Little known fact about paracord

Most people that know about paracord and survival bracelets, know the basics about paracord. They know that is is made of 7 inner strands of nylon with a tensile strength of 75 pounds each and the sheath has 25 pounds of strength. They know they can unravel their bracelet to gain a length of useful rope to use in whichever kind of situation they see fit.  And I think everyone knows paracord gets it name from parachute cord, which is where this craze all started in the first place!

What you may not know is that paracord can (and probably will) shrink when it gets wet and dries. Just like clothing. So that bracelet you have that seems to have mysteriously gotten smaller, and you were thinking that you had indulged a bit too much this summer and that is why it fits more snug? It wasn't the beer and brats that did it, it probably just got wet, and you let it air dry. That's ok.

What I would do if your bracelet fit perfectly before you forgot to take it off before jumping in the pool, is find some type of cylindrical shape about the same size as your wrist or the same size as the inner diameter of your bracelet. Slip it over the object (soda/beer can, water bottle, folded and rolled up newspaper? Whatever you can find) Then let it dry completely before removing it and wearing it again.

You can do the same process to stretch it if it's too small. It will stretch naturally with regular use and wear, so be patient if it's a new bracelet. Same deal if it's too big. Get it wet, and let it air dry on a newspaper or something similar so the water won't ruin the surface you placed it on.

Hopefully this helps if you've run into this dilemma. 

Be safe and be prepared out there, friends!

HEAT WAVE!

Up here in western Washington, we are experiencing a heat wave. It is supposed to be in the low 90's today and with most of the homes built without air conditioning, it prompted me to look up some "beat the heat" tips. Having to look something up such as this, is not normal for this Colorado native who grew up in air-conditioned-everything. And with a newly adopted long haired pooch, I wanted to make sure I was doing everything possible to keep the both of us cool and I thought I'd share some tips with my outdoors-y followers, because I care about you too!! So here are a few tips from the Seattle Times along with a few of my own:

-- Wear light-colored, loose-fitting cotton or linen clothing. A straw hat works great in the sun.

-- Keep a water bottle handy and use it often, to sip or drizzle over the neck, face and arms. Drinking water is better than sugary beverages, which can dehydrate you.

-- Close windows on the side of the building where outside air is warmer than inside air or where the sun is shining. Open windows and doors on the cooler side.

-- Create breezes by opening opposing windows and doors.

-- Place electric fans in open windows to draw cool air into the house or drive hot air out.

-- Place a fan behind a pan of ice water to blow cool air.

-- Sprinkle or wash down windows, lawn, deck or pavement on the hot side of the building.

-- Line-dry laundry instead of using the dryer, and microwave or grill food outside to avoid heat in the house. Don't use the dishwasher.

-- Turn off lights. Ninety-five percent of the energy consumed by incandescent bulbs is given off as heat.

-- Eat lightly, favoring fruit and vegetables. Protein and fat create extra body heat.

--If all else fails, shag over to your food store's freezer section. You always can feign extended interest in pineapple Popsicles.

One of my new favorite ways to beat the heat is to take a cold shower first thing in the morning, then let my hair air dry. The evaporation keeps me cooler as long as there is a fan near by, otherwise, you just end up feeling muggy if the air is stale.

I also just made some mixed berry and watermelon Popsicles that turned out pretty awesome and didn't need a trip to the store in the blazing sun to do so!

If you have any tips you'd like to share with your fellow outdoors enthusiast, please feel free to post a comment! We look forward to hearing from you!

--Keep cool my friends!