Knowing how to make a rope in a survival situation could make the difference between life and death.
You might want to bind together a shelter, escalate a cliff, perform a rescue mission, and you name it.
For all these situations, rope is the item of choice.
There are many sources from which you can build a rope, including plants, hair or even plastic.
But the ones that really stand out are extracting fibers from plants with a hollow interior, which constitute the best source one can find in the wilderness.
An important thing you need to remember here is that it is easier to work with plants that have already been dried up.
This way you will get fluffier fibers which are just the best at making rope.
Try finding plants that look like the one below, in which the center of the branch is empty and you can easily crush it with your hands or a rock.
The following method is used to get as much fiber out of the plant as possible.
There are other ways to do this, but I’ve found out that this one works better and it is much easier to pull off, especially when you are in the forest and you have little to no equipment with you.
You can begin by putting a single stalk on a smooth rock or on a flat ground.
Start by pounding the branch on the entirety of its body.
That way you will break it in more parts and it will be easier to work with.
Once this part is done correctly and you have broken the body of the dried plant in several sections, you can start the process of buffing.
With some consistent buffing, the fibers will start to separate.
They will look less and less waxy and will get a fluffier look.
If this part is done correctly, then you should have a nice cordage which you can then use to create the rope.
Another thing that you need to remember is that even if your buffing is done correctly, you may still have some small slivers of materials among the fibers.
But do not worry, they will easily come off with more buffing.
Once you have reached a satisfactory lever of buffing, you can now start to wrap your cordage and start transforming it into rope.
One method I like to use is called reverse wrap technique.
You need to pay wrap and twist the cordage in the opposite direction, otherwise it will unravel every time you are wrapping it.
Hope you have enjoyed today’s article and I hope it will aid you in the future when starting your rope-making endeavor.
Bear in mind that it could save your life in various instances.
Also, remember that with practice, your cordage making skills will improve and with time you will be able to make some good looking and tight cordages.