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See also Edible
Berries and fruits Non
Edible Berries Poisonous
Berries and fruits Food
Sources Meat
Plants
as food Edible
Plants
Making Fire
Making a primitive
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Making Soap Sleeping
Arrangements "How
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First aid
Back to Survival Trips
Making Twine, Cordage and Rope
A basic skill that should be mastered prior to ever going
into the wilds as you never know if or when it will be necessary.
In many instance you can use the fiber in it's natural
state and doesn't need to be twisted for simple jobs such as lashing poles
together on a lean-to.
Depending on your location the actual materials will differ
but the principles will be the same.
In the tropics you may find Agaves (sisal), Thatch Palm
unopened fronds, Screw pine (Pandanus Utilius),
pineapple plants, coconut fiber, or any of many other fibrous plant
materials.
In the more temperate climates the outer shell of the
cattail plant, root of the spruce tree, and many tough grasses make up just some
of the plant material to make cordage out of. You can also use animal parts such
as horse hair from the mains and tails or similar, strips of leather or
sinew (the tendons that fasten the muscles to the bones).
There are a few different methods of doing this but the
principle is the same. You will be adding strands of fiber as you twist the
chord.
Gather as much material as you will need for the
project and prepare it before you even start to twist. Some material will
need to be stripped, split, washed, soaked or scrougied ( rubbed between
your palms or between 2 rocks to make it more pliable)
Try to collect material in
lengths of 24 to 30 inches in length. You can use longer but they wil wrap
around your arms when you are twisting, and shorter ones will work but the
more twists you achieve with each strand , the stronger the twine will be.
Determine how strong the selected material by pulling
some to the breaking point and then add strands one or two at a time and
try to break it again until it seems strong enough. When they are twisted
together, the strength will increases exponentially for each added strand.
For heavy rope you will have to make chords and then twist chord strands
in groups of 3 together to make rope. Rope can also be made up of multiple
ropes twisted together to make an even heavier rope, but this is out of
the scope of most survival needs.
Allocate enough time to the first session to be able to
make a length of cordage not less than 6 feet long so that when you put it
down (in a coil) it will not unwind.
So how 2
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Gather enough strands to create a bundle half the
diameter of the approximate desired size. Usually 1/4 in or slightly
larger than a pencil. Lay the strands on tops of each other in a
staggered length pattern. Move each successive strand about 1 to 2 inches
over from the last one. This way each end should have varying lengths.
Now fold this over about 1/3 of the way from either end and grip the fold
with one hand. (not the one you will be twisting with). This will folding
will keep the starting end from unraveling. You should now have a bundle the
approximate desired diameter, with varying lengths sticking out the top.
-
Pinching the fold tightly, begin twisting the bundle in a clockwise direction with
your other hand. Don't just
wrap the outer around the inner strands, but fan out the fibers so each one
is laid over and wrapped around the preceding ones.
-
When you have about 8 inches of twine started, then make a
loop in the end. You can hook this loop over a branch stub. This will free
your holding hand for the next steps.
-
By now you should have some of your strand becoming too
short to be easy working with. It is time to add a new strand of fiber under
the short one just as you are about to twist it in. You will continue
to add these additional strand as you to each existing strand as it become
short enough to make only about 2 or 3 more twists.
-
You will have to move away from the branch stub as you
go, just to keep the cordage taut. When you get enough length you can put it
under your foot or even between your toes and use your foot to apply
pressure to keep the tension on it while working. This will allow you to sit
in one stop next to the pile of material.
-
It helps to wet the fibers before twisting them as they
become more supple and tend to wind in tighter without breaking or splitting
as some dry material will. Mind you, you need to twist it tight enough to
squeeze most of the water out of the fibers or you will have a loose twine,
and loose can come apart.
-
When you want to quit for the day tie of the ends with a
piece of fiber so the they don't unravel.
-
When you have length that is useful, tie it to a rigid
item and then pull on it to help set the fibers. You can use a section of
log with a branch stub about 18 inches for a crank handle, as a drum to tie
it to and then crank to apply tension.
-
You can then twist 3 of these newly made chords together
to make a rope line. Be careful that the the twisting motion in this
process, doesn't undo the twist in the original cordage.
If you were going to make a lot of this then it
would be wise to make a twisting rack that allows you to tighten the
twist on the cordage from three rotating spools as it is fed from one
end of the rack through a crank handle at the other end, but that is
for production purposes and scope of survival cordage making does not
merit the building of the rack in most cases.
Practice this at home or even organise a get together of
like minded people to practice survival skills (Such as fire
making) and make a day of it, and maybe even cook some Hamburgers
from our outdoor cooking session.
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