cordage

I found some tree bark off a tree and I want to make cordage but how do you do that. thanks in advance. Very Happy

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Well you can't use hard bark. It has to be the inside bark from a cottonwood or cedar tree. Usually you use plant stalks like nettles, and such. I know dave had a ray mears video on how to make it. Cool

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well you can use the inner bark from any tree, it just depends on how much work you are willing to put into processing. After you get the bark, it will probably be dry, you want to soak it for awhile until it is wet through, then you get two strands going and do a process called reverse wrapping to make the cord. Wetting it I found makes the rope tighter and fibers bend easier so they don't weaken when twisting as much. I am not going to describe reverse wrapping much because I am sure there is somewhere with good pictures or something that I don't know about. Basically you take the two strands in one hand, then with the other hand or fingers, roll the top strand away from you until it is tight. Then without releasing the top strand, grab the bottom strand, with available fingers, and roll both of them around each other back towards you. Now grab the new top strand which was the bottom strand and repeat. Do that until you have a length of cord. You can splice in pieces to continue wrapping as well, but I figure this will get you started.

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We only have one Earth, take care of her and she will take care of you. ~ probably someone else

For your first try, use nettles. http://www.wildsurvive.com/outdoor-camping-forum/index.php/topic,3247.0.html here is a how to. It gets really easy, trust me. It just took me 10 minutes or so to learn.

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-Till shade is gone, till water is gone, into the Shadow with teeth bared, screaming defiance with the last breath, to spit in Sightblinder's eye on the Last Day.

-Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and proclaiming, "Wow, what a ride!!!"

thanks folks gonna try it. and then look for nettles. Very Happy

I saw Les making cordage on the canyonlands one now with your description I understand thanks. Very Happy

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You can practice the twisting motion first with a piece of twine or strips of napkin or something simple. Once you have the correct twisting motion down, progress to fibers where you'll have to splice. Getting your splices cleaner is something to work on as well, since the first time you make cordage, the ends will probably all line up and leave a lump in your cordage. In the summer, I split and scrape the pith out of cattail leaves (careful use of a pocketknife), then slice them into long ribbons before twisting these into cordage.

Here is some very thin cattail 2-ply from 3 summers ago: http://borosilicatearachnid.deviantart.com/art/Cordage-48966630

It is pretty strong for being just strips of leaf. If you have dogbane, milkweed, nettle, or cattail around, these are all good choices. If you have agave or yucca, these will be a little harder to harvest the fibers from. I believe the leaves should be ret for best results, but ones planted in gardens in the northeast here usually have some usable semi-rotten leaves around the base.

Other ones I have found:

Gaura http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaura Cut off lots of flower stalks in fall and crack the stems. The fibrous coat on the stems stays intact and can be seperated from the hard bits of pith. This makes very strong cord.

Snake Plant/ Mother-in-law's tongue http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother-in-law%27s_tongue Yes, it's a houseplant, but it has white, fairly soft, and incredibly strong fibers in the leaves. We had one get overgrown and most of the leaves were cut off, after which it recovered spectacularly.The best I could do to isolate the fibers was to boil the leaves and scrape away the flesh as best as I could, but there must be a better way. I suspect retting may be the way to go.

Milkweed and nettles can be used too, I prefer nettles.

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-Till shade is gone, till water is gone, into the Shadow with teeth bared, screaming defiance with the last breath, to spit in Sightblinder's eye on the Last Day.

-Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and proclaiming, "Wow, what a ride!!!"

	Survivor Kid 909 wrote:
	Milkweed and nettles can be used too, I prefer nettles.

I was going to say milkweed but I wasn't sure. Cool

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wow thanks you guys for all the help and links. I know were I can get cattails, the others I have to look for but that will be fun, then I can learn my plants as well. Very Happy

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