Paracord is an amazing material, especially if you're using the real mil-spec 550 variety. It acts as strong, lightweight, and extremely versatile cordage for survival situations. As a result, it's one of the key elements to a bug-out kit, whether it's found in your backpack or around your wrist.

If you've ever tried tying complex knots or weaving with this material, you may encounter a common problem: running out of loose strand to work with. Traditionally, this can be avoided by melting the end of a new piece of paracord, and fusing it to the existing piece through heat. It might seem relatively strong, but it looks sloppy, and requires delicate burning to accomplish correctly.

A melted paracord bond. Even if you're skilled at this technique, it's going to look a little messy.

Fortunately, there's a better way to join paracord, and it doesn't even need a flame. It was developed by a guy named Manuel Zambrano, and it's known as the Manny Method. The Manny Method pulls each piece of paracord through the other's outer sheath, resulting in a strong and smooth bond. The exterior sheath of mil-spec 550 cord is rated to hold 305 pounds, so theoretically this bond should hold close to that much weight.

The Manny Method looks neater, and can still be burned together if you're looking for even more strength. Source:...

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The only downside to this method is that it will require a needle or other long sharp metal object to pull through the paracord. So, you'll probably want to do this at home, before you're stuck out in the field without a proper needle. Here's a video that shows how it works:

For a complete step-by-step guide with images, check out this article from Paracord Guild. And, for more tips on how to work with paracord correctly, refer to our previous article on paracord best practices.

Written by Patrick McCarthy