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  1. #1

    Paracord vs Spectra/Dyneema

    Obviously, Spectra will beat paracord hands down in performance and breaking load.

    However, paracord is more useful to me in a camping, bushcraft or survival situation. It knots better, is cheaper and I can separate it into the sleeve and seven PE strands that can be used for snares, fishing or just tying stuff.

    Is there a Spectra, Dyneema, or Marlow, etc. line with paracord construction but performance approaching regular spectra line?

    For now, I've taken to carrying 2 & 3mm Spectra lines and a reel of Dyneema 25lb test braided fishing line. That's more than I need/ want to carry, so please recommend a better solution.

  2. #2
    Senior Member pure_mahem's Avatar
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    I don't know if your talking about using paracord for allround general use or just having it if you need it in asurvival situation. If your looking at a survival situation there are quite a few ways to carry some paracord with you. For a large quantity such as a hundred feet or so you could crochet yourself a set of straps to replace the ones on your pack, paracord is kind of cushiony. Another option would be to replace your shoe laces with paracord. You could also wrapit on a knife handle for a better grip until you need it. You could weave it around your nalgene bottle, this would save from having to use an article of clothing to wrap around it when your using as a hot water bottle. Let your imagination be your guide. I actually made a key fob that has about twenty five feet woven into it and you'ld never guess thats how much cord was in it, key fob also has a small ferrocerrium rod hidden in the weave just in case.

    If your curious about crochet you should be able to find something on the web. It's basiclly a bunchof slip knots made into a pattern. Pretty easy. Hope this helps.

  3. #3
    Thanks; I made myself a belt out of about dunno 20 yards of the stuff. My problem is not so much figuring out how to carry it, it's deciding whether I should carry paracord vs Spectra.

    It's just that paracord is very flexible for general purposes, but offers horrible performance. I wouldn't like to rig a hammock with it. Likewise, I wouldn't really want to set a snare in 4mm Spectra, unless I was trapping biiiiig animals (i.e. never).

  4. #4
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    There are many options for what you're looking for. Basically a lot of the sailing high tech ropes use a braided sleeve of say polyester with spectra cores. For instance I believe Spyderline is one such. See also vectran and technora ropes.

    The cover makes the spectra rope knot like a regular rope (or paracord) but with much higher strength and less stretch. Spend some time poking about some sailing supply sites. You're looking for what's called double braid (with a core) as opposed to single braid (hollow tube like you get when you pull the core out.)

    Personally I'd carry some light single braid spectra rope and some spectra/dyneema fishing line... I have some thats .7mm dia and rated as 200lb test. It takes up next to no space anywhere in a small coil. I just stick it in my personal survival kit.

    The big downfall of spectra is easy melting... Like running it over a branch or something and pulling under tension. It'll melt and break unless you have some sort of pulley or slider...

  5. #5
    Senior Member angrysparrow's Avatar
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    What about using dyneema that's inside a sleeve? That would offer the strength of dyneema, but with a better feel and handling. The Spyderline that's popular here is polyester-sleeved dyneema.
    “I think that when the lies are all told and forgot the truth will be there yet. It dont move about from place to place and it dont change from time to time. You cant corrupt it any more than you can salt salt.” - Cormac McCarthy

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    Just as an FYI for folks who may not realize... Spectra and Dyneema are trade names for the same material... Ultra aligned, drawn, UHMWPE.

  7. #7
    Senior Member angrysparrow's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rapt View Post
    Just as an FYI for folks who may not realize... Spectra and Dyneema are trade names for the same material... Ultra aligned, drawn, UHMWPE.
    I posted a link about that last week I think.
    “I think that when the lies are all told and forgot the truth will be there yet. It dont move about from place to place and it dont change from time to time. You cant corrupt it any more than you can salt salt.” - Cormac McCarthy

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    I think you probably did , but possibly not everyone saw it.

  9. #9
    Yeah I know, like Ford and Honda or Hoover and Dyson. I've been using sheathed braid like on the HH rigging lines. I was wondering if there was a spectra/ dyneema or similar performance line constructed like paracord. That'd be ideal.

  10. #10
    I like paracord 550 because it has these 7 separate (non-braided) strands inside:


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