A paracord is one of the most valuable tools that an outdoorsman can carry in his pack. It can be used to hang a bear bag, as a clothes line, for extra points of contact on tarps and tents, and in a pinch can also make an emergency tourniquet. So how do you make sure you've always got paracord with you? By making it into a simple bracelet, it will be easy to carry on all your trips. Just clip it on and go!

Making a bracelet out of paracord is easy. All you need is some scissors, a lighter to burn the ends, paracord, and a small side release buckle (we used a 5/8").

Once you've gathered all your materials you can make your bracelet. Start by folding the paracord in half so that one end forms a loop.

Take the loop and attach it to the female end of the buckle with a girth hitch.

Next you'll want to thread the ends of the paracord through the ladder lock portion of the male buckle. Make sure the cord goes over the center bar.

With the buckles still connected, adjust the length of the cord to the size of your wrist.

Now the fun part starts. Unclip the buckle and lay the bracelet on a flat surface. To make the knot tying easier, you can secure the male end of the buckle to a table with tape.

Next take the two loose ends that are not attached to the buckle and start tying your knots. Fold the right cord over the middle strands and under the left cord. Pull the left cord under the right and middle strands and through the loop on the right side. 

For the next knot, you'll alternate the strand that goes over the center.  Continue to tie the knots and you'll notice a pattern. Need to set the project down and not sure what side to put on top? The strand that goes on top is the side of the knot that has the obvious loop on it.

The right strand will be the next strand on top because the loop is on that side. Tie these knots until you reach the other end of your bracelet.

To finish your bracelet, flip it over and pull one of the strands so that it's on the back side of the buckle.

Then you'll want to trim up the ends of the cord. Be sure to leave around 1/4 to 1/2 inch so you can melt them together.

Using your lighter, carefully melt the two ends together. You can use your lighter to flatten the hot cord to secure the connection.

Once you've melted the ends together, connect the buckle ends, and your bracelet is complete!