# Question about Paracord for Lifeline



## Babooze (Jan 5, 2008)

I recently killed a pig that had part of a paracord snare around its neck. I wouldnt trust my life to it.


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## Rick Hodges (Nov 3, 2008)

Absolutely not.


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## Krypt Keeper (Oct 10, 2007)

I take fall arrest classes for work and train others on how to properly use fall arrest systems. 

DO NOT use that paracord. 

Your body will generate more force during a fall than that paracord could ever withstand. 

Get a real harness, get a real lanyard and use them properly. Set your anchor point as high as possible to allow your system to start working as fast as possible.

Also wear your harness snug, don't let your leg straps be loose, (during a fall the straps will be yanked up and you might be the victim of a fall and a blown testicle) chest strap should be at your nipple line, and you can purchase some trauma straps ($10 or so) if the harness doesn't have them. 

Be safe..


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## Huaco (Jul 7, 2006)

blown testicle :-x 
Never thought of actually bursting one! Glad my leg straps have always been tight! Now it is just another reason to make sure they STAY THAT WAY!!!


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## caspian (Jan 13, 2009)

we had one bloke at a worksite who was only wearing his harness under extreme protest fall off a scaffold. the harness pulled him up OK before he met Australia at high speed but the loosely adjusted leg straps performed a very abrupt lift-and-separate. you could hear the howls from the next building over, with two cranes, an excavator, a couple of bobcats and a pile driver operating.


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## Maui Rhino (Mar 13, 2010)

+1 on what Krypt Keeper said. I am an OSHA-authorized outreach trainer and teach fall protection classes. While I don't have the math formula right in front of me, if your 160lb body freefalls 6 feet before reaching the end of that rope, it will generate around 2000lbs of force. The shorter the freefall distance, the less force will be generated, but I' sure that even a freefall of 2 or 3 feet will easily snap that 750 paracord. 

Buy a decent harness system and use it every time. It is a lot cheaper than what a fall will cost you---if you even survive to get a hospital bill. Besides, your family wants you to come home safe.


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## Krypt Keeper (Oct 10, 2007)

I usually get most peoples attention with the blown testicle comment.


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## Ridge-Runner (Jul 31, 2009)

Fella I will tell you it may not be safe but it will hold if tied properly. I was in the 82nd Airborne, and trusted my life to 550 cord over 75 times and it never failed me. He may have to double or triple it but it will hold. Just test it off a ladder at short distance and see if it will hold. If your restaint is set up properly you should not fall more than 2 or 3 feet b4 it takes hold. And if you put break aways in it it will slow speed of the fall thus reducing the force of the fall. Me myself I dont use one I have one made by summit but it would hold in my non professional opinion which really dont count for much. Not condoning it just saying it would hold. Lifeline is not where I would cheap out, if you fall and they fail at least your family would get a settlement from the company that made it.


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## zombiehitman (May 21, 2011)

Theres a reason climbing ropes are rated for 5000# shear weight....
Do the math...your 750 paracord vs my 5K climbing rope.
Paracord- $15 
150' climbing rope....$95
My life....priceless.
If you do it, be sure to take out extra life insurance with me as the beneficiary. 
And will me your archery stuff too. We'll auction it off for your family's benefit.


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## shott8283 (Sep 20, 2007)

550 or 750 cord is awesome stuff.. its engineered to hold a lot of weight and is very strong, but its not designed to hold a jolt or an extreme amount of weight for a very short amount of time. we used 550 in the Marines to lash and tie off everything and then some, but its not rated or recommended for any life safety purpose. if your looking to get into something cheap, look at rescue webbing, we use it in the fire service for hasty harnesses and basically everything under the sun. rescue webbing is designed for use in rescues. i would still double check that i can be used for what your using it for, best way is call the manufacturer.


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## Skunkworkx (Apr 2, 2011)

If you have enough for a good braid/weave ????

Knots reduce the rope/cords strength buy a good percentage for each one :thumbs_do


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## Jake L (Aug 20, 2010)

Look up Dynema as you can buy it by the foot and get some rated over 5000lb, just not worth the risk.


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## steve_T (Mar 11, 2007)

i think i would rather fall to the ground than bust a ball.......F that!


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## shott8283 (Sep 20, 2007)

lol! right, id rather live with a busted leg or back than one of my boys going solo 



steve_T said:


> i think i would rather fall to the ground than bust a ball.......F that!


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## tvoels (Aug 24, 2007)

yup, almost did the ball back in the early 90's Airassault


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## ICALL2MUCH (Jul 19, 2005)

OK, thanks very much guys. 

Money has absolutely nothing to do with it. Just bought what I thought was the right stuff, turned into the wrong stuff. 

I'll but The climbing rope asap! Thanks very much.


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## loragon (Aug 1, 2011)

Just FYI, Osha requires that all lifline components have a min breaking streingth of 5000 lbs as well as the ancor point. I'de use that as a guidline for what's required in any fall arrest system. If you can't hang your truck from it. I wouldn't tie off to it.


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## rhythmz (Jan 10, 2010)

No worries about a blown testicle. I left both of mine at the alter when I got married. I only have bass in my voice because I got to keep the johnson....


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## houser52 (Apr 26, 2011)

Get dynamic climbing rope. It will absorb some of the shock if you fall.


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