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Real Paracord 550 vs. Fake Paracords

May 20, 2016

Paracord is something which has exploded in popularity over the past couple of years. Almost everybody seems to be including it in their survival kit nowadays, mainly due to the extreme versatility of the product. Of course, as with most popular products, you have both real and fake versions available to choose from. On this page I want to take a little look at why you should only be using Real Paracord 550 to make your Paracord Bracelets.

As you know, paracord bracelets are used for a plethora of different things, from team bracelets all the way through to survival bracelets. Therefore, as I guide you through the various benefits of purchasing the real deal, I may touch on a couple of functions relating to the usability in these different situations.

Firstly, let's touch upon the overall look of the different types of Paracord. Sure, when you are searching for a survival bracelet, the look isn't really going to be a major factor in your purchase, however, it would be a lie to say that you aren't swayed by the style just slightly. I think the case where the look is going to be a major factor is if you are purchasing team bracelets. To be honest with you, when it comes to real Paracord 550, none of the 'fake stuff' comes close in terms of looks. It looks absolutely fantastic, and it certainly looks as though it is up to the job. Fake things don't, in fact, they are often crafted on the cheap and do look like they are going to break any second (not good!). Sealing the ends of the Paracord 550 is also a great deal simpler (it frays very easily which gives you that perfect seal). This is going to benefit you both in the looks department as well as in a survival situation.

The next major difference comes in terms of the quality of the materials. As you can probably guess, real Paracord 550 is going to be made of significantly better materials. As you probably know already, Paracord 550 (sometimes known as Mark III) is designed to hold up to 550lbs of weight, which is a huge amount despite being a small bit of cord. This is just to the quality materials within the cord and the way in which it has been intricately woven. If you open up a fake Paracord then it is likely you will lay your eyes upon poor quality cotton (even good quality cotton isn't good!) which has barely been woven properly. Often there will only be a couple of strands, whereas Paracord 550 has seven strands. What I am trying to say is that you will be lucky if the fake cord held 100lbs, let alone 550. Now, be honest, what would you prefer to add to your survival kits?

Next up is the durability. As you know, real Paracord can be used for a variety of situations. It is probably going to be one of the most versatile tools you have in your survival kit. The idea is that you use it over and over again. It will remain flexible and still perform well each and every time. However, due to the lesser materials used in fake Paracords, they tend to lose their flexibility over time, and eventually, this is going to lead to a loss of strength (even if they were very strong to begin with). At this point, your Paracord is going to be pretty much useless, which isn't good is it? Basically, you may save money by purchasing the cheaper fake Paracord in the short term, but in the long term, you are going to need to buy a lot more of it.

Real Paracord 550 also tends to be a lot lighter, which is important if you are facing a survival situation. In fact, the specification for this cord means that 225 feed of cord (a huge amount!) will not weigh any more than a pound. As you can guess, the fake cord does not conform to this specification, and as a result, even the smallest of survival bracelets can end up being very heavy.

Now, when you are in survival situations (or just walking around with one of these on your arm for that matter!) it is likely that you are going to be exposed to the elements. Thankfully, real Paracord 550 is water and mildew resistant. This means that any water that lands on it will dry up pretty quickly, and it will not be detrimental to the strength of the bracelet in the slighest. On the other hand, fake Paracord is affected by water, and some people have noticed that prolonged exposure to water can actually lead to it becoming even weaker.

Finally, when you are making survival bracelets or team bracelets, you want something that is going to stick around on your arm until you need it the most. Real paracord 550 will do that. However, if you use the fake stuff, it is going to loosen up over time (incredibly quickly in fact) which means that it will just slide off your wrist, and it is going to be pretty useless when it comes to strength. Again, this is not something that you really want to happen. You will notice this at it will tend to lose its shape over time.

Remember, when you are shopping for survival bracelets you should always be sure that you are purchasing from a reputable website. This is going to ensure you that you will only be dealing with the real Paracord, which as I have demonstrated already, it is scores better than the fake Paracord that you can purchase, something which many websites still offer despite knowing that it isn't up to scratch. Remember, this is a product that is designed to save your life, and thus you should always purchase the highest quality you can afford. If you can't afford real Paracord 550, then avoid buying a survival bracelet if you can.

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