Making a BandanaMan Emergency Bracelet ©

 

 

Examples of string that you might have with you in an emergency in the wilderness, A) a chain knotted line 108 inches (approximately 274 cm) long, that you might include in your emergency supplies; B) two shoe-laces, each 55 inches (140 cm) long; and C) a BanadanaMan Emergency Bracelet, that contains 172 inches (approximately 437 cm) of string, and which is only 14 inches (35 cm) long when looped into a chain knot.

Larry Dean Olsen, wrote in Outdoor Survival Skills, that “Strange as it may seem, a piece of string can become the most important item in a survival situation, for the construction of nearly everything requires this simple item”.

 

It’s true and it’s much easier to build the frame of a three-pole lean-to if you have some string to whip together a quick survival tripod¹.  But how often on your journeys through the wilderness are you without this vital bit of equipment?

 

An illustration of a three-pole lean-to from the Arctic Survival Guide, by Alan Innes-Taylor, page 55.

One of the problems with taking string with you on your journeys in the wilderness, is keeping it from becoming a messy tangle in your pack or pocket.  But, if you make and always remember to wear a BandanaMan Emergency Bracelet, then just like a Boy Scout you will always be prepared and will have this important tool to hand in a nice, neat package.

 

Making a BandanaMan Emergency Bracelet

 

A chain knot, an excerpt from the The Ashley Book of Knots, page 472.

An emergency bracelet can be made from any length of line, by simply looping or braiding, it with a “chain knot”, which is also known as a “chain sinnet”, and, according to The Ashley Book of Knots, on page 472, is a “a uniform series of single loops and is completed by drawing the working end through the final loop, which prevents raveling”.  This knot is a method of shortening a line, and is also known as a “monkey chain, monkey braid, single trumpet cord, single bugle cord, chain stitch, crochet stitch, and chain braid” ².

 

Nylon line, photograph by the Author.

To get started making a bracelet like the one labeled “C.” in the front picture, start with 172 inches (approximately 437 cm) of orange nylon string³, and double it over so that you have two strands, which measure 86 inches (218 cm) long.  Now, fold it over again so you have four strands which measure 43 inches (109 cm) long and make an overhand knot in both ends⁴, as in the picture below.

 

An overhand knot, an excerpt from the The Ashley Book of Knots, page 14.

 

Your twice doubled line with an overhand knot tied in each end.  Photograph by the Author.

Now about three inches (7.5 cm) from each end tie another overhand knot, so that your line looks like the picture below.

 

Your twice doubled line with an overhand knot at the end and one three inches (7.5 cm) in from the end, on both sides.  Photograph by the Author.

Now it is time to start looping your twice doubled string into a BandanaMan Emergency Bracelet using a chain knot.

 

Author’s Note -- to demonstrate making the chain knot, in the photographs below, I will only use one line, as it makes it easier to follow the pictures. 

 

An overhand knot (top) and the beginning of a chain knot, which is just an overhand knot with a loop pulled through.  Photograph by the Author.

Tying a chain knot, excerpts from Knotting and Splicing Ropes and Cordage, by Paul Nooncree Hasluck, Page 51-52.

 

To make your bracelet, start your chain knot at the overhand knot that you tied three inches (7.5 cm) in from the doubled end of the line.

 

Start you chain knot just past the overhand knot tied three inches (7.5 cm) in from the doubled end of the line.  Photograph by the Author.

There are two ways to start your chain knot, you can either wrap the line around your index and middle finger, and with your other hand pull a loop of the working end under and through the loop wrapped around your fingers, as below.

 

Steps one and two in starting a chain knot, a loop of line wrapped around your index and middle finger, and a loop of the working end of the line pulled through.  Photograph by the Author.

Or, if you prefer, you can simply make a loop and then pull a pull a loop of the working end behind and though your first loop, as below.

 

Steps one and two in starting a chain knot, make a loop and pull a loop of the working end behind and though the first loop.  Photograph by the Author.

Continue to pull loops behind and through the previous loops.  Keep looping and re-looping the working end of your line until your chain knot has reached the desired length.

 

Steps three and four, snugging down the first loop and pulling the third loop through the second loop.  Photograph by the Author.

