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Parachute cord (also paracord or 550 cord when referring to type-III paracord) is a lightweight nylon kernmantle rope originally used in the suspension lines of parachutes. This cord is useful for many other tasks and is now used as a general purpose utility cord by both military personnel and civilians. This versatile cord was even used by astronauts during the 82nd Space Shuttle mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope. The braided sheath has a high number of interwoven strands for its size, giving it a relatively smooth texture. The all-nylon construction makes paracord fairly elastic. Current technical standards for the manufacture of cord for use in parachutes are published by the Parachute Industry Association. The US military MIL-C-5040H standard required the material to be nylon. 〔 Similar styles of cord are manufactured with other materials such as polyester.〔 http://www.thomasnet.com/products/parachute-cord-19822808-1.html Thomas registry "parachute cord polyester", retrieved 2014 04 03 〕 ==Usage== Despite the historic association of paracord with airborne units and divisions, many military units have access to the cord. It is used in almost any situation where light cordage is needed. Typical uses include attaching equipment to harnesses, as dummy cords to avoid losing small or important items, tying rucksacks to vehicle racks, securing camouflage nets to trees or vehicles, and so forth. When threaded with beads, paracord may be used as a pace counter to estimate ground covered by foot. The yarns of the core (commonly referred to as "the guts") can also be removed when finer string is needed, for instance as sewing thread to repair gear, or to be used as fishing line in a survival situation. The nylon sheath is often used alone, the yarn in the core removed, when a thinner or less elastic cord is needed such as when used as a boot lace. Ends of the cord are almost always melted and crimped to prevent fraying. In addition to purely utility functions, paracord can be used to fashion knotted or braided bracelets, lanyards, belts, and other decorative items. These are sometimes tied in a fashion that can easily be unraveled for use in a survival situation. Some companies, like Wazoo Survival Gear, use paracord in conjunction with other survival components to create everyday wearable survival kits.〔(【引用サイトリンク】 title =P-Cord )〕 The same properties which soldiers appreciate in paracord are also useful in civilian applications. After World War II parachute cord became available to civilians, first as military surplus〔Bill Ganze, "(Surplus Everywhere )", ''Farming in the 1940s''〕 and then as a common retail product from various surplus stores and websites. A given product labelled as paracord may not correspond to a specific military type and can be of differing construction, quality, color, or strength. Particularly poor quality examples may have significantly fewer strands in the sheath or core, cores constructed of bulk fiber rather than individual yarns, or include materials other than nylon. Paracord has also been used for whipmaking. The durability and versatility of this material has proved beneficial for performing whip crackers and enthusiasts. Since nylon does not rot or mildew, it has become known as an all-weather material for whipmaking. Hikers and other outdoor sports enthusiasts sometimes use "survival bracelets" made of several feet of paracord which is woven into a compact and wearable form. Such bracelets are meant to be unraveled when one needs rope for whatever purpose — securing cargo, lashing together poles, fixing broken straps or belts, or assisting with water rescues. However, paracord makes a poor choice for an emergency tourniquet as its small diameter will crush tissue without applying the needed pressure to stop bleeding. Another use of parachute cord is in the stringing of mallet percussion instruments, such the xylophone, marimba, or vibraphone. A very similar usage niche is nylon webbing, a strong, economical fabric woven as a flat strip or tube, also often used in place of rope. Additional uses for parachute cord are in the manufacture of items such as lanyards, belts, dog leashes, rosaries, and key chains. This is becoming more popular as crafters are discovering this material.〔Samantha Grenier, ''Parachute Cord Craft: Quick and Simple Instructions for 22 Cool Projects'' Design Originals, 2013 ISBN 1574213717 〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Parachute cord」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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