Imagine this: You’re skiing in the backcountry and a member of your party takes a spill–over a 30′ cliff. He appears to be injured, but without the proper equipment, it will be nearly impossible to access his location to administer aid. You had been well prepared for a day of skiing, but you’re not carrying a rope or descent-control device. However, you are wearing a SurvivalStraps Survival Belt and Survival Bracelet. You unravel the more than 200 feet of 550 cord, set yourself up an anchor, tie a quick harness and descend to your buddy to render aid.
Whether you’re a rescue technician or a medic, in addition to the tools of your trade, what do you always carry with you? For me it’s a knife and a flashlight. However, Kurt Walchle, the president/owner of SurvivalStraps, makes several items that I’m considering adding to that list.
SurvivalStraps manufactures bracelets and belts made of nylon 550 cord. Bracelets range in length from 16 to 21 feet and the belts from 200 to 225 feet when unraveled. The bracelets and belts are meticulously hand-woven in a beautiful braid. When needed, the ends can be pulled, unraveling the entire length of paracord. This is a one-time use item (I would never be able to make a braid as nice); however, if you use your Survival Bracelet, send them your story and they’ll replace it for no charge. If you use the Survival Belt, they’ll replace it for half the price. Check out www.survivalstraps.com to read some of these stories–some of which involve the products being used to save lives.
The 550 cord is rated at 550 lbs., but don’t go rappelling off a cliff just yet. Five hundred and fifty pounds is the breaking strength. But strength isn’t the only issue. The 4-mm diameter cord makes it nearly impossible to create the friction needed to control your descent on a single strand. But by doubling the cord and wrapping it several times around something for friction, you can control your descent. The number of wraps is in direct relation to your weight and the ability to grip the doubled cord with a gloved hand.
I’ve used 550 cord for many things in the past but never really considered using it as part of a descent-control system. Walchle sent me some lengths of 550 cord to play with on a backcountry ski tour in British Columbia, where I could test it as I descended a steep bank. It would have been better if I had been wearing an instructor or escape belt, but I wanted to see if I could make something work with just the cord.
I tripled the cord from the bracelet around my waist, connecting the ends with a square bend backed up with a double overhand bend. I used the 3/16″ SS marine shackle (1,000-lb. minimum breaking strength) that came with the bracelet to connect the makeshift harness to the descending line that I made from the belt (doubled 550 cord). I looped the 550 cord around a rock and tied both wraps around the shackle and a Munter hitch as a means of obtaining friction. Both worked OK. The Munter worked best as far as ability to easily control friction and it was a smoother descent. For me (a 155-lb. guy), it was easy to provide enough friction to allow me to control my descent down the bank. But I certainly would not recommend attempting to descend a vertical cliff in this manner without testing your system out in a controlled environment first (attached to a belay line, of course). The tripled 550 cord would be more than a bit uncomfortable. Thick padding, such as a turnout coat, may allow you to do more with it as a harness.
Some useful tips I found while conducting my field test: Once unraveled, the belt cord can become easily tangled. To avoid this, tie the ends together and daisy-chain the entire length of cord. Once done, it can be stuffed into a coat or pocket to keep it out of the way. The bite at the end can then be attached to the anchor. Further, it’s always useful to carry at least one carabiner with you; it just gives you another option. Lastly, if you plan to take the bracelet on and off, use the Fastex buckle closure rather than the SS shackle; this will be more convenient.
It seems that there are more than 101 uses for the bracelet and belt cord. Some examples:
- Use it as a drop line to haul small tools and equipment from the street to an upper floor.
- Use it as a tag line on the 4:1 haul system hanging below a tripod to keep tension on the system when unweighted.
- Lash a splint in place.
- Build a 4,400-lb. breaking-strength anchor using eight strands of 550 cord from the belt.
- Tie a load-releasing hitch with a breaking strength of 2,200 lbs. by using four strands of 550 cord from the belt.
- Use the cord as a lead line to get a line across a creek or between two high points, as it’s easier to throw 550 cord than 12.5-mm rope.
- Lash a patient in a litter basket using four strands of 550 cord from the belt.
- Drop a doubled strand to a crew several floors below to haul a hose up to a window.
- Tie a doubled strand to a Halligan and drop it from the roof or an upper floor to vent a window from above (make sure no one is below the swinging tool).
The belt has a stainless-steel shackle woven in midline that closes via a double-pass-through ring. The bracelet connects with a small plastic Fastex buckle or a small, stainless-steel shackle.
SurvivalStraps also makes color-coded key fobs, and the company will customize many of the products to your color and length specifications. Many of the products are also useful for law enforcement and military personnel as well as campers and travelers.
The Firefighter Survival Bracelets range in price from $22—$37, and the Survival Belts are $125. When you purchase a Firefighter Survival Bracelet (or other fire/EMS products), 5% of the proceeds go to different charities to help families of fallen firefighters. For all other products, a portion of the proceeds goes to support the Wounded Warrior Project (http://wounded warriorproject.org). Additionally, SurvivalStraps supports active-duty soldiers through a care-package program. The care packages include a Survival Bracelet, candy and a personalized note to the soldier.
Firefighter Survival Bracelets & Belts
Pros
+ Compact
+ Strong
+ Deploys quickly
+ Useful in countless situations
Cons
– Bracelet feels cumbersome at first, but this wears off after a couple days
SurvivalStraps
1106 A1A N, Suite 100
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082
Tel: 800/971-3360
Web: www.survivalstraps.com
