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  1. #21
    Senior Member Rat's Avatar
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    This is why I love the internet!

    I see your points, but here are my experiences.

    I used to be a government trapper (yes we still have those). I used snares that were 1/8" wire rope. these are used generally for anything Coyote sized and up, including feral pigs, dogs, bobcats etc. You almost always know what type of predator you are looking for based on area kills (which is why I got called), hair, scat and tracks located in the area of the snare. Generally if the predetor was a Coyote, ferrel dog or Bocat I used snares either on trail bottlenecks or fence lines. Feral Hogs were trapped in cage or pen traps built on site. If a Mountain Lion was doing the damage I used either a leg capture trap or, if I could find a recent kill, I would set up a sniper's nest and wait for her to return.

    I don't know what the breaking strength if 1/8" aircraft cable is, but a mature Coyote can break it. Not always, and I could usually find him dead not far, but he could break it. We use a spring mechanism on the anchor end to help with this, and it does a good job, untill debris get stuck in it, or it get twisted sround something and can't operate properly; then the cable breaks. Most failures were at or around the anchor crimps (barrell swivels). However I have had two broken in the middle, one by a bobcat one by a coyote. I think they some how were able to get a loop in it and it broke at the newly weakened spot.

    Now this is equipment designed for several thousand pounds beyond what they were intened to hold, and I have seen several failures. I have no idea what percentages, it's proly pretty low, I have set thousands of them.

    So based on my experience, I use a cord for snares that has a springy characteristic; because in a survival situation I need all the percentages on my side I can get. I have never used Spectra for snares, I think it would be too stiff anyway, regardless of it's staic properties. Also, the weight of 550 cord is about the same for the same size spectra, .40-.45 oz/foot, it's a lot cheaper, easier to find and 550lb pound breaking strength is more tha enough for what I need in a survival cord; I don't need a 1000# cord to hang my 8lb bear bag after all.

    I have caught hundreds (? I dunno, it's a bunch tho) of rabbits (mostly) and other small game in traps and snares in survival "situations". I know what works for me and what doesn't.

    One of the Central Texas Ranches I worked on took about 30 days to ride fence. We rode fence twice a year and after every good rain we rode water gaps that were known to wash out. I had a lot of time to test my survival skills in this environment.

    So that is my somewhat uneducated, but experienced, opinion on why I use 550 cord instead of Spectra.

    FWIW, after looking at all the specs for sheathed double braid 1/16" and 1/8" Spectra I am going to try it out; maybe this time next year, I will have different take on which cord is best to use
    "I aim to misbehave." - Capt. Mal Reynolds
    Mind of a Rat Youtube Channel

  2. #22
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    Great insight and good commentary on the uses of different materials.

    FWIW I envy you your experiences. Those are some neat things to have done.

    And yes I'm not surprised at the cables breaking. I have run sled dogs in the past and even a single dog can break an 1/8" cable tie-out... Most tie-outs use at least 1/4", but thats getting thick and heavy.

    A larger number of dogs may even go to 5/16"
    Last edited by Rapt; 10-09-2007 at 09:03.

  3. #23
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    Hey Rapt, I notice you are from the Belleville area. I went thru winter survival training with a guy from the Belleville area. He went to school there but I think he grew up somewhere else in Central Ontario tho. I would like to get to Ontario again, it's been a long time. I still have nightmares of those biting flies tho
    "I aim to misbehave." - Capt. Mal Reynolds
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  4. #24
    Senior Member Oh-No's Avatar
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    Is there a Spectra, Dyneema, or Marlow, etc. line with paracord construction but performance approaching regular spectra line?


    Take a look at Pulse line made by Yale Cordage, I think West Marine carries it.

  5. #25
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    Yeah nothing like the flies.... Blackflies... Little beggars... then there's horse and deer flies... Not to mention mosquitos.... LOL! Yep lotsa bugs.

    Funny thing is everyone figures their bugs are terrible. much worse than everyone elses. No matter where you go...Even New Zealand, and Australia.

    Was your winter training civvy or military?

  6. #26
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    Winter training was civilian. It was in Boundry Waters recreation area by lake Superior. Pretty cool place, although I have only seen it in the winter. I learned a lot of stuff that week, and after 11 years I might be able to hack together a set of snowshoes out of natural material if I had to.

    When I was younger I wanted to be a firejumper or wilderness resue operator, maybe a backcountry park ranger. So I had quite a bit of training to that end, but life got in the way. No regrets tho, I am still having a great time
    "I aim to misbehave." - Capt. Mal Reynolds
    Mind of a Rat Youtube Channel

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