TTL: BUSHCRAFT 101 "ROPE, CORDAGE,WEBBINGS, AND KNOTS" by Dave Canterbury

“It is extraordinary how little the average individual knows about

the art of making even the simplest knots.” —R.M. ABRAHAM, WINTER NIGHTS ENTERTAINMENTS, 1932

You must carry cordage as one of the main elements of your kit because of its usefulness in creating other items. You must also carry it because it’s difficult to create in large quantity with natural material, and doing so would take a lot of time. Cordage is useful for making fire, lashings, and bindings and is helpful in trapping, fishing, and a host of other things. Therefore, it is important for you to take a close look at the cordage you choose to carry within your kit. Just like all the other elements of the Five Cs, it must be capable of a multitude of tasks. While cord and rope are actually synonymous terms, for sake of this book we will identify cordage as having a diameter less than 1/4", and rope as anything above 1/4" that is made from multiple fibers, whether they are natural or synthetic.

CORDS

Some cords, such as Military 550 cord (parachute cord), have an outer sheath called a mantle. This is a woven sheath, generally of poly material, that covers inner strands or cords. In the case of true 550 cords, there are seven strands inside the mantle. The 550 cords are popular within the camping realm because most survival-type manuals mention this cord; they do so because many of the older survival manuals were largely based on military doctrines, and the military had plenty of 550 cord. In earlier times, ropes and cords were made of natural materials such as hemp, cotton, jute, or sisal.

There are many types of cord available for you to use in thebush, but I find mariner’s tarred twisted nylon twine to be superior cordage to anything else available today. It is made of three fibers of synthetic material that are woven together. It comes in strengths of line tests from about 80# test to over 500# test (these numbersrefer to the twine’s tensile strength) in a thin diameter and useful package. The biggest fault of the traditional para cord (550) is that it’s really only useful in its original state. Once the mantle isremoved, the seven inner strands tend to split apart and fray easily. This makes it difficult to extend the amount of cordage you have bybreaking it down, or reducing the diameter to meet the need athand. Para cord works well for making improvised fishing lures and lillian for cane poles (the lillian is an attachment braid on the end of a tenkara rod; see Chapter 10). Tarred mariner’s line, however, breaks down easily to three smaller fibers, has a tar coating that protects it from UV rays, and binds well to itself when using it for lashings or bindings. I generally carry a 1# roll of two differentsizes: #12 and #36. The #12 is great for net-making and fishing, while the #36 works for any heavy lashings and bindings or to include tarp guy lines.

ROPE

Unlike cord, I prefer my rope to be of a natural material such as hemp. The main reason for this is its flammability, which aids infire-making and when creating a bird’s nest (discussed later). Rope can be used for a number of things, such as improvised pack and bedroll straps. It can be worn as a belt for your outermost garments to keep your sheath knife and belt pouch readily available without your having to fumble under your coat or blanket shirt. You can also use rope for many camp chores, such as suspending game animals for processing, pulling tent stakes, hanging a hammock, or improvising a windlass to move a heavy object. I recommend carrying about two ropes 12' in length and one rope 25' in length at all times when tramping alone.

WEBBING

Tubular webbing is used for climbing, so it has a very high tensile strength to prevent breakage. It has some advantages over rope in that it weighs less, takes up less room, and has a higher tensile strength. When making improvised straps and such from this material, you’ll find it much more comfortable over distance than rope. Because webbing is flat, you’ll be able to carry more of it. Because webbing takes up less room than rope (generally), I recommend two 20' sections and a 50' section if room and weight allow. This material will do anything rope will do—and a bit better in most cases, other than help with fire-starting. You can always carry a bit of both, as I do.

MULE TAPE

Mule tape is a mantle with no inner strands and is used by electricians. It has a very high tensile strength relative to its size, and you can carry 100' without adding more than a pound or so to your pack. In the eastern woodlands, there are so many briars, cat claws, and thorns in general that mantle-type cord or rope is not feasible because of the fraying of the fibers and weaves over time. However, if your environment allows it, it is great for all things of which a heavier rope would be capable.

MAKING NATURAL CORDAGE

To make natural cord, first you must know the correct material to use for this purpose. It must be fairly strong, depending on its application, and it must be available during all four seasons. There are many plants and trees that will make natural cord in the eastern woodlands. To make a single cord from natural material of passable strength, you only need to look as far as vines or the roots of spruce trees on the ground. Some of these can be relatively strong, and it is best to test materials in your area before the need arises by harvesting a section and attempting to tie an overhand knot in the cord. If doing this breaks the cord, it may not be viable for some tasks, but if you can make three or four wraps around your finger and it does not split or break, it may be passable for some applications.

REVERSE-WRAP TWO-PLY CORDAGE

To make this type of cord in the eastern woodland, the best material will be the inner barks of the shagbark hickory or the tulip tree (yellow poplar). Other options for plant fibers outside the eastern woodland are yucca and nettle, as well as dogbane. Yellow poplar is by far the easiest and will make a good strong cord for most applications in any diameter needed. Recently fallen or dead fallen poplar is the least desirable cordage material but will be the easiest to harvest. Pry the edge of this bark with a knife and peel it off; it should come off in long strips depending on the branch or tree. Then remove the outer bark to get to the inner bark fibers. To do this, work the piece around a rough-barked sapling or a rope; this will loosen and remove the outer bark. Once the fibers are obtained, you need to process them further into smaller strands, then into groups of strands to obtain the desired diameter of cord.