Lanyard Material

All the preppers use 550-paracord.  But then, they use 550-paracord for everything.  I find very few uses for which paracord is ideal, lightest, or easiest to use.

For a lanyard, I’d consider:

• a lanyard from any of the last 17 conferences I attended.  Although they are cheap (free) and often come with a swivel-hook, I’d test their strength, especially of any crimp connectors, before use.
• 2-mm braided utility cord – the stuff that looks like a mini-climbing rope.  REI has 2, 3, 4, 5-mm, etc mm.  I have a bunch in red and in high-vis yellow because it’s easier to see.  I use it, for instance, to lash a sleeping bag or stuff sack on a pack frame because it’s plenty strong enough but much lighter  and more general purpose* than traditional straps.
• reflective cord, sold for tent guy lines.  I keep a short length on my Victorinox Classic to make it really easy to find at night.  So, if your EDC kit falls off your neck, it will be easier to find.  If it doesn’t fall off your neck, your body will be easier to find.
• I use 130-pound test braided Dacron halibut fishing line for LOTS of stuff* but around my neck, I’d only put pretty light stuff – 1 to 2 ounces – on it, because it’s so thin.  And even then, I’d prefer 2mm cord.  Maybe I’d use it for a little Tyvek envelope to hold ID, CCs and C-notes around my neck in a bad neighborhood – then the very small diameter and lack of color would make it far less visible.

If you want 30″ of any of those, send my a PM and a snail mail address.

*emergency shoe laces, tent guy lines, lashing poles togethers, etc.

Very helpful David, thank you.