And Yet More Resources!
Where to Get It and How Much It Costs.
In the search for sources of Paracord, the choices are numerous. Prices vary wildly along with type and quality. As stated in the previous post, it's not always Mil-Spec. Read between the lines very closely and maybe you'll figure out what you're getting. Some sites are very clear on what they are selling. There are sites that state clearly that you are getting "Commercial Paracord" or more vaguely, "Military 550 Paracord".Other sites state that it is made to mil-spec standards. That's not always true. It may have the same basic physical characteristics as mil-spec but it would never meet the rigorous testing standards. And let's remember the one basic rule, if your Paracord is not Black, Foliage Green, Coyote Brown, Natural (White), Olive Drab Green, Red or Orange, it's definitely NOT Mil-Spec Type III cord! Again, you get what you pay for. And for most, it may not matter. The genuine cord is very nice, but if exterior appearance is all that matters, then don't sweat it. Then there are those of us that are OCD and have to have the genuine article. So go ahead and spend the bucks and get it.
With constant war going on for the last twelve years, the availability of tactical gear has grown exponentially. Some of the sites that sell paracord are also tactical gear sites that cater to soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines. Fact; Since the U.S. went to war in Afghanistan in 2001 and Iraq in 2003, about 2.5 million members of the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard and related Reserve and National Guard units have been deployed in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, according to Department of Defense data. That's a lot of people! So it's easy to see what's driving interest into tactical gear and related items.
The following list is
far from exhaustive but is representative of what's available. Disclosure: I have no allegiance or relationships with any of these vendors. (Although if one of you wanted to throw some samples my way, I would not object!) I cannot vouch for quality or construction of any of these items, so buyer beware.
Paracord Planet These guys seem to be the leading seller of paracord these days (May 2017). I'm not sure who is making their cord. Either way, I would tend to stick with Nylon cord. Typically most nylon cord is USA made. Whereas polyester is usually foreign made (China!). They have a large selection of different diameters of cord to include ParaMax. It is a 1200 pound cord. Very robust. They also have 750 cord which is 550 cord with additional inner strands. It's basically a heavier 550 cord. $9.50 for a one hundred foot hank of 550 paracord. $19.99 for a one hundred foot hank of Mil-Spec Type III 550 paracord. If you want sheer variety of different sizes of cord, this is the place to go.
Camping Survival (Update! 11/14/22. These guys are all but out of the paracord business)
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| True Mil-Spec Type III 550 Cord |
Survival-Pax Co. (Update! 10/26/18. These guys are gone.)
Best Glide These guys sell ONLY Mil-Spec cord. You can have any color you want as long as it is Black, Foliage Green, Coyote Brown, Natural (White), Olive Drab or Orange. Yeah this stuff is not cheap. 100' feet for $10 and 1000' foot spool for $96. Shipping is $11 for a 100' foot hank and $13 for a 1000' foot spool. So ordering in small quantities is not a good idea.
Paracord Galaxy These guys have a ginormous color selection! 355 different color choices of their U.S. made Paracord. And 614 color choices in any sourced Paracord. Prices range from $5.49 to $6.99 for 100' feet to $45 to $50 for a 1000' foot spool. Shipping is $7.50 flat rate for three hanks or more, and $15.80 for a 1000' foot spool. Also glow in the dark Paracord for $17 for 100' foot hanks. And Kevlar Paracord for $75 for 100' feet! Not sure what you would use that for. Especially at that price. It's supposed to be 1050 pound test and rated to 900°!!! Still not sure what you would use that for. They also offer a 650 Coreless Flat Paracord" It is hollow and lies flat. Supposed to be good for whip making, lanyards, rectangular braiding using the crown sinnet knot, flat shoe or bootlaces. I believe their U.S. made cord is from E.L. Wood. Their site is a little clunky. There isn't a sort function on their product page. No Mil-Spec cord. Also, make sure to click on the USA Made button to make sure you're getting decent nylon paracord. For sheer color selection, you can't beat these guys!!
