Survival Straps

Paracord is an excellent material to make dog leashes from. It is light weight, durable and can be washed if it gets dirty. This tutorial will show you how to make a paracord dog leash using the four strand flat braid technique.

Tools and Supplies

You will need paracord, two hemostat clamps, a wood burning tool, a C-clamp, four rubber bands, and a dog leash snap.

So you will need TWO paracord strands that are EACH 264 inches long.

Thread the two sets of paracord strands through the eyelet of the snap and arrange them in equal lengths.

To keep the cords from tangling when you are braiding, it is useful to make braiding bundles of the paracord. Starting from the END of the cords, wind the cord in a figure eight pattern around your thumb and pinky. Secure the bundles loosely with a rubber band.

STEP 1 - Braiding Move One

Cross A over B. C lays to the left of B and D lays to the right of PINK

STEP 2- Braiding Move Two

Now Cross C over B

STEP 3 - Braiding Move Three

Cross D under A and over C

You now have the loose ends that must be finished. Cut the cords off, fairly close to the braid.The ends can now be melted with the wood burning tool that has been preheated. Run the hot wood burning tool in a sweeping motion over the cord ends until they are melted against the same coloured cord lying below it.

Paracord is an excellent material to make dog leashes from. It is light weight, durable and can be washed if it gets dirty. This tutorial will show you how to make a paracord dog leash using the four strand flat braid technique.

Secure the bundles loosely with a rubber band.

STEP 1 - Braiding Move One

Cross A over B. C lays to the left of B and D lays to the right of PINK

STEP 2- Braiding Move Two

Now Cross C over B

STEP 3 - Braiding Move Three

Cross D under A and over C

You have now created the building blocks of the four strand flat braid. To continue braiding, repeat the above steps as illustrated above.

STEP 4 - Making The Handle Loop

STEP 3 - Braiding Move Two

Now cross D behind B and cross over A.

STEP 4 - Braiding Move Three

Now take C and cross behind B and over D. To continue making your leash, cross B behind D and over C. Remember that the new strand that you will use to keep making the braid will always be the topmost strand.

STEP 5 - Arranging The Cords To Start The Turk's Head Knot

While you are making your knot, plug in the wood burning tool since it takes a little while to heat up.

Grasp the end of the braid with the loose ends poking through the top of your fist and arrange the cords in an X pattern. Cord 1 goes over Cord 2. Cord 2 goes over cord 3. Cord 3 goes over cord 4 and cord 4 goes over cord 1.

Armed Forces with everything from shoe laces, to securing equipment to humvees, backpacks or ballistic vests.

What amazed me with ParaCord was its high tensile strength, lightweight characteristics, and military-inspired color options.