Max Knives PARA15N — 4 mm paracord, 15 metre length, black colourway

Overview

This fifteen-metre length in 4 mm is the one you carry so as never to run short of cord again. Camping, fishing, walking unsupported: it tensions a tarp, secures a tent, rigs a makeshift shelter, sets a trap, replaces a broken strap or improvises a splint on an injured limb. Black has the practical merit of clashing with no gear at all, and an arrangement rigged with it does not read from a distance.

Cord that keeps quiet

Choosing black is choosing discretion. Strung between two trees, a dark line does not give a pitch away, does not throw back the beam of a head torch and settles into the shadows of a wood as the light goes. The trade-off is well known and easily managed: mark your own tensioners with a scrap of another colour at the crossing points, or run the guy lines clear of the paths people walk around the camp.

Technical specifications

Parachute cord measuring 4 mm across, in black, supplied as a single 15 metre length. That gauge is the usual one for outdoor cordage: it knots easily, can be recut as often as needed and passes through the beads and buckles sold for paracord. Fifteen metres is a pack quantity rather than a workshop stock.

Care

Rinse the length under clean water after use on muddy ground, letting it slide through your hand to lift the soil away. Drying is done unwound, never in a tight coil. Then store the cord in a breathable bag rather than a sealed plastic pocket. Regular inspection by touch makes even more sense on a dark shade, where worn areas stand out less than they would elsewhere.