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1. Securing your backpack in transit
As budget travelers, we find ourselves in overnight buses, crowded trains, rickety boats, and all sorts of interesting modes of transportation. If you travel with a large bag there’s a big chance it will have to go on top of the bus or in a luggage compartment somewhere. We’ve seen bags fall off the top of buses and off the sides of boats. Secure yours on with your paracord and know it’s not falling off.
If you have your bag stored with you, and you’re in transit for a long time, chances are you’re going to nap or sleep for bit. Tie your paracord around your bag and then wrap around your leg or arm so you can feel if a thief tries to grab it. Or you can tie it to your seat. Thieves are persistent sometimes, but grabbing a bag from a sleeping traveler, and realizing it’s tied on might make them think twice.
2. Clothesline
Traveling light with few pairs of clothes means lots of hand washing. If you’re in a hostel room, you can string your paracord up along the edges of your bunk and dry a whole outfit without stringing all over the room. If you have a private room, you can go crazy and hang it wherever you’d like. Try to get it by a window or under the fan for maximum drying.
If you’re hanging it outside, use some bobby pins as clothes pins. Or double the paracord over, put your clothing through and flip over. This will keep it secure in the wind, works every time.
3. Hanging your hammock
Backpackers love hammocks. Actually, almost everyone loves hammocks. You can purchase them all over the world, especially in tropical areas of Latin America and South and Southeast Asia. Using your paracord to hang your hammock instead of thick heavy ropes will keep your pack smaller and lighter. Paracord is very strong but remember to wrap several layers of it around your anchor spots to make it strong enough to hold your weight. We’ve hung hammocks like this many times, and it works great. If you’re hanging on trees try to place some fabric or a layer of leaves in between the tree trunk and the paracord to protect the tree.
4. Repairing your clothes or backpack
Most paracord has 7 small strands on the inside. It’s easy to cut two ends and pull out the strands. Make sure to burn all ends of the remaining paracord to keep it from fraying. Tie a needle onto the end of a strand, and use it to sew back together your ripped gear or clothing. It’s strong enough to sew up the fabric of a shoe. We’ve used it before to fix a hole in a backpack and sew the crotch of some pants back together while on the road. It really works!
5. Securing a cheap door/window in budget accommodation
Budget travelers sometimes end up in pretty suspect lodging trying to save money. Some places are just simple, while others are down right unsafe. We’ve stayed in rooms where the door or window doesn’t lock and some where they won’t even stay shut. Sometimes we can’t make it 100% safe, but we can add a simple layer of protection with paracord. It’s easy to tie it around a door knob or window lock and anchor it somewhere. That way at least you’re not open to the public and can sleep with a bit of confidence. It’s important to use a quick release knot, or have some way to cut the paracord, if an emergency happens and you need out of the room quickly.
There are an amazing amount of uses for this travel tool. It’s cheap, easy to pack, and lightweight. Pick some paracord up today and travel better prepared. Buy some Here