Sgt. Knots These guys offer some good prices on Paracord and shipping. But their color selection is limited. $40 for a 1000' foot spool with $7.90 for shipping. 100' hanks go for $5 with $3 shipping. Very reasonable total costs. Especially in 100' lengths. They also offer a lot of accessories. No mil-spec cord. They have a neat
Knot Tying Kit for $15 that comes with two six foot lengths of rope, one six foot length of flat webbing material, and waterproof knot tying cards with fourteen different knots. Very handy way to learn common and popular knots.
Atwood Rope Mfg. Not sure about these guys. They claim to be "the largest 550 Paracord manufactures in the USA". They have a lot of patterns that match E.L. Wood. But they also have a bunch of unique patterns. They may manufacture some of their own patterns. Anyway, 100' feet for $7.99. Shipping is $2.83 for a single hank. 1000' spools starting at $60. These guys are a bit of an anomaly. No Mil-Spec cord. What they do have is an very large selection of different diameter rope and cord. All the way from 0.75mm nano cord to 1.5" diameter polyester rope. They manufacture cord and rope in many different materials; nylon, polyester polypropylene, Kevlar, and Dyna X, They also have a device called a "Tactical Rope Dispenser". It is a cased spool of 550 cord (included) with a belt clip and a cutting device for $25. Looks kinda cool. No Mil-Spec cord.
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| True Mil-Spec Type IV 750 cord |
5col Survival Supply These guys sell only true Mil-Spec cord. In addition to Type III 550 cord, they also sell Type IV 750 cord. This cord has the same outer sheath as Type III 550 cord but has 11 inner strands. This gives it a fuller, rounder appearance in addition to greater strength. A 100' hank of 550 Type III 550 goes for under $14 with free shipping. A 100' hank of 750 Type IV cord goes for under $15 with free shipping. These guys also sell bank line.
West Coast Paracord Lots of colors and patterns. Called "West Coast" but located in the absolute least coastal location possible; Fargo, North Dakota. Go figure.100' hanks go as low as $4.99. They sell ten foot hanks for $1.99. Shipping starts at $5.50, so you may want to combine your orders. They have a huge selection of colors and patterns. Not sure who makes their cord. I've seen their colors and patterns elsewhere, but they seem to have changed the names. Their cord is nylon and American made. There are 68 different solid colors and 304 pattern colors. They have eleven colors of Mil-Spec cord. 100' goes for $13 and 1000' for $140. Shipping appears to be free on a 1000' spool. Also many other size cords from Type 95 to 850 cord.
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So, if you want genuine Mil-Spec cord, you will have to go with
5col Survival Supply or
Best Glide or
West Coast Paracord.
The sheer selection award goes to
Paracord Galaxy with over 614 color choices!!! Remember not all of that is U.S. made.
With my research on different sites I have come to the conclusion that the majority of U.S. made Commercial Paracord sold, is made by two companies.
Gladding Braided Products, Inc. and
E.L. Wood Braiding Co., Inc. Gladding appears to have 115 different colors and patterns and E.L. Wood has 193. And
Franklin Braid Manufacturing Company has 44 different colors and patterns. All three of these companies are manufactures of Mil-Spec cord for the U.S. Military. If you want to purchase American made cord in bulk, you might not go wrong by contacting one of these companies. Rothco sells commercial paracord made in the U.S. and China. Their U.S. paracord is nylon and their China paracord is polyester. Not sure who makes their U.S. paracord.
P.S. I was digging around on the Defense Logistics Agency web site and found the order numbers and pricing for paracord. DOD charges their own customers about $49 for a 1000' foot of Type III cord. Of course they have to order one hundred 1200' foot spools. That's 120,000 feet for those of you that are slow at math! If you want a single spool, you would pay $67 for a thousand feet of cord. They are still paying less than you for Mil-Spec cord!
Edited: 01/30/2018
