No Frills Spare Paracord Carry on a Boonie Hat

For those that want to carry some spare paracordwhen out and about, camping, hunting, fishing, hiking, backpacking, EDC every day carry(if ya wear a boonie hat),etc... this simple method will work just fine. I have posted other variations on 9/23/07, 5/16/07, 9/19/06, and 9/13/06.

If you've never worn a boonie hat, give one a try. They're inexpensive, comfortable, the chin strap comes in handy on windy days, and the full brim helps keep sun/rain off your ears and neck. It's similar to a bucket hat, but with a wider outward shaped brim. Fashion wise, as long as you like green, black, tan, gray, navy blue, or assorted camouflage types, there's sure to be one that fits the bill...

This method with the boonie hat ain't purty, like you might get with a sinnet, braid, weave, stitches, or other fancy knot work, but it will let you carry 50 feet of 550 cord/paracord/parachute cord, for fairly quick access. And it'll take considerably less time(for the impatient folks, and I know there's at least a couple of 'em out there) than you'd spend tying and untying knot work with all the kinks and twists that it will have in it too when it comes time to actually use it.

I like/prefer the knot work, but this is just an example for those that want something quick and easy to learn while still offering utility and being useful/functional.

I used the lanyard knot and loop(video), to secure the paracord, at the front, back, and both sides of my boonie hat, tied on the hat through the branch loops with about 1 foot of paracord used for each one. That leaves enough room to tie and adjust them before trimming off any excess. I made them after coiling the paracord around the hat the first time, so that I could make sure it would be a tight fit around the paracord and they will not come undone until you want them too.

For coiling the 50 foot piece of paracord(any more than 50 feet gets a bit bulky, YMMV), I first made an overhand slip knot/loop at one end and fit that over the hat. That helps keep the cord in place as I wrapped the cord around it. Then just continue to loop/coil the cord around the hat 'till you reach the end. Giving a bit of a twist to the cord as you go, like coiling a garden hose, keeps the paracord from developing twisted kinks as you go and helps it come off the hat easier without tangling when you remove it. Try not too wrap it too loose as it'll get messy and likely to tangle, or too tight as your head still has to fit in the hat. You can sit the hat on the floor to do this or even try it while you're wearing it.

Work each lanyard knot loop around the cord and over the lanyard knot to secure it on each side. The end of the cord usually ends up next to one of the lanyard loops, so you can just leave it tucked under one or tie an overhand knot around the previous loop to hold it in place.

I've tied it and pulled it off several times to test it out and make sure I can quickly get the paracord off without tangling, and it's worked out okay for me.

Boonie Hats