White North Whips

A 10 ft (3 m) coil of commercial parachute cord

The sheath of this commercial parachute cord is braided from 32 strands and the core made up of seven two-ply yarns. The scale is in inches.

Benefits of paracord/ things to know--- The whips featured on this site are plaited with 550 grade paracord. It's a nylon cord that comes in a wide range of colors and is almost completely weatherproof. Unlike a leather whip, a nylon whip can be used in wet, damp or even snowy conditions without any ill effects to the whip. It will not rot or mildew and will not attract rodents to gnaw on unlike their leather counterparts which are often dressed with conditioners containing animal fats. Your nylon whip will be pretty much maintenance free, there is no need to apply any kind of conditioner to it to keep it in good working order. If your whip does become dirty, it can be washed with some warm mildly soapy water and a small brush. After washing your whip, or if it gets significantly wet, I would suggest you lay it flat to dry.

There are a few things to keep in mind. nylon is susceptible to UV rays, so it should not be stored in direct sunlight for extended periods of time. Even though paracord is some very tough stuff, cracking/using your whip over an abrasive surface will cause the strands to fray and could significantly reduce the working life of the whip. It is best to crack over a smooth or soft surface like grass, carpet, of any type of smooth flooring.

Parachute cord (also paracord or 550 cord) is a lightweight nylon kernmantle rope originally used in the suspension lines of US parachutes during World War II. Once in the field, paratroopers found this cord useful for many other tasks. It is now used as a general purpose utility cord by both military personnel and civilians.

The braided sheath has a high number of interwoven strands for its size, giving it a relatively smooth texture. The all-nylon construction makes paracord fairly elastic.

US Military issue paracord is specified by MIL-C-5040H in six types: I, IA, II, IIA, III, IV. Types IA and IIA are composed solely of a sheath without a core. Type III, a type commonly found in use, is nominally rated with a minimum breaking strength of 550 pounds, thus the sobriquet "550 cord".

The US military specification for paracord outlines a number of parameters to which the final product must conform.

The same properties which soldiers appreciate in paracord are also useful in civilian applications. After World War II parachute cord became available to civilians, first as military surplus and then as a common retail product.

Paracord has also been used by many since the 1970s for whipmaking. The durability and versatility of this material has proved beneficial for performing whip crackers and enthusiasts. Since nylon doesn't rot or mildew, it has become known as an all-weather material for whipmaking. Nylon whips have grown in popularity over the last few decades, more so in the last several years.