There are some applications where a loose series of loops is preferred to a tight series of loops.  However, when making a BandanaMan Emergency Bracelet, a tight series of loops is best, so make a tight braid, by pulling tight and snugging the previous loops as you go. 

 

Step 5, keep pulling a loop behind and through the previous loop, until you have you have braided as much line as you need.  Photograph by  the Author.

 

Finishing the chain knot by drawing the end through the final loop, an excerpt from Knotting and Splicing Ropes and Cordage, by Paul Nooncree Hasluck, Page 51-52.

Next, as you near the overhand knot that you tied three inches (7.5 cm) from the end of the bracelet, simply draw the working end of the line through the final loop, like in the photographs below, this will keep your chain knot from unraveling.

 

Finishing up your BandanaMan Emergency Bracelet by drawing the working end through the final loop.  Photograph by the Author.

And to complete your BandanaMan Emergency Bracelet, tie a square knot to join the ends of the bracelet together between the two overhand knots which your tied earlier, three inches (7.5 cm) from the ends.  You now have 172 inches (approximately 437 cm) of line, which because it has been finger-looped into a chain knot and shortened, now measures only 14 inches (35 cm) long, in an easy to wear bracelet.  And as long as you remember to always wear it or throw it into your pack or pocket, you will always have string with you as you adventure through the wilderness.

 

The finished BandanaMan Emergency Bracelet.  Photograph by the Author.

Don’t forget to come back next week and read “Washing Your Sleeping Bag ©”, where we will talk about how to clean your sleeping bag and get ready for the summer wilderness season.

 

I hope that you continue to enjoy The Woodsman’s Journal Online and look for me on YouTube at BandanaMan Productions for other related videos, HERE.  Don’t forget to follow me on both The Woodsman’s Journal Online, HERE, and subscribe to BandanaMan Productions on YouTube.  If you have questions, as always, feel free to leave a comment on either site.  I announce new articles on Facebook at Eric Reynolds, on Instagram at bandanamanaproductions, and on VK at Eric Reynolds, so watch for me.

 

That is all for now, and as always, until next time, Happy Trails!

 

 

Notes

 

¹ For more on survival tripods, see “How To Make A Survival Tripod ©”, HERE.

 

² From The Ashley Book of Knots, by Clifford W. Ashley, page 472

 

Copies of The Ashley Book of Knots are available from most bookstores as it is still in print, and it is also available at used bookstores.  An excellent PDF copy is available HERE

 

³ Don’t forget to use a lighter or match to melt the cut ends of your nylon string to prevent it from unraveling.

 

⁴ If you want to make a fob or a lanyard instead of a bracelet, leave enough space between the overhand knot and the doubled end of the line to put a carabiner through the loops.

 

 

Sources

 

Ashley, Clifford W.; The Ashley Book of Knots, [Geoffrey Budworth, Kent, England, 1993], page 472, https://www.liendoanaulac.org/space/references/training/Ashley_Book_Knots.pdf, accessed January 25, 2022

 

Hasluck, Paul Nooncree; Knotting and Splicing Ropes and Cordage, [David McKay, Publisher, Philadelphia, PA, 1912], page 51-52, https://books.googleusercontent.com/books/content?req=AKW5QadbkrmBx1Gbt4sXfsubEY1Yuq59o5ydbt5SVplV3e8TM4myCFqis5bVfvEV0s-OvwU5BGbaRJcUGrxnzC7Asu1o6uXg62MvTbBQ_6QYOYckKpGoiqHzbVyoAU66wZ0JnfA4CFwlarClPIOfsXJtL241YGwdSq8QP4JVmlXseXQKcnUBebmDlnQU5GLULW42r9WlDMqAZ0679kpgvlvS8sYEFqoXRgHj9hdJuBHcvLagnY8TexhtJKTcbVSsNQEx1uaBeUiT0hMs0kb-cMldIr69Q0lNyu0XQduelZjK7KRd7eNivL0, accessed January 27, 2022

 

Olsen, Larry Dean; Outdoor Survival Skills, [Pocket Books, New York, 1976], page 198