescue-Belt/

You can also store a LOT of paracord by wrapping it like you would a rescue rope.

http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to-st...angles-252098/

For smaller, tangle free pieces of paracord (like tarp tie downs) I wrap the cord in a figure 8 between my outstretched thumb and pinky. Just loop around in a figure 8 and it will never be tangled when you want to use it.

[finallyME]

Ken,

While you were typing, I've been checking out the "working load" specs on this cord, and trying to establish its heat resistant properties. I know the working load numbers on my BlueWater 11MM static rapelling rope and my 9MM Dynamic climbing rope - which of course are a lot thicker, made with different materials, and have an outside sheath.

The Amsteel rope's purposes listed do not include climbing/repelling/rescue work - rather more in line with rigging sail boats, towing things, using in winches like you have on your truck - but does not (that I have found) include functions that involve lifting people. The one thing that I do know is that it is slippery and may not hold knots very well - which could make it extremely dangerous for anykind of people purposes.

Still, I'm excited to find something thinner and stronger than paracord which means I could pack a lot because it is light enough to float. I now see that the 1/8th inch Amsteel Blue is rated at 2,500 lbs test (1/8th like paracord) - while the thinner 7/64 is 1,600 lbs. Still don't know the working loads. I would love to have some good light rope for my kits -but need to do more investigation. Since no one will tell me which color to get, I'm going to order some in black and some in bright orange.

P.S. - I have that (or similar) safety belt w/buckle but as I'm sure you know, they aren't designed for purposely rapelling and I won't purposely use it for such - they can be a real back breaker.

NOTE: I do not find this rope listed as designed or suitable for climbing, rappeling, rescue, or anything involving supporting people. I do not recommend anyone using any rope for such that isn't specifically designed for it..

The amsteel has a high tensile strength and is made from Dyneema. Here is a Wiki quote about it:

Ballistic vests can be made of UHMWPE.
Dyneema and Spectra are gel spun through a spinneret to form oriented-strand synthetic fibers of UHMWPE, which have yield strengths as high as 2.4 GPa and density as low as 0.97 kg/l (for Dyneema SK75)[6]. High strength steels have comparable yield strengths, and low carbon steels have yield strengths much lower (around 0.5 GPa). Since steel has a density approximately equal to 7.8 kg/l, this gives strength-to-weight ratios for these materials in a range from 10 to 100 times higher than for steel. Strength-to-weight ratios for Dyneema are about 40% higher than for Aramid.
UHMWPE fibers are used in armor, particularly personal armor and occasionally as vehicle armor, cut resistant gloves, bow strings, climbing equipment, fishing line, spear lines for spearguns, high-performance sails, suspension lines on sport parachutes and paragliders, rigging in yachting, kites, and kites lines for kites sports. Spectra is also used as a high-end Wakeboard line.
For personal armor, the fibers are, in general, aligned and bonded into sheets, which are then layered at various angles to give the resulting composite material strength in all directions.[7] [8] Recently-developed additions to the US Military's Interceptor body armor, designed to offer arm and leg protection, are said to utilize a form of Spectra or Dyneema fabric.[9] Dyneema provides puncture resistance to protective clothing in the sport of fencing.
Spun UHMWPE fibers excel as fishing line, as they have less stretch, are more abrasion-resistant, and are thinner than traditional monofilament line.
In climbing, cord and webbing made of combinations of UHMWPE and nylon yarns have gained popularity for their low weight and bulk, though, unlike their nylon counterparts, they exhibit very low elasticity, making them unsuitable for limiting forces in a fall. Also, low elasticity translates to low toughness. The fiber's very high lubricity leads to poor knot-holding ability, and has led to the recommendation to use the Triple fisherman's knot rather than the traditional double fisherman's knot in 6mm UHMWPE core cord to avoid a particular failure mechanism of the double fisherman's, where first the sheath fails at the knot, then the core slips through.[10][11]
Owing to its low density, ships' hawsers and cables can be made from the fibre, and float on sea water.
It is used in skis and snowboards, often in combination with carbon fiber, reinforcing the fiberglass composite material, adding stiffness and improving its flex characteristics. The UHMWPE is often used as the base layer, which contacts the snow, and includes abrasives to absorb and retain wax.
High-performance ropes for sailing and parasailing are made of UHMWPE, due to their low stretch and high strength.[12]
Dyneema was used for the 30-kilometre space tether in the ESA/Russian Young Engineers' Satellite 2 of September, 2007.
The extremely low friction coefficient of UHMWPE makes it a common topsheet for boxes in terrain parks.[citation needed]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultra_h...t_polyethylene

I should also add this from the same wiki article:

"Rock climbers may use a sling made of dyneema because of its high tensile strength to weight ratio, and rarer Prusiks composed of dyneema can also be found, though their lower melting point versus nylon makes them largely unsuitable for this job, resulting in the creation of nylon sheathed Prusiks with dyneema cores."

In other words, you might melt it with your figure 8.

[finallyME]

Because amsteel has a hard time holding knots, most of the people I know who use it, splice it. Actually, that is one of the reasons they use it. It has high strength to weight, and you can splice it.