The paracord reference
Tie it, weave it, trust it in the field.
Paracord Central is an independent magazine about parachute cord and light bushcraft: clear knot guides, projects you can finish in an evening, and honest advice on the cord worth buying.
Start here
Learn the cord before you cut it
Paracord looks simple — nylon shell, inner strands, endless colours. Knowing its construction, sizes and real working limits is what separates a bracelet that decorates a wrist from cord you would bet a shelter on.
Paracord 101
What is paracord?
kernmantle construction, military history, and why 550 cord became the default cordage of outdoors folk.
Read the primer →
Reference
Paracord types & sizes
Type I to Type IV, micro cord, mil-spec versus commercial — a plain-language table for picking the right diameter.
Compare the types →Buyer's guide
Paracord supplies
What a starter kit really contains, which tools earn their place on the bench, and the cord we would spend our own money on.
Read the buyer's guide →Knot guides
Knots that earn their keep
A knot is a tool you carry in your hands. These are the ones we actually use — each guide includes a diagram, common mistakes, and when to pick one knot over another.
Decorative
The lanyard knot
A symmetrical stopper that turns any cord end into a grab loop — the finishing move on lanyards and knife fobs.
Tie the diamond knot →
Friction
The prusik knot
The climber's friction hitch that grips when loaded and slides when slack — tarp ridgelines, adjustable guylines, hauling.
Learn the prusik →
Technique
How to braid paracord
The three-strand braid and the weaves behind every bracelet: cobra, king cobra, fishtail — the grammar of paracord craft.
Master the braids →Projects
Weekend projects, bench to trail
Every project is written for a first-timer with two hands and a pair of scissors — then annotated with the refinements that make gear-snobs nod.
Bracelets
Cobra weave bracelet
The project everyone starts with, done properly: sizing, tension, buckle choices and clean melted ends.
Weave a cobra →
Keychains
Box knot keychain
Four loops, thirty minutes, a keychain that survives pockets for years. The ideal second project after your first bracelet.
Tie the box knot →
Lanyards
Cobra knot lanyard
A cobra-stitched spine ending in a steel clip: keep a knife, light or whistle exactly where your hand expects it.
Build the lanyard →
Keychains
Monkey fist keychain
Three passes of wraps around a marble or ball bearing — patience required, swagger included.
Wrap a monkey fist →
Bracelets
Fishtail bracelet
Flat, symmetrical, quick to deploy — the fishtail is the cobra's dressier cousin and uses half the cord.
Try the fishtail →For the trail companion
Paracord dog collar
A wide, padded, washable collar that outlives nylon webbing — with a welding trick for the hardware.
Collar your dog →Field craft
Cord is knowledge you can unroll
Fifteen feet of 550 in a bracelet becomes a bootlace, a tourniquet strap, a snare wire wrap, a clothesline, a gear hoist. Our field-use guide walks through the deployments that actually work — and the Hollywood myths that don't.
Before you buy
Not all "550 cord" is 550 cord
Stretch tests, sheath percentages, fake mil-spec labels — our buyer's guide shows you how to spot cord that will hold up when it matters, without paying expedition prices.
Read the paracord buyer's guide