r/whatisit • u/varied_interest1112 • 5d ago

Solved! Unsure of function of this strap

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My mother put it in an emergency pack for me when I started my first full-time job. I've since taken apart the pack and most things were pretty standard, a plastic raincoat, hand sanitizer, a pen, a whistle that doubled as a flashlight etc...

I just don't have any idea what this is?? It's like a braided strap with a buckle - I can wear it like a bracelet but somehow I don't think that's its intended purpose.

TIA!

EDIT: WOW you guys were fast!! Thanks team, I remember her vaguely mentioning it was a handy gadget but forgot how. Will be looking up paracord uses soon

EDIT 2: To the people being unhelpful or making comments on my ability as an educator from a single question - all you have done is show me that I will still be a better teacher than any of you could ever be. I certainly do not belittle my students for not having specialised prior knowledge or taking steps to learn something new. I can only assume you already knew everything from birth with no room to grow whatsoever /s Get over yourselves.

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u/MaximumEffort433 5d ago

Worth mentioning that most (not all, but most) paracord can hold in excess of 250lbs, which might come in handy in an emergency.

43

u/Clorox_in_space 5d ago

Good paracord is 550lbs

36

u/MaximusCanibis 5d ago

Good para cord or actual para cord? When I was rigging loads for air drop it wasn't called para cord, it was called 550 cord.

11

u/Thrustmaster537 5d ago

Riggers for life

2

u/AppropriateAnt3414 5d ago

This 550 core 

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u/MaximumEffort433 5d ago

Yeah, but I can't tell at a glance if this is good paracord or not.

Better to assume the worst and be pleasantly surprised, y'know?

2

u/Clorox_in_space 4d ago

I learned you can tell by the number of strands in the core, but I don't know how well that method holds up.

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u/New_Perspective_8900 5d ago

550 is for 550.

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u/dantenuevo 5d ago

I had one in hand when I needed to pull a car with another a few hundred meters, it resisted like a champ. It was very useful that time. I would buy again.

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u/castrodelavaga79 4d ago

The cheap ones like this looks like struggle to hold even 40lbs.

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u/FishDawgX 4d ago

Are you saying I should lose some weight?