The Ultimate Survival Bracelet Checklist: What to Look for Before You Buy

Survivalists, hikers, climbers, and anyone else who enjoys nature knows that it can be a dangerous place. While exploring the great outdoors, you can encounter certain unexpected situations, such as sudden rainfall or hunger, while you find your way back to the trail. What can you do in these dire situations? It’s best to have a survival bracelet on your wrist.

A survival bracelet is a bracelet that is made from paracord. This handy bracelet utilizes the paracord in various ways, from assisting with tent building to helping an individual score food. They can also be used in other applications, such as acting as floss or a tourniquet.

If you’re an avid outdoorsman or woman, you want to ensure you have a survival bracelet around your wrist at all times. This article will explain a survival bracelet and how it can help you immensely in the wild – this handy bracelet could be the difference between life and death.

What is a Survival Bracelet?

A survival bracelet, also called a 550 cord bracelet, parachute cord bracelet, or parachute bracelet is a handy bracelet made out of woven paracord.

The paracord can be used in various applications in the wild, which is why it is referred to as a survival bracelet that is useful for all types of outdoorsmen and women, from survivalists to hikers and everything in between.

Survival bracelets are designed with seven inner strands, which gives the user plenty of areas to work with. It is known for being a tool that helps individuals with various unexpected emergencies, which is why it is called the survival bracelet.

When purchasing a survival bracelet, you don’t want to skimp on quality to save a few dollars. The difference between a high-quality and low-quality survival bracelet is pretty simple — the high-quality bracelet will have the strength, durability, and versatility to be utilized in emergencies, while the less expensive version will not.

You also have the option of buying a survival bracelet with extra cords. For instance, the Friendly Swede Trilobite Extra Beefy 550 lb Paracord Survival Bracelet has a whopping 13.1 feet of paracord to handle all of your emergency needs in the wild.

How Can a Survival Bracelet Save Your Life?

Now that you know what a survival bracelet is, you’re probably wondering if you need one. A survival bracelet is recommended and preferred for anyone who spends time outside. But how exactly can survival bracelets be utilized to save one’s life?

Survival bracelets can be utilized for several situations in the wild, including:

• Making a shelter
• Fishing
• Trapping food
• Making a bow and arrow
• Making a fire
• Fashioning a tourniquet
• Acting as a splint
• Repairing items
• Flossing
• Marking your path
• Peace of mind

Making a Shelter

A nature enthusiast will tread the wilderness with nothing but the shirt on their back. They don’t require a backpack, a tent, or anything fancy.

This person enjoys the great outdoors and prefers to sleep under the stars and get the whole experience. But what happens when it starts pouring down rain in the middle of your excursion? The survival bracelet comes to the rescue.

Survival bracelets can help make a makeshift tent. By simply unweaving some of the paracords of the bracelet, you can throw together a tent by tying branches together to create a lean-to shelter.

In the video below, Lee Brown shows how easy it is to string together tree branches to make the shelter and then finish with leaves. You can also place a tarp over your structure if you have one.

Fishing

If you need something to eat during your nature adventure, then your survival bracelet comes in handy again. The paracord of a survival bracelet can quickly turn into a makeshift fishing line. It’s best to have a hook or something sharp to place at the end to catch fish more comfortably.

If you don’t have a hook or anything sharp, though, don’t worry. You still have the option of making a gill net. The gill net will have two thicker strands on the top and the bottom, with small loops strung in between.

These loops are what will catch the fish when it’s placed in the water. Urban Survival Tactics has a great video showing how to make a net using paracord.

Trapping Food

Fishing isn’t always successful, but that doesn’t mean you’re out of luck in the food department. Just as your survival bracelet can be easily woven into a fishing line or net, it can also be fashioned into a snare trap. Snare traps will be constructed by making a type of noose that small animals can run into and get trapped.

The noose will be connected to a tree branch, so the snare trap can gently hover over the ground where small animals are likely to roam. Ensure the noose is loose enough to tighten up when an animal passes by. Looking at this video by Ultimate Survival Tips, you can see how it’s done in person.

Making a Bow and Arrow

Are you not a fan of fishing or snare traps? Do you prefer to be a bit more proactive when catching your meals? A survival bracelet (and a few other critical components) can help you create a handy bow and arrow for catching wild game.

Here’s how it’s done:

1. Start by finding a dry hardwood that will be used for your bow. Remember, you will need to have a blade on hand to fashion the entirety of the bow and arrow.
2. Find some shoots or suckers to be used as arrow shafts.
3. Use part of your survival bracelet for the bowstring. Don’t forget to use some of the 7-strand cord (not the 550 cord) to be cut for fletching arrows.
4. Once your arrow shafts are ready, cut them to the desired length, and cut a notch into each. You will need to sharpen the arrow using your blade.
5. String your bow and see how it feels. You may need to unstring it and make some final adjustments. The belly of the bow should match the limb bending.

Making a Fire

You don’t want to subject yourself to eating raw fish or game out in the wild — you can set yourself up for disaster by doing so. But if you don’t have a fire starter or any lighter out in the wilderness, what can you do? Well, your survival bracelet can not only be your go-to for making a shelter and catching food, but it can also help with cooking the food.

Making fire using your survival bracelet is straightforward and will be done using the bow-and-frill friction method. It is highly suggested to use two strands of 550 cord twisted together as the 550 cord tends to be slippery and more challenging to gain traction for a fire.

To make your fire, all you will need to do is the following:

1. Start by creating your bow.
   1. You can do this by tying a paracord to the ends of a branch that bends.
   2. Next, you will want to find a rock that can be used as a socket and skinnier pieces of wood for the spindle.
   3. Lastly, find a flat piece of wood and create a V-shape on one end.
2. Then, you will need to find a quality tinder that is dead and dry. Softwoods like cedar and pine are quality choices.
3. Place the tinder inside the V-shaped notch.
4. To start producing fire, you must loop the bowstring to the center of the spindle. One end of the bowstring should be located in the center of the spindle, while the other rests in the V-shaped notch.
5. Move the bow back and forth as quickly as possible while securing the spindle at the socket.
6. Continue the seesaw motion until you have successfully sparked a fire.

Fashioning a Tourniquet

Sometimes, major accidents can occur in the wild, and you’re not around doctors or hospitals that can stop the constant bleeding. If you find yourself in a situation where you have a severe injury that is producing mass amounts of blood, you need to act fast — using your survival bracelet, of course.

Using your survival bracelet as a tourniquet is relatively simple. All you need to do is wrap some of the paracords around the area as tightly as possible and secure it firmly. This pressure will end the bleeding, which will help prevent further issues such as excessive blood loss and amputation.

Acting as a Splint

If your injury puts a damper on the support or function of your arms or legs (instead of making you bleed profusely), your survival bracelet can still be used. In such a situation, you will need to find a piece of solid wood that can be used for stability. Cut the wood to the desired length. Then, you can wrap the wood with the paracord of your survival bracelet.

This makeshift splint will keep the wood in place and offer your arms and legs the support they need until you can get back home and receive medical attention for your injury.

Repairing Items

Nature can sometimes be rugged, so that valuable items can become snagged and broken. Almost anything is up for grabs in the wild, from backpacks to belts to boot laces to pants. But having these items in shambles will only cause stress during your outdoor adventure. So, what can outdoorsmen or women do?

Thin pieces of your survival bracelet can easily be used to repair or replace your necessities, such as:

• Replacing damaged boot laces
• Sewing a broken backpack (you will also need a needle for this one)
• Acting as a belt

Flossing

Flossing is likely the last thing on your mind when you are out in the wild, but it’s an essential part of dental care. When something gets stuck in your gums for an extended period, it can become unpleasant and eventually detrimental to one’s health. So, if you find yourself stuck in nature and don’t have floss on hand, use a thin piece of paracord to floss your teeth.

Marking Your Path

It can be easy to get lost when traversing the wild, especially if you don’t have an electronic device, GPS, or compass. If you want to make sure you can make it back home safely without going in circles through the forest, then you can leave markers on trees. All you need to do is tie some paracord around the trees you pass.

Peace of Mind

This might not seem directly related to the survival bracelet — but it is. If you are out in the wild, you might panic if you have nothing but the shirt on your back. However, with a survival bracelet wrapped around your wrist, you can feel confident — especially if you have a bracelet with built-in extra features.

Recommended Survival Bracelets

Not all survival bracelets are created equal. Some survival bracelets come with extras that can be extremely useful in the wild. Here are some of the top choices for survival bracelets with built-in amenities that can be used for success while exploring nature.

WEREWOLVES Paracord Knife Bracelet

Merely having a survival bracelet around your wrist can save you in many emergencies while you’re out and about in the wild. But why stop there? Plenty of survival bracelets have shanks attached to them, like this model by Werewolves. With a shank, you can be even more stable in the wilderness as you can now defend yourself from predators while finding and cooking food in no time.

Users love this survival bracelet with a shank from Werewolves because it has everything you need to stay confident in the outdoors. The durable seven-core paracord is reliable and user-friendly, and the shank can be released in a snap. If you’re looking for an excellent survival bracelet that can quickly get the job done, let it be this top-of-the-line survival bracelet.

X-Plore Gear Emergency Paracord Bracelets

When it comes to a survival bracelet that makes surviving in the wilderness a breeze, X-Plore has you covered. This bracelet can do it all and change how you look at survival situations for good.

The 3-in-1 survival bracelet not only comes with a durable parachute cord for all your needs, but it also comes with the following built-in features:

• An easy-to-use fire starter
• A whistle that can be heard for miles
• A compass to help with maintaining direction

A2S Protection PSK Paracord Bracelet 8-in-1 Personal Survival Kit

This survival kit from A2S Protection is genuinely the cream of the crop regarding survival bracelets. This is not your average survival bracelet, but you wouldn’t be able to tell based on its meager price. Nonetheless, with over 200+ positive reviews, would you second-guess this model?

This must-have survival bracelet has a whopping eight features jam-packed into one outstanding bracelet, which include:

• A compass to keep you on track
• An emergency whistle that can be heard from miles away
• A signal mirror that can help reveal your location
• An emergency knife
• A fire starter for keeping warm, boiling water, or cooking food
• A notable glass breaker
• A fishing hook and string
• Twelve feet of high-quality, robust paracord

If you’re wondering what this survival bracelet can’t do, you will be thinking for quite some time. This survival bracelet can do everything from protection to food-catching and cooking. It offers security to its users, knowing that they can do all types of applications within the bracelet on their wrist — and that’s something you won’t want to miss out on.

Conclusion

A survival bracelet is something any outdoorsman or woman needs in their life. It can mean the difference between life and death, as it can provide shelter, fishing lines, snare traps, tourniquets, and so much more. It’s the must-have bracelet for anyone who wants to survive in the wilderness and be utterly successful.

If you love exploring the wilderness and do not already have a survival bracelet, now is the time to get one! Remember – there is no need to skimp on quality and added features because even the most decked-out survival bracelets are incredibly affordable